THE STAR, TUESDAY 20 AUGUST 2019

COURSE FOCUS

Doing it for the community

The noble desire to make a difference in the world begins with
taking the first step into a credible tertiary institution.
2 Allied Health Sciences, Medicine, Dentistry & Pharmacy THE STAR, TUESDAY 20 AUGUST 2019

People-centric career path

By SRIMAYEE SEN SARMA

“YOU should not choose pharmacy because it

offers good career prospects. Passion is the
most important factor, because that’s the
only thing that can prepare you for your
future in this industry,” says Prof Habibah A.
Wahab, registered pharmacist and Universiti
Sains Malaysia lecturer.
Careers in pharmacy are noble
professions, dedicated to serving people both
directly and indirectly and greatly
influencing the world we live in. Malaysian
Pharmaceutical Society president Amrahi
Buang explains, “In community pharmacy
and hospital settings, pharmacists deal with
patients while servicing and assessing their
medication and treatment plans.
“In the industrial pharmacy setting, on the
other hand, the pharmacist’s contribution to
patient care and well-being is through
developing medicines as well as monitoring
the effect of such medicines on patients.”
There has been a marked shift in the role
of community pharmacists in recent years,
with the career becoming more people-
centric. This means that a career in
pharmacy today is more dynamic than ever,
and is a reputable profession that deserves
serious consideration.

Just as important
Pharmacists are often considered second
fiddle to doctors and many people harbour
the misconception that students who cannot
get through medical courses opt for
pharmacy instead.
Prof Habibah rubbishes this claim, saying,
“Being a pharmacist is a stressful and high-
responsibility job. If a doctor is responsible
for making correct diagnoses, a pharmacist
is responsible for dispensing the right
medications in the right dosages at the right
times.”
Assoc Prof Dr Mohamed Ibrahim Noordin,
Department of Pharmacy lecturer and
researcher under the Faculty of Medicine,
University of Malaya, further elaborates on
the differences between the two courses, “To
become a doctor, you will undergo a lot of
study in physiology for diagnosis and
perform human biological intervention.
“On the other hand, a pharmacy course
involves in-depth study of chemistry. In fact,
some pharmacy schools accept students
from technical colleges who only studied
chemistry and physics without having
studied biology. Simply put, a doctor cannot
be a pharmacist and a pharmacist cannot be
a doctor as the training and qualifications
are different, and the world needs both.”
Prepare to undergo in-depth study about different chemicals and their effects on the human body when you choose a career in pharmacy.
There can never be a debate as to which is
a more respected or a better profession.
Doctors and pharmacists are equally
important because each profession is an
essential pillar upholding a nation’s
healthcare sector.
A 2011 research article titled Collaboration
between doctors and pharmacists in the
community published in Australian
Prescriber states the roles of the doctor and
pharmacist are complementary, and studies
conducted by different hospitals have shown
that the presence of pharmacists in ward
rounds along with doctors has effectively
minimised patient care costs and enhanced
the quality of care.
Down the line
With an ageing population, increasing
disposable income and incidence of non-
communicable diseases, Malaysia is likely
to see further growth in the
pharmaceutical market.
Prof Habibah explains, “Malaysia is
positioning itself as pioneer of the halal
pharmaceutical industry and to this end, the
country has established the Malaysian
A pharmacist speaks
Many people say that becoming a
doctor is harder than pursuing
pharmacy as it involves more years of
study and lots of research, and the
scope of practice is wider, especially if
you intend to specialise.
To correct the misconception,
pharmacy manager James Joo Jin Jian
says, “Pharmacy has its own set of
challenges because in the final two
years of study, you will be introduced
to common disease states and expected
to know most of the commonly
prescribed drugs, including how they
work, their side effects and their
interactions with other drugs and
chemicals.
“You will also need to go through two
years of internship before you can sit
Standard (MS 2424:2012) – the first
international standard for the
manufacturing and handling of halal
pharmaceutical products.”
According to the Chemical Company of
Malaysia, the international halal
> SEE NEXT PAGE
for the pharmacy exam in order to
become a registered pharmacist. Initially,
I wasn’t sure which course to choose, but
after I found out more about this field –
including the fact that pharmacists were
in demand – I decided to pursue it.
Additionally, chemistry and biology were
my favourite subjects at school, so that
also helped cement my decision to
pursue this career path.”
Currently working as a community
pharmacist, Joo explains what makes this
career fulfilling for him, saying,
“Working in a community pharmacy
setting, you get a sense of satisfaction
when your patients appreciate your
service and come back to thank you for
your recommendations that worked and
made them feel much better.”

