1. DECISION MAKING
Did you go to JC/Poly? What subjects were you pursuing before university, and were they related to your university course?
I was from National Junior College and I took 4H2s (Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Economics) before joining this course. Having a biology background has been a great help in the anatomy and physiology module in year 1 (common module for all health science students). A small part of chemistry also helped in some of the modules. If you have a physics background, it will be good too as some of the modules are physics related. However, most of the other modules are unrelated to the subjects I took in JC. So don’t shy away from this course because of your academic background.
What courses were you considering, and what were the factors that personally shaped your decision?
I was considering SMU social science, NUS science and NTU double degree biomedical and TCM as well. I did not consider an overseas degree as the thought of studying overseas has never occurred to me.
I weighed my interest in the course as my top priority and I have always wanted to be in the healthcare industry, so needless to say, the offer from SIT is my first choice.
SIT is the only government university that offers a degree in diagnostic radiography. One of the key considerations, while I was deciding which institution to enrol in, was financial. Though Parkway College offers diagnostic radiography, the degree is awarded by the University of Hertfordshire. The course offered by Parkway is 3 years shorter than that of SIT’s 4-year course, however, the tuition fee for Parkway is approximately $77K, which is double of SIT’s tuition fee.
2. TEACHING CURRICULUM
How would you describe your course to someone who doesn’t know about it?
It is a programme that prepares graduates for the role of a professional radiographer through a clinical-based, applied-learning and practice-orientated curriculum.
What’s your course structure like?
Diagnostic radiography offered by SIT is a 4-year direct honours course that runs in trimesters, with 2 trimesters in year 2 and year 4, accounting for a total of 10 trimesters. Typically the new academic year starts in September and ends in August next year. Each trimester is about 16 weeks with a recess week (usually the 8th week) and an E-learning week (not always). Every trimester will usually have 4 modules, with one module carrying 10 credits while the rest are 5 credits. The details of the programme modules can be found on the school’s website (https://www.singaporetech.edu.sg/modules/2589). There are usually 3 assessments for each module with a good mix of written exams/quizzes, group projects (usually report or PowerPoint presentations) and individual assignments. However, some modules are purely based on either quiz or assignments. Unlike NUS and NTU, students are not required to bid for their courses and plan for timetables. We are only required to bid for our electives in year 4 (2 modules) which is based on a first-come-first-served basis.
Clinical placements at various healthcare institutes happen throughout the 4 years with the first block of placement happening in year 1 trimester 3. However, the location of the placement is assigned by the school, so you are unable to choose your preferred location. Students are required to complete a total of 7 blocks of placements, and each placement is 6 weeks. However, different settings (polyclinics, private hospitals, community hospitals) yield you a different experience.
How is a day in the life of a student in your course & school like?
I am currently finishing my 3rd year. The academic load towards year 4 decreases heavily as compared to year 1 however most of the time will be directed to the thesis. I would say year 1 was the most academically intense year with a very packed timetable. Lessons were fully packed, with 5 days with classes/ lectures starting at 9 am and ending as late as 6 pm. As you progress, the schedule will be less packed, however, the academic rigour remains.
Due to Covid-19, all of my lessons have been shifted to online teaching. There will be about 3 to 4 lectures and tutorials per week depending on the modules. Days with no lessons will be more common from year 2 onwards, so this gives me more freedom in planning meetings for my group projects and other personal matters.
Practical lessons are common in this course. In year 1, we went to NUS anatomy hall to have practical lessons with the silent mentors (cadavers). Since the campus does not have an X-ray machine lab, starting from year 1 trimester 3, we started to go to various hospitals to have hands-on X-ray positionings with the X-ray machines there. However, the future new campus in Punggol will be equipped with an X-ray lab, so practical lessons can be conducted in the school.
What is the format of your assessments/exams like?
