Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) is pioneering the use of 3D-printed anatomical specimens for medical education in Singapore.

Just last month, students at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), jointly set up by NTU Singapore and Imperial College London, started learning anatomy with 3D-printed specimens.

A collaboration between LKCMedicine and NTU’s Singapore Centre for 3D Printing, these 3D-printed specimens come in varying materials, colours, hardness and flexibility to mimic the properties of anatomical structures in a real human body – a first in Singapore.

The made-in-NTU 3D-printed specimens are the latest example of NTU turning to innovative learning tools to prepare its medical students, as the medical education landscape shifts in tandem with the influx of digital technologies.

LKCMedicine is also looking into other pedagogical approaches such as a medical tutor powered by artificial intelligence and a mobile app where virtual 3D animated specimens can be accessed.