Choosing your way

Not many people know that the
inventors of Coca-Cola (John Pemberton)
and Pepsi (Caleb Bradham) were both
pharmacists. Originally meant for curing
certain ailments such as indigestion and
headaches, these tasty medicinal drinks
became mass-marketed sodas later on.
The example above is proof that
pursuing a course in pharmacy does not
necessarily lead to a career handing out
medicine. When pursuing pharmacy,
students will study physiology, medicinal
chemistry, clinical pharmacy, natural
product chemistry (since most drugs are
derived from natural products) and life
sciences, the variety of which will open
pathways to different career directions
Pharmacy is an important arm of healthcare and public health because in addition to when they graduate.
dispensing medicine, pharmacists can help improve the quality of care provided in Some of these positions include:
treatment facilities.
l Community pharmacist
l Hospital pharmacist
l Industrial pharmacist
l Research and development of drugs,
vaccines and other medicinal products
l Veterinary pharmacist
l Drugs administration and
policymaking in drug enforcement
departments
l Quality control of drugs for import as
well as for domestic consumption
l Academics (lecturer)
With so many career options, it can be
safely said that your knowledge and skills
will never be wasted and there is always
a position that would require your
expertise.
THE STAR, TUESDAY 20 AUGUST 2019
INTERNATIONAL Medical
University’s (IMU) psychology
degree programme is tailored to
promote an integration of theory
and practice. In line with this,
students are exposed to
challenging activities and events
beyond regular teaching and
learning activities.
Throughout their three years
pursuing this programme,
psychology students are strongly
encouraged to participate in
conferences, forums and public
talks supervised by faculty
members of IMU’s Psychology
Department.
The IMU Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD) Talk and Trauma
Exhibition on May 31 was one
such event. Admission to the
event was open to all IMU staff,
students and the general public.
At the event, students had the
opportunity to gain in-depth
learning on PTSD from Puvessha
Jegathisan and Cheryl Tham Sin
Yi, who are both clinical
psychologists and lecturers at
IMU.
The exhibition was facilitated
by members of IMU’s Psychology
Serving the
community
> FROM PAGE 2
pharmaceutical market is
currently worth US$75bil
(RM314bil) and is expected to
reach US$132bil (RM554bil) by
2021.
The other main driver for the
Malaysian pharmaceutical
market is medical tourism, the
market for which is currently
worth around US$290mil
(RM1.2bil) and predicted to
grow around 30% annually for
the next six years and reach
US$3.5bil (RM14.7bil) by 2024.
With this high growth
potential in mind, Prof Habibah
calls attention to an important
point, saying, “Future
pharmacists must be equipped
with the necessary skills to be
able to harness and embrace
technology in a way that will
support their professional
aspirations.”
If Malaysian students can
A platform to excel
Club and provided them with a
platform to further consolidate
their understanding of this
topic. It also provided them
with an opportunity to explore
and develop soft skills that
would prepare them for the
workplace, including planning
and organising events,
communication, facilitation
and decision-making, as they
worked in teams to ensure the
event was a success.
The Bachelor of Science
(Hons) Psychology at IMU was
designed to prepare students
for further postgraduate
studies in areas such as clinical
psychology, counselling
psychology, industrial and
organisational psychology,
health psychology, educational
psychology, developmental
psychology and more.
To be a certified psychologist
in these areas, students
There can never
be a debate as to
which is a more
respected or a better
profession. Doctors
and pharmacists are
equally important
because each
profession forms an
essential pillar to
uphold a nation’s
healthcare sector.
keep up with the changing
demands of the industry, a
career in pharmacy offers not
only success, but also fulfilment.
Allied Health Sciences, Medicine, Dentistry & Pharmacy 3
typically have to complete an September. If you enjoy thinking IMU Foundation in Science, the
undergraduate degree in psychology about the causes of human direct route for entry into any of
followed by a postgraduate degree in behaviour and desire to help the university’s local degree
the specific area of study. IMU’s people manage their problems, programmes.
psychology degree programme apply now. If you have just
serves as an important first step completed your SPM and do not n For more information, call
towards a career in the diverse field have pre-university qualification, 03-2731 7272, email start@imu.edu.
of psychology. consider enrolling in the one-year my or visit www.imu.edu.my
Students have the option to
complete the entire psychology
degree in IMU or transfer to
University of Newcastle,
Australia, or
University of
Strathclyde,
United Kingdom.
The three-year
Bachelor of Science
(Hons) Psychology has
also been accepted
internationally for
further specialisation
at the graduate level.
Intakes for the
programme are in
February and
4 Allied Health Sciences, Medicine, Dentistry & Pharmacy
Make a difference
through science
EVERY one of us has seen a doctor and
gotten a health screening or test at least once
in our lifetime. Aside from the doctor, have
you ever wondered what happens behind
the laboratory door and who was
responsible for assisting your doctor in
diagnosing your health condition?
Besides the doctors that assist us with our
healthcare needs, there is a group of people
assisting doctors and finding solutions to
healthcare problems around the world. This
group includes biomedical scientists,
healthcare scientists, microbiologists,
medical physicists, medical technicians and
toxicologists. If you want to help save a life,
are passionate about research, biology and
science, but do not want to become a doctor
for reasons of your own, consider the field of
biomedical sciences.
Biomedical sciences are a set of sciences
relating to the knowledge, interventions or
