Through a partnership formalized in April 2005, Duke University Medical Center and the National University of Singapore have been working to establish Singapore's first Graduate Medical School.
But the school has a long way to go before welcoming its first class of students in Fall 2007.
"We're building everything from absolute scratch. We're in a hastily renovated old building," said Patrick Casey, vice dean for research and Duke's primary representative at the Singapore site.
Casey, James B. Duke professor of pharmacology and cancer biology, moved with his family to Singapore in mid-August and will remain there full-time for the next two years. Dr. R. Sanders Williams, dean of Duke's School of Medicine, will also act as dean of the new school and will be making frequent trips between Durham and Singapore.
Administrators noted that the new school is an important step in Duke's effort to transform a national reputation into an international one.
"We made our impact in regional health some number of years ago," Casey said. "Our goal is to be the best medical school in Asia."
Toward that end, administrators are working hard to recruit faculty and oversee the construction of the school's permanent facilities, which are scheduled for completion in 2009.
Dr. Pascal Goldschmidt, chair of the Department of Medicine and Edward S. Orgain professor of medicine, said the University's stature in the medical world was an important factor in helping establish the partnership.
"We're relying on Duke's name and reputation to help us," Casey said, referring to the new school's ability to draw professors, researchers and ultimately, students.
"I think that Duke is probably the most entrepreneurial school among the top medical schools in the country," Goldschmidt said, noting that the University beat out several other competitors interested in helping establish the new school in Singapore. "There is no question that this is the entry door to the Asian opportunity and it probably will be followed by other initiatives that will be pursued in Asia."
The school is largely sponsored by Singapore's government, which during the next seven years will provide $310 million in funding.
The Graduate Medical School, however, is only one piece of Singapore's larger $3 billion Biomedical Sciences Initiative. In 2000 the country stated its goal of doubling the industry's output to $12 billion in five years. But by 2004, the country had already surpassed that goal, reaching $15.8 billion in manufacturing output.
Administrators previously said such accomplishments have helped make Singapore an attractive partner to help advance Duke's globalization efforts.
"I think that there will be several unique opportunities with Singapore. The field of medicine is evolving to become more and more a global challenge," Goldschmidt said. "You can imagine that having a satellite school in Singapore will create opportunities for us to advance substantially our Global Health Initiative."
Representatives from Duke have also been impressed by the country's medical care. Casey, who visited a local emergency room, noted that the services provided were exceptional.
"They have a very high quality of medical care there, and they do it for a fraction of the cost in the U.S.," Casey said. "They're incredibly clean and efficient. You don't wait very long [and] you get a very professional assessment."
Although education has taken a leading role in the school's establishment, research is also expected to play a significant part.
With each student's third year dedicated to research, Duke's model fits nicely with Singapore's goal of cultivating physician-scientists, Williams told Inside Duke University Medical Center and Health System.
Students for the school will come primarily from Singapore and other parts of Asia, officials said.
Consequently, the Duke administration will have to make adjustments to fit in with the new surroundings.
"Culturally, it's just an incredibly different environment," Casey said. "You have to be flexible."
To accommodate these differences, the School of Medicine plans to employ its current curriculum in Singapore, but with some changes.
"We're tailoring the curriculum, and there will be a component that has Eastern influence," Casey said. "Eighty percent will be the same as here and 20 percent will be significantly different."
Ultimately, the school will be a test for Duke and for Singapore. But representatives from both parties are optimistic that the partnership will be successful.
"We hope to learn from them as they learn from us," Casey said.
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