​​For three days last month, over 200 Singaporean youngsters went without showers, cooked their own food and indulged in physical activity that induced plenty of sweat on Pulau Ubin. No, it wasn’t a local version of the Amazing Race... they were healthcare scholars taking part in an induction camp.

Ever since MOHH took over the management of the nation’s public healthcare scholarships in 2009 from MOH and the clusters, there have been plenty of engagement opportunities, like this induction camp where the scholars get to know each other as well as meet members of MOHH senior management and the team that works with them from the time they are granted the scholarship. In fact, the camp is just one of the activities under the Scholars Development Framework (SDF) that aims to enhance the scholars’ holistic development through activities such as community involvement programmes (CIP), professional seminars, internships, student exchange programmes and re-entry workshops.

HRTD director Tan Kwang Cheak, who supervises the Scholarships team in MOHH, said that the healthcare scholarships, which were established in 2007, have steadily grown over the years, with a record number of scholarships being awarded this year. This year, 283 healthcare scholarships were awarded and that is an increase of 12 per cent from last year. And the 2013 figure was a 46 per cent jump from the previous year. These scholars include students pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies in nursing, allied health and general disciplines.

“This is achieved through the Healthcare Scholarship Centre’s (HSC) overall strategic plan and focus to attract and develop the best for the public healthcare sector as well as the strong partnership with MOH and the clusters,” explained Kwang Cheak.

We wish our 283 new scholars the very best for the next stage of their educational and developmental journey... and welcome to the family.

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