Chan Yang Kai
Class
1501
Rank points
87.5
NUS
Medicine
NUS Merit Scholarship
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My university application journey
During the first application window, I applied for NUS Dentistry, NTU Business and Accountancy and also other courses. To be honest, I wasn�t very sure of my choices because I did not have do sufficient research and felt like I still had time to apply and try again (because I was still serving National Service)
I got rejected by NUS Dentistry but I accepted NTU business and accountancy. Hence I stayed with that choice during that year.
However, I had a gut feeling that I would somehow regret studying business and accountancy; I don�t see myself doing anything related to the business field in the future.
I decided to take the time during National Service to find out what I really wanted. I talked to seniors from different faculties, working adults and also did my own research.
I came across Medicine; being a doctor as a career. I decide to contact one of the General Practioners (GP) to seek more information about life as a doctor and how the journey was like to attain the MBBS. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to shadow him and sit in his office; allowing myself to see the day to day job of a GP.
I made up my mind and decided to put Medicine as my first choice. I consolidated my portfolio and had the help from a few close friends to edit the essays etc. To prepare for the interviews, I had the help from Miss Celine Leow and NYJC alumni who were studying medicine.
With that, I would like to give a small tip to those preparing and deciding what to study in the University: never hesitate to talk to people and find out more information about the options you have. You�ll never know what you may stumble upon and be interested in it
Life after NYJC
Transiting to university life from national service took me by surprise.
I felt like I was not used to studying and I had to take some time to get my momentum back in place. To those who enter uni from NS, don�t be too harsh on yourself. Give yourself sometime to settle down and you�ll eventually get back on pace
Also, medicine is a challenging course and you meet friends from really elite schools. But I am really glad that these friends are very kind with their knowledge and they wont hesitate to help you in your studies. Because I am a scholarship holder, I also had the pressure to maintain certain academic criteria to keep the scholarship. However, I was consistent in my studies and got through the obstacles together with the help from my peers.
Besides Medicine, I also stayed in one of the halls on campus. It really added fun and opened new doors to meet peers from different faculties. I really enjoyed myself and would definitely encourage juniors to try out different things in University
My Future Plans
To be honest, I have not thought of any specialisation yet and would definitely keep my options open. I know that I would have to finish my 5 years of studies and complete my 5 years bond with MOH. Afterwards, I would see what options are there and see where it takes me
Tips for Juniors
dont be afraid to try new things in university and dont be too harsh on yourself if you dont get it the first time.