technologies that are of use in healthcare or
public health. It is the foundation of medical
healthcare and focuses on how cells, organs
and systems function in the human body.
Through biomedical sciences, medical
breakthroughs in healthcare were achieved,
including the creation of artificial muscles
from cells to treating diseases and illnesses,
to looking at the brain to better understand
stress and anxiety. Biomedical scientists are
responsible for developing new treatments
and therapies for human illnesses, diseases
and disabilities.
SEGi University offers a three-year
Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Hons)
programme that is in line with the National
Higher Education Strategic Plan to produce a
desirable percentage of scientists and
THE STAR, TUESDAY 20 AUGUST 2019
researchers in Malaysia. The programme
provides students with extensive theoretical
knowledge and laboratory skills, gearing
them for a career in healthcare, research
and diagnosis.
“SEGi University’s biomedical sciences
graduates will not only fulfil the nation’s
need for scientists and researchers but are
also highly trained and skilled graduates
with solid technical know-how and
grounding in medical sciences technology
and knowledge. Upon completing the
programme, SEGi University graduates will
acquire skills in diagnostic, analytical,
managerial and research competencies,”
shares Prof Dr Mohd Raili Suhaili, SEGi
University’s Faculty of Medicine acting dean.
“Through the strategic learning methods
and experiences adopted by SEGi University,
graduates are equipped with competencies
required to seek employment in various
industries of choice. These include
pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies,
hospitals, community health centres,
biotechnology companies, universities,
biomedical research institutes, forensic Studying biomedical sciences will help you understand the human body and master the art
laboratories, food or food supplement of research.
production companies, medical, clinical or
veterinary diagnostics laboratories, blood prepped for an IT-intensive workplace by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency, and
banks, education and more,” adds Prof Dr environment, in line with the rapid engagement of external examiners from
Raili. development of new technologies in local universities to ensure its programme
SEGi University’s Faculty of Medicine has modern workplaces. is benchmarked against the industry
developed industry partnerships and SEGi University’s Biomedical Sciences standard.
collaborations, which include UKM Medical programme offers an up-to-date curriculum
Centre’s Tissue Engineering Centre and that incorporates the latest advances in the n Grab this opportunity to make a
Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara, for its evolving field of biomedical sciences difference in healthcare or public health
student placements and research, through regular curriculum reviews, through the biomedical sciences field. Call
emphasising fieldwork training as well as continuous and stringent quality assurance 03-6145 1777, WhatsApp 011-1210 6389 or
classroom-based learning. Students are also by internal and external auditing, including visit www.segi.edu.my to find out more.
THE STAR, TUESDAY 20 AUGUST 2019
Acquiring a pair of healing hands
THOUGHTS of becoming a doctor have
crossed the minds of many school-leavers at
some point in their lives, especially for
individuals who come from a family with a
medical background.
However, choosing to venture into
medicine is demanding and time-consuming,
and the pathway to working in the local
health industry can be very competitive.
Thus, you should pursue a medical degree
only if you possess a strong desire to become
a doctor and a genuine interest and passion
for the field. It is important not to base your
decision only on the opinions and urging
of your parents, family and friends, or
simply because you have excelled so far
in your studies.
Baby steps
The gateway to a medical degree is
through a pre-university programme, such
as A-Levels or STPM, or going through a
foundation course specialising in science,
which takes between one and two years.
You will then be able to pursue your
medical degree if you score a CGPA of 3.0
and above. As it is a programme that is in
high demand, and there are a large number
of students vying for limited spots, you may
need to sit for an interview before being
offered a seat.
After investing five years in the pursuit of
your degree, you will then be required to go
through your housemanship for two years,
which is meant to provide further training
and practical work, thus ensuring that you
are equipped with the appropriate attitude,
skills, experience and knowledge to serve
as a doctor.
However, be cautious and make sure that
your degree is recognised by the Malaysian
Medical Council, or you will not be allowed
Graduating with a bachelor's in medicine is only the first step on your journey to be a doctor.
to practise medicine in Malaysia.
All in all, it will require between eight
and nine years before you are officially a
registered doctor.
Stepping stones
The health industry is vast and
integrative, meaning that you can decide to
specialise in a specific field of study, such as
anaesthesiology, surgery or urology. You can
always look for more information regarding
the topics and the full list of specialisations
Allied Health Sciences, Medicine, Dentistry & Pharmacy 5
through the National Specialist Register.
Now, you might ask, having already
invested almost a decade just to be a medical
officer, how long will being a specialist
require of you?
Generally, you will be required to take a
postgraduate course for four to five years
and spend between two and four years
under supervised training.
The other trail
If you think that there are only doctors
and nurses in the hospital or health industry,
think again.
After receiving your medical degree, you
might decide to branch out into non-clinical
support or administrative work, including
medical journalism and procurement of
hospital materials.
You will still be working in the same
field, but will be faced with different
