​A second home for LKCMedicine alumni

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Even before the pioneer batch of LKCMedicine graduates complete their Post Graduate Year 1 at hospitals across Singapore, a new facility is ready to strengthen the link with their alma mater.

The LKCMedicine Alumni Lounge was officially opened on the evening of 15 February 2019 by Professor Alan Chan, Vice President, Alumni & Advancement, NTU Singapore. Also in attendance was LKCMedicine Dean Professor James Best, as well as the School's management team and current students.

Addressing the alumni present in his opening address, Prof Best said, "The word 'alumni' is hard to define but the definition I like most is 'foster son' or 'foster daughter'. You are our firstborn, so you always have a special place in our hearts. The Alumni Lounge is a fantastic idea to connect you back to your nurturing mother."

He also thanked the NTU Advancement and Alumni Office for its support, both in cash and in kind, towards the LKCMedicine Alumni Association.

Prof Chan praised the pioneer cohort of alumni, "The LKCMedicine Alumni Association has gotten off to a fantastic start with the launch of the Alumni Fund which has matching support from School's management, faculty and staff. This is very commendable." This fund will support student activities such as the Overseas Community Involvement Projects. To date, about one-third of the cohort has contributed to the fund.

Prof Chan hopes that the NTU alumni will have a willingness to come back to the university and help the next generation of students in their studies as mentors, advisors, lecturers or simply spending time with current students because they are much closer to them than some of the professors may be.

Located on the ground floor of LKCMedicine, the 101-sqm lounge is divided into three distinctive and fully furnished areas conducive for work and relaxation.

One side of the Lounge is designed to hold meetings for up to 10 people, complete with an LED TV to handle digital presentations. Adjacent to it are two work stations, equipped with desktop computers, for those who need to get some quick work done. And there's 24/7 Wi-Fi access too! At the other end of the Lounge is a space fitted with comfortable couches and sofa chairs for alumni members to chill out. Next to it is a pantry where the alumni can fix a quick cuppa while catching up with fellow alumni.

The newly formed LKCMedicine Alumni Association, currently led by Dr Leon Tan from the Class of 2018, now counts itself as one of 51 NTU alumni associations, with total members hitting the 233,000 mark.

Dr Leon Tan, President of the LKCMedicine Alumni Association, said, "The alumni are all very thankful for all the things that the School has done for us. Five years ago, we had the Student Lounge in the very same place where the Alumni Lounge is now. It was the place we went to after classes to gather and relax. Fast forward to now, and we are back as doctors. I believe this room will be a very nice place for us to gather as alumni to connect back to the School and stay in touch with one another."

Fellow alumnus Dr Delwyn Lim said the lounge will be especially useful for those working in the HealthCity Novena area. "We can chill out here and catch up with our classmates. Hopefully, we can also have some other recreational facilities like pool or foosball tables or board games in future," he said.

Alumnus Dr Joel Wong said, "It's nice that we still have a place to come back to and feel that LKCMedicine is still our home."

Echoing his comment is alumna Dr Aishwarya Narayanan, "It's a really great idea for us to get back together to share our experiences and strengthen our bond with our alma mater."

The Lounge is open round the clock so the alumni can access the facility with their cards even when they work irregular hours. All LKCMedicine graduates are automatically enrolled in the Alumni Association.

With the opening of the Lounge coinciding with the Lunar New Year, guests at the opening were also treated to a sumptuous dinner with a traditional lo hei.