There are various modes of assessment. Practical is a very common assessment. In year 1, all health science students are required to do the Objective Structured Practical Examination (OSPE) as part of their assessment for the anatomy and physiology module. Practical and oral viva voce is also used to assess the student’s theoretical knowledge for the modules.
The mode of final examination assessments can be either MCQs or written exams depending on the module and the module coordinator.
How heavy would you say the workload for your course is compared to an average student in your university?
There are no easy courses, and every course has its challenges. There are some trimesters with a workload higher than the other, while some trimesters are much more relaxing and slow-paced. Just manage your time well, step by step, everything will fall in place.
There are often certain skills or content knowledge that you learn in university that can be learnt outside of school independently. Would you say there’s a difference between learning this knowledge/skills independently versus in university? What knowledge/skills would you say can only be learnt from your course?
Diagnostic radiography is a very hands-on skill, and it cannot be learnt independently. Though you can acquire theoretical knowledge of physics behind X-ray, MRI, CT through self-study, it is impossible to be clinical-ready through textbook reading. Radiography is a set of skills and applied learning from what you have studied. SIT helps to equip you with the skills of becoming a qualified radiographer through various practical sessions and clinical attachments that provide you with hands-on experience.
Are there specialisations within your degree? If yes, when do you have to choose your specialisation, and what specialisation have you chosen?
There is currently no specialization within this degree. However, you can choose to go into the various imaging modalities (CT, MRI, Ultrasounds, Angiography etc.) of your choice in your clinical practice. You can further study in modalities of your interest. SIT offers a postgraduate diploma in sonography and a master and a doctorate in clinical research in health sciences.
How are the faculty/professors of your course like? Any favourite professors!
Most of the teaching staff/ professors have clinical backgrounds in the healthcare field. More often than not, the lecturers are adjuncts from other healthcare institutes, and this ensures our knowledge is relevant to the current industry.
Are there any final year projects/capstones/thesis to do?
Yes. The thesis is compulsory for students. The thesis project starts as early as year 3 and stretches till the last trimester of year 4. Thesis projects titles are collated from healthcare institution partners and professors in the school, students can also submit their abstracts to the school. Students then ballot for their thesis projects. Each project consists of 2-4 students and can be interdisciplinary projects as well (thesis groups consist of students from other health science courses). Assessment of the thesis includes thesis group proposal, individual written report and group poster.
3. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE / PREFERENCES
What were your most and least favourite/interesting classes/part of your course?
I feel the most interesting part of the course are the practicals as I get to do hands-on. The OSPE for anatomy and physiology is a unique and interesting experience for me. The way the examination is structured is very different from usual practical exams and it is something you will never experience unless you are a health science or medical student. The OSPE has multiple stations, with each station consisting of a specimen/ histology image/ X-ray image. There will be questions set based on each station. Every station has a time limit of the 30s, and once the bell rings, students will have to move on to the next part.
My least favourite part of the course will be travelling to various venues for practical lessons. Practical lesson venues are scattered in various hospitals and facilities. Travelling is a headache especially when venues are far from your home.
What is something(s) you didn’t know/expect about the course before starting, and what are some things that surpassed your expectations?
I did not expect to enrol in a psychology and sociology moduleas the name did not click with diagnostic radiography at all. I have to admit that I had a hard time studying for that module.
Something that surpassed my expectation was the number of clinical placements and the way that they are being organised. Clinical placements are organised right after the theory class of the modalities covered. This allowed me to apply my knowledge from the class into the clinical setting, and reinforce the knowledge taught. The hands-on experiences from the clinical placement also honed my skills and better prepared me for my future career.
Are there any common misconceptions/stereotypes about your course that you would like to debunk?
Diagnostic radiography is a very niche field and is unheard of by many people. My friend even asked me if I am going to work in a radio company. Radiographers often get the title “the button pusher” as we press the button to take the X-ray image. However, the role and responsibility are beyond the mere pressing of a button. Before pressing the button, we position the patient in a certain way to obtain the optimal image for diagnosis and by pressing the button, we are responsible for the patients and the images we took.