responsibilities.
It takes teamwork to make the dream
work, and it takes more than just doctors
and medical specialists to fully support and
keep a hospital running.
A pharmacist is just as needed as a doctor
when it comes to successfully running a
hospital, even if she is not involved in a
clinical way with the patient’s health. This
also goes for radiologists, nutritionists and
physiotherapists.
Having a clear head
Being a doctor means possessing the
ability to think rationally, as the patient’s life
is in your hands. A doctor is required to
make critical decisions within seconds, and
cannot act based on your feelings and
emotions, or let them adversely affect you.
Every decision you make and how long
you take to do it can be a matter of life
and death.
If you crumple under pressure
(which is ever-present in the life of a
medical officer), you might not be suited
for this career.
The vigorous and tedious journey that
you have to undergo before being
acknowledged as a registered medical officer
is not to mentally torment you, but is meant
to groom you into a good health specialist,
one who will then go on to touch the lives of
countless people.
6 Allied Health Sciences, Medicine, Dentistry & Pharmacy
What can a
medical college offer?
MEDICINE and dentistry are still
hot career choices for young
Malaysians leaving secondary
school. While the career choice is
often an easy one to make and is
driven by the student’s inert
passion and drive, the same cannot
often be said when choosing the
institution at which a student can
pursue his studies in this field.
Proven track record
Even with over three dozen
medical schools in Malaysia to
choose from, Melaka-Manipal
Medical College (MMMC) still
stands above the rest. Since its
inception, more than 4,000 medical
and 200 dental surgeons have been
delivered to the Malaysian and
overseas international health
systems, with many of its alumni
members progressing successfully
into specialist careers of
their choosing.
International and global
exposure
MMMC’s twinning degree
programmes for medicine and
dentistry are designed such that
students complete pre-clinical
training at its Manipal (India)
campus for two and a half years
before returning to Malaysia to
further hone their clinical skills.
The Health Ministry’s hospitals in
Jasin, Melaka, and Muar and
Segamat, Johor, as well as
government polyclinics, provide
the settings for the clinical
skills training.
Dentistry students perfect their
clinical skills at MMMC’s own
on-campus dental clinic, which
offers training in all disciplines of
dentistry. With a student-dental
chair ratio of almost 1:1, coupled
with a patient pool of more than
30,000 per year, students are not
short of opportunities to develop
and fine-tune their dental skills
under the watchful eyes of
highly experienced lecturers
and professors.
Clear pathway
For fresh SPM-leavers, a pathway
programme is provided via
MMMC’s twinning degree programmes for medicine and dentistry
are designed such that students complete pre-clinical training at its
Manipal campus before returning to Malaysia to further hone their
clinical skills.
MMMC’s Foundation in Science.
The uniquely designed 12-month
programme caters to students
who are prepared to excel in the
MBBS or Bachelor in Dental
Surgery (BDS) programmes as
subjects are specifically chosen
to deepen a student’s existing
science knowledge so that they
have a strong head start in their
later years of undergraduate
studies. Students in MMMC’s
foundation programme who
meet entry requirements are
given assured progression
into either the MBBS or
BDS programmes.
Lifelong learning support
It is impressed upon MMMC
students upon graduation that
they have just stepped on the
first rung of the medical
profession. As the oft-wrought
cliche goes, learning is lifelong,
and is no less true in the medical
arena.
In a future driven by
technology, those skills that are
distinctly human will be among
the most valuable, and it is these
skills that are enriched through
postgraduate study.
Considering how vital this is,
MMMC organises workshops
for United States Medical
Licensing Examination,
Professional and Linguistic
Assessments Board and various
Royal College fellowship exams
Is anaesthesiologist
the career for you?
ANAESTHESIOLOGISTS are
physicians who specialise in the
care of surgical patients and pain
relief. They focus on how patients
react to various gases and
sedation methods.
Anaesthesiologists are also
involved in intensive and critical
care, so much so that the two
cannot be separated.
To become an
anaesthesiologist, you need to
hold a bachelor’s in medicine
before specialising in
anaesthesiology.
THE STAR, TUESDAY 20 AUGUST 2019
at its campus in Melaka, so that
its students are able to prepare
for them prior to graduation
and with minimal travel
involved from their
ongoing routine.
Balanced lifestyle
Since its inception, MMMC
has successfully integrated the
Manipal ethos into its
Malaysian curriculum, faculty
and students. The facilities in
both the Manipal and Melaka
campuses are second to none in
that they fully provide for a
holistic educational experience.
In Manipal, students can join
clubs for music and fine arts,
enjoy literary pursuits,
meditation, yoga and debate,
and enrol in photography and
language classes. In addition,
the campus has playgrounds
and courts for cricket, hockey,
football, tennis, basketball,
badminton and volleyball, as
well as swimming pools, gyms
and an athletics track.
The pursuit of medicine or
dentistry is a marathon, not a
sprint. As such, parents and
students are invited to visit
MMMC and experience for
themselves life as a future
Manipalite.
n For more information,
call 1700 811 662 or visit
www.manipal.edu.my
What is it like as a
career?
Anaesthesiologists usually
work in a sterile environment
while performing surgery and,
like many medical practitioners,
may work long, irregular hours.
An anaesthesiologist’s duties
would include administration of
drugs (called anaesthetics) that
reduce or eliminate the
sensation of pain during an
operation or medical procedure.
> TURN TO PAGE 8
THE STAR, TUESDAY 20 AUGUST 2019 Allied Health Sciences, Medicine, Dentistry & Pharmacy 7

