SINGAPORE - Singapore's newest medical school opened its doors to a larger cohort this year, with most of its new students having scored near perfect grades.

Nanyang Technological University's Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, the third medical school set up here, admitted 78 students, up from the 54 in the pioneer batch last year.

All 78 students are Singaporeans, with most having scored three As or more at the A levels, or near perfect International Baccalaureate scores.

Competition for places was keen, with the school receiving more than 800 applicants this year. Just 330 were short-listed for interviews and only 78 survived the cut.

One of them who made it through is national hockey player Ishwarpal Singh Grewal, who had turned down an offer to study medicine at Imperial College London to join NTU.

The school will aim to train outstanding physicians and produce world-class research, said Mr Lim Chuan Poh, who chairs the medical school's governing board, in his ceremonial address.

"Singapore's healthcare system is facing formidable challenges with our rapidly ageing population and the growing threat of drug-resistant infectious diseases," said Mr Lim, who is also the chair of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

NTU's medical school is a joint partnership with Imperial College London. The school's primary clinical partner is the National Healthcare Group.