AIDAN GREWAL
MEDICINE
Just three days into medical school at NTU, Aidan Grewal knew he was in the right place.
“Studying medicine can be cool,” Aidan says, “especially when you’re doing it at NTU.” Before enrolling, Aidan had heard a lot about NTU’s Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine’s patient-centred approach and team-based learning, but he was blown away by how deeply those values were integrated into everything they did.
Aidan’s favourite part of NTU’s medical school? The people-centred vibe. It’s about seeing the patient as a whole person, not just a case. “The patient comes first” isn’t just the school’s mantra; it’s an ethos he lives by. So much so that once, he found himself automatically chanting the phrase as he gave way to a woman at the entrance of a building.
For Aidan, studying medicine is not about prestige or pay checks. It’s about caring for patients in a meaningful way – something he’s wanted to do since secondary school.
One of the coolest things about his NTU programme? Team-based learning. From day one, six students form a team, and they stay together all year long. It’s an instant support network, and Aidan loves it. His team is diverse – three women and three men – reflecting the balance of genders in his cohort. They have bonded well as a team and have even travelled together.
Aidan is also a huge fan of NTU’s interactive teaching style. Instead of just listening to lectures, students watch a video on a topic, for example, the heart, before class. The lesson itself is more like a discussion facilitated by profs and clinicians, where everyone gets involved and shares ideas.
From mastering clinical skills to travelling abroad, Aidan’s learning team of six navigate their first year of med school together.
“I think NTU’s approach is the best way to teach medicine. The point of becoming a doctor is to help people, and that’s exactly what our patient-centred training fosters – genuine empathy.”
NTU trains students in bedside manner using simulated patients – people portraying patients with different symptoms. This helps Aidan and his classmates practise asking openended questions to make patients feel heard, and even delivering bad news with compassion.
Aidan’s impressed by how professional the “patients” are – they stay in character no matter how awkward or embarrassing the questions might get.
He also appreciates NTU’s more measured approach to training. Unlike other schools that rush students into cadaver dissections in the first year, NTU waits until the third year, allowing students to first build a solid understanding of the human body.
One of the things that sets NTU apart? Only one graded exam per year. Aidan believes this is a smarter way to learn – there’s less pressure to cram and more emphasis on real-world learning. While exams are important, he says they may not define how well you’ll do as a doctor. The NTU method is all about preparing students for actual practice, not just memorising facts.
Despite his busy schedule shuttling between NTU’s main and Novena campuses for lessons, Aidan still makes time to hang out with his NTU pals. Sure, the patient comes first, but even doctors need to unwind.
This story was published in the Jan-Feb 2025 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.
