TriMedSoc Alliance renews collaboration to unify voice of Singapore medical students

The National University Singapore (NUS) Medical Society, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore’s (NTU Singapore) Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) Students’ Medical Society and Duke-NUS Student Council are renewing, for the first time, the TriMedSoc Alliance, a collaboration co-founded in 2021 between the student bodies of Singapore’s three medical schools. The TriMedSoc Alliance was established to foster a greater sense of collaboration within the local medical student population, to have a formal platform to discuss issues that are close to the hearts of medical students in Singapore, and to advocate for the collective interests of all three student bodies.

With an alliance comprising the elected Student Council and Medical Societies of the three medical schools, the student leaders carry clear mandates from their respective student bodies to advocate for and act in their best interests. Individually, each party is the formally recognised student body representative of their respective schools and participates in decision-making processes and policy discussions with their respective school administration. Collectively, the TriMedSoc Alliance is the sole legitimate student representative body of medical students studying in Singapore to unify local medical students, and advance and synergise student advocacy and community engagement efforts.     

The renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) solidifies the close ties between the three medical student representative bodies and creates an official platform for greater collaboration, with the goal of developing programmes and activities that support the holistic development of the medical student community in Singapore. They also serve to reinforce the student-led efforts in the medical student fraternity and the wider community.

Building on the success of the Alliance, this renewal provides the three medical student representative bodies with the opportunity to introduce new initiatives, such as establishing an advisory board comprising senior doctors and administrators, including faculty from the three schools. The members have been selected in view of their deep understanding of the nuances of the local medical education and healthcare sector, their vast experience in organisational management, and their commitment to student development. The advisory board is set up with the intention of longitudinally consolidating the organisational knowledge of the Alliance, and providing stewardship and guidance to the future TriMedSoc committees, which change after every annual election cycle.

The MOU Renewal Ceremony on 17 August 2024 was held during the Opening Ceremony of the National Medical Students’ Convention 2024, and was witnessed by Professor Benjamin Ong, Chairman at the Health Sciences Authority, Associate Professor Shiva Sarraf-Yazdi, Vice-Dean of Education, Duke-NUS Medical School; and Distinguished University Professor Joseph Sung, NTU Singapore’s Senior Vice President (Health and Life Sciences) and Dean of LKCMedicine.

Mr Lim Rong, Chairperson of the 3rd TriMedSoc Alliance and 11th President of the LKCMedicine Students’ Medical Society said,

“The TriMedSoc Alliance has provided the student representative bodies of the three medical schools with a platform for closer partnership. Over the past year, we have worked closely to represent the interests of medical students in Singapore to external stakeholders, and support events that foster learning and collaboration across the three medical schools.”

Since their inception, the student bodies of the local medical schools have remained steadfast in the service of their respective medical student populations through various initiatives in the fields of arts and culture, and sports. For instance, the annual Camp SIMBA, jointly held between the three medical schools, aims to provide a space for the emotional needs of children with cancer. In addition, the LKCMedicine Students’ Medical Society organises an annual talent showcase, called Peanut Butter and Jam, which encourages students to demonstrate their talents outside the classroom, and other initiatives, focused on academic and research, include NUS Medical Society’s career symposium.

In the wider community, medical students have upheld the spirit of community service embodied by generations of doctors through organising community health screening initiatives both locally and overseas. One such initiative, organised by the Duke-NUS Student Council, is Healthy to Thrive (HTT), which started in 2023 in collaboration with My Brother SG to serve 300 migrant workers through health screenings and medical counselling.

“We are witnessing a growing trend of close collaboration between the student bodies of the three medical schools, not only in academic student interest groups (SIGs) but also through joint community service initiatives and advocacy efforts. We hope that the renewal of the TriMedSoc MOU will catalyse further opportunities for interaction and the building of camaraderie among future colleagues,” said Mr John Joson Ng, President of the 16th Duke-NUS Student Council and Chairperson of the 2nd TriMedSoc Alliance.    

With the renewed MoU, the Alliance aims to strengthen its commitment to representing medical students and enhancing community bonds. Through engaging with key stakeholders, including medical schools, the Designated Institutional Officials of the three healthcare clusters and the Ministry of Health, the TriMedSoc Alliance will continue to address critical issues such as school learning facilities, financing medical education and clinical rotation experiences.

Notably, the annual flagship event, the National Medical Students’ Convention, remains a highlight in the roster of activities organised to foster a close-knit community of local medical students. NMSC 2024 is the sixth iteration of the event and marks the largest gathering in the event’s history, bringing together a record number of about 170 medical students across all three schools, and boasting around 40 expert speakers across the healthcare clusters and from different industries. This year’s Convention features an expanded program of workshops catering to different interests in healthcare, from foundational clinical skills to career orientations towards medtech, entrepreneurship, advocacy, and medical humanitarian work.    

“The NMSC is an annual event held by the TriMedSoc Alliance and its constituent Medical Societies. It offers a platform for our student members to experience the broader landscapes of Medicine, beyond what we see in our lessons and clinical postings. We hope our participants will be able to get a better idea of what awaits them after graduation, and in so doing, allow  them to work towards developing their extracurricular interests and experiences,” said Mr Aravind Madabhushi, President of the 75th NUS Medical Society.

This milestone event highlights the TriMedSoc Alliance’s role as a cornerstone in uniting and empowering the future healthcare leaders of Singapore.