For someone who already has a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Life Sciences like Dr Adeline Lam, one might think that getting a Doctor of Medicine (MD) would be a piece of cake. 

But medical school provides its own set of challenges.

At Duke-NUS Medical School, students are assessed several times a week on their medical knowledge, especially in their first year. When Dr Lam began medical school, she found herself playing catch-up with the intensive regimen of testing, particularly for someone who came from the research-centric, benchwork-heavy nature of PhD study.