Radiography is not only about X-rays. A radiographer is also involved in other modalities such as CT, MRI, ultrasound nuclear medicine, fluoroscopy, mammograms. We are not limited to only X-rays which most people are aware of.
Were there times when you regretted your decision?
Never. I have never regretted my choice. Passion in healthcare and the ability to bring smiles to patients’ faces have made me determined to stay in the course and be part of the profession.
Is the student retention rate for your course high?
Yes, there are about 3 people who dropped out of the course along the way. Overall, the student retention is high as most of the people entered this course knowing this will be their future career. One good thing about the course structure is that we were being sent out to clinical as early as in year 1, we were able to have the full experience of the work-life of a radiographer. Hence, if you feel you are not fit for the career, you can pull out in the early stage.
What sort of student do you think would excel in / be suited for your course?
There are many hardworking coursemates around me and to excel in the course, you should have the knowledge at your fingertips. Soft skills are also important in clinical placement. Knowing some basic dialects, and another language besides your mother tongue will help you to communicate with patients in the clinical setting as we come across people of different races in the healthcare setting.
4. CAREER PROSPECTS
What are the career prospects like for your course?
Most of us would have been bonded to various hospitals by the end of year 4 and secured a job.
Upon graduation, you will work in healthcare institutions like polyclinics, government hospitals, or private hospitals. There are 4 main career progression pathways in a healthcare institute: clinical, education, research and management. (More information can be found https://www.caretogobeyond.sg/ahp/about-allied-health/faq).
Clinical would mean you focus on your daily patient procedures and be an expert in the area. For education, you would be in charge of taking care of students that are coming in for clinical placements. Lastly, research would be doing experiments and writing papers etc. Of course, one can also move onto management, which will be office work and usually, people in this role will not practise clinical work anymore.
One can also become a lecturer in the university after obtaining the relevant qualifications. If you like the corporate environment, you can also work in a company that produces medical machines such as Philips.
What are your plans after university?
I originally planned to have a graduation trip before working in the hospital that I am bonded to. Now, with Covid, this seems to be a highly unlikely plan, so I hope I can have a short break before starting my bond.
Would you say you went into your course already making the decision to pursue a career related to your course?
Yes. Diagnostic radiography, like other healthcare courses, is a very niche course with non-transferable skills and knowledge. Unlike other non-skill specific degrees for example social science, we are limited with the career field. So one has to be prepared and have the passion to carry yourself in the healthcare industry.
Did you have any internships/work experience related to your career (elaborate if yes) and did your school give you sufficient training & resources? Otherwise, where else did you find them?
I worked in a polyclinic before going to university. The job had given me some background of the healthcare setting and a day in the life of a radiographer. It helped me to anticipate what my future career would be like.
Academically wise, the school library has subjects guides that listed out a series of textbooks/reading materials as supplementary for the modules. Lecturers will also recommend texts for reading to supplement the teaching contents.
5. STUDENT LIFE
Did you stay in campus accommodation?
Unfortunately, there is no hostel on the current campus. I’m not sure if the Punggol campus will have campus accommodation.
How is the school culture like?
People in the school are very helpful and friendly. We help each other out and share materials that are useful for the modules.
What were your CCAs?
I have no CCAs. I usually took part in ad-hoc events organised by other CCA groups and external events by my scholarship committee.
What other opportunities have you made use of in university e.g. overseas exchange?
The university offers overseas exchange programmes (usually 1-2 weeks) with partner universities. However, due to Covid, all overseas activities are suspended and converted to online/virtual exchange sessions.
Any parting words or advice for juniors? :,)
Always follow your heart and do not let external judgements influence your decisions. If you are passionate about the career, go ahead and find out more about it, make an informed decision before embarking on your journey in healthcare as passion will be the one that carries you in the industry in the long run.