A Prismatic and Enriching Experience for students at Anatomy Challenge 2026

Written by: Tham Song Wei (25S7B)

Edited by: Gilbert Goh (25S6C)

On 18 April 2026, 289 students from 26 schools participated in the Anatomy Challenge, an annual competition which has been organised by the NTU Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine since 2017. This year’s theme, “Perceptual Prism”, tested students on their anatomical and clinical knowledge of the five senses of the human body. 12 students from Hwa Chong Institution participated in Anatomy Challenge 2026, achieving stellar results in both the Individual and Team Challenges. In the Individual Challenge, our students obtained 6 Distinctions and 5 Merits, with Jayvon Koh Jin En (25S7B) and Javier Ng Wei Quan (25S7B) securing First and Second Place respectively in the Individual Challenge. 

Hwa Chong participants of the Anatomy Challenge pose with their prizes. VIA Hwa Chong Publications Society

 In the Team Challenge, one of HCI’s three teams advanced to the finals. The team, composed of Javier Ng Wei Quan (25S7B), Koh Jin En Jayvon (25S7B), Tan Si Hui Abigail (25S74) and Hannah Esther Tan (25S7D), competed against four other finalist teams from Raffles Institution, Anglo-Chinese Junior College, Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Temasek Polytechnic in a gameshow format, which added another layer of difficulty as participants needed to balance strategy with answering questions. After an intense two hours of gripping competition, the team emerged in First Place, securing both the Anatomy Challenge Championship Trophy and the Low Cheng Hock Challenge Shield. Members of the team attribute their success to their trust in each other’s strengths. Through the months of training and practice, the team gained confidence in each other’s abilities, ultimately allowing them to win this year’s edition of the Anatomy Challenge. 

Hwa Chong Anatomy Challenge participants and their trainers pose in a wefie. VIA Hwa Chong Publications Society

The participants would like to thank the team of trainers consisting of alumni, who took time out of their busy schedules to mentor them, week after week. Their dedication and knowledge were crucial in supporting and leading this year’s team to success. The participants would also like to express their heartfelt gratitude to the teachers-in-charge this year, Ms Amanda Tay (Lecturer/ Biology) and Ms Sintha Shanmugam (Lecturer/ Biology), for their steadfast support.

Apart from the awards and competitions, the event also featured keynote speakers and interactive booths to further enrich students’ learning beyond the classroom. The interactive booths, facilitated by faculty members and student volunteers, allowed students to engage with plastinated specimens, simulated patients, and clinical scenarios, exposing students to real-world applications of anatomical knowledge in the clinical diagnosis and examination of patients. Ms Tay explained that the experiential booths at the event “make textbook concepts come alive”, and that activities such as testing student’s reflexes and simulating visual impairments gave students a deeper understanding of the scientific and human side of anatomy. Jayvon also shared that “it was interesting to see how clinicians apply the concepts we learnt in the Challenge in their day to day examination of patients”.