INTRODUCTION: Singapore has had three medical schools since 2013. We undertook a cross-sectional quantitative national survey to determine the financial impact of medical education on medical students in Singapore. METHODS: All 1,829 medical students in Singapore were invited to participate in this study. Information on demographics, financial aid utilisation and outside work was collected and analysed. RESULTS: 1,241 (67.9%) of 1,829 students participated in the survey. While the overall proportion of students from households with monthly incomes < SGD 3,000 was only 21.2% compared to the national figure of 31.4%, 85.4% of medical students expected to graduate with debts > SGD 75,000. There were significant differences in per capita incomes among the schools, with 54.5%, 23.3% and 7.8% of Duke-NUS Medical School (Duke-NUS), NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine) and Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) students, respectively, reporting a per capita income of < SGD 1,000 (p < 0.001). There were significant differences in financial support: 75.0%, 34.1% and 38.8% of Duke-NUS, NUS Medicine and LKCMedicine students, respectively, received financial aid (p < 0.001). The top reasons for not applying for aid included a troublesome application process (21.4%) and the perception that it would be too difficult to obtain (21.0%). CONCLUSION Students in the three medical schools in Singapore differ in their financial needs and levels of financial support received. A national approach to funding medical education may be needed to ensure that financial burdens do not hamper the optimal training of doctors for Singapore's future.
Cross-Sectional Studies ; Financial Stress ; Humans ; Schools, Medical ; Singapore ; Students, Medical ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Antibodies, Viral ; Antibody Formation ; BNT162 Vaccine ; COVID-19/prevention & control* ; Female ; Humans ; Milk, Human ; Pilot Projects ; RNA, Messenger ; Vaccination

Humans ; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria ; Peritoneal Dialysis/adverse effects* ; Peritonitis/etiology*

There have been recent descriptions of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presenting as ‘varicella-like exanthem’. We report three cases of patients with VaricellaZoster Virus (VZV) and COVID-19 co-infections, presenting in three varied ways. These cases highlight the need for heightened alertness to how such co-infections can present, to pick up overlapping ‘dual pathologies’ during this current pandemic given that infection control measures including airborne precautions are crucial for both COVID-19 and VZV.

There have been recent descriptions of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presenting as ‘varicella-like exanthem’. We report three cases of patients with VaricellaZoster Virus (VZV) and COVID-19 co-infections, presenting in three varied ways. These cases highlight the need for heightened alertness to how such co-infections can present, to pick up overlapping ‘dual pathologies’ during this current pandemic given that infection control measures including airborne precautions are crucial for both COVID-19 and VZV.

COVID-19 ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Incidence ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Singapore/epidemiology*

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major health issue in the Philippines. TB-Care was introduced in 2011 to tackle pulmonary TB among the urban poor in Payatas, Quezon City, Philippines. We evaluated the efficacy of TB-Care in increasing treatment success and compliance rates. This retrospective case series reviewed 44 patients with pulmonary TB enrolled in TB-Care from 2013 to 2014. Diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary TB was made in accordance with World Health Organization guidelines. Treatment outcomes included cure, completed treatment, successfully treated, failed treatment and transferred to another facility. 14 (73.7%) out of 19 patients tested were bacteriologically cured. The average 100% compliance rate was 90.8% over six months. The programme successfully treated 39 (88.6%) patients. This was comparable to the overall national treatment success rate of 90% for Philippines and 79% for Singapore, with higher compliance rates than were previously reported in this community.

Curriculum ; Education, Medical ; methods ; trends ; Education, Medical, Graduate ; Humans ; Schools, Medical ; Singapore

INTRODUCTION: Medical school fees are rising globally. Student debt and financial background may affect residency choices, but few studies have been conducted in Asia. This study aimed to explore the relationship between financial background, student debt and postgraduate residency choices among medical students in Singapore. METHODS: An anonymised survey of all medical students in Singapore was conducted and had a response rate of 67.9%. RESULTS: 40.5% of our study population would graduate with debt. Medical students with monthly per capita household income < SGD 1,000 were more likely to graduate with debt (unadjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.6-2.7; p < 0.001) and feel burdened by the cost of medical education (unadjusted OR 2.8, 95% CI 2.0-3.9; p < 0.001). Students with monthly per capita household income < SGD 1,000 (unadjusted OR 1.818, 95% CI 1.338-2.470, p < 0.001; adjusted OR 1.692, 95% CI 1.202-2.381, p = 0.003) and those with debt (unadjusted OR 1.623, 95% CI 1.261-2.090, p < 0.001; adjusted OR 1.393, 95% CI 1.048-1.851, p = 0.022) were more likely to rank at least one economic factor as 'very significant' in influencing their postgraduate training choices. CONCLUSION It is concerning that despite financial aid schemes, the cost of medical education remains a burden to students from lower-income households in Singapore. Student debt and financial background may distort postgraduate career choices, creating an undue push towards high-paying specialties.
Career Choice ; Choice Behavior ; Education, Medical ; economics ; Humans ; Internship and Residency ; economics ; Odds Ratio ; Schools, Medical ; economics ; Singapore ; Social Class ; Students, Medical ; statistics & numerical data ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Training Support

Cross Infection ; microbiology ; therapy ; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Fungal ; Fungi ; classification ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Mycoses ; microbiology ; therapy ; Patient Care Management ; methods ; Singapore