Restoring a forgotten river

RIVERS are the foundation of civilisations.
Major cities such as Kuala Lumpur, New
York City, London, Kolkata and Shanghai
were founded around rivers, which
provided routes for transportation, trade
and exploration.
Unfortunately, rivers have also borne the
brunt of development. Growing populations,
pressures of land management and poor
waste management have reduced them to
dumps. Having lost their usefulness, polluted
rivers end up being covered up or hidden
away from society.
Innovative ways to rehabilitate
Rediscovering the Bandar Sunway the river
canal
Not many are aware that Bandar Sunway
has its very own canal, which is often
mistaken for a monsoon drain. Originally a
river flowing from Kelana Lake, the
6km-long canal is 5m wide and runs through
Subang Jaya and Bandar Sunway before
flowing into Sungai Klang.
“The original river cuts across three
municipalities, with some sections owned by
Bandar Sunway and some owned by its
neighbouring municipalities. You can see the
natural riverbank with vegetation upstream.
Moving downstream from the Federal
Highway, it then reverts to the original river
past Sunway-Monash Residence,” says Prof
Khu Soon-Thiam, Head of Civil Engineering
at Monash University Malaysia’s School
of Engineering.
In January last year, Prof Khu and his
team at Monash Malaysia started the Bandar
Sunway River of Sustainability project to
rehabilitate the Bandar Sunway canal to
improve the quality of life of people living
nearby and increase the economic value of
properties surrounding it.
Unique to the River of Sustainability
project is its multidisciplinary approach,
combining the expertise of Monash
University’s different disciplines – civil and
chemical engineering, biochemistry, biology,
business and social science – to achieve the
project’s objectives.
“Unlike the River of Life project in Kuala
Lumpur, the River of Sustainability project
goes beyond beautification and economic
objectives. We are also looking at it from a
sustainability perspective, communicating
with stakeholders from the beginning of and
throughout the project, and quantifying the
health impact of the river on people.”
Using innovative molecular bioscience-
based tools such as the “DNA recovery
technique”, the research team was able to
track bacterial and viral contamination
found in the water and pinpoint the source
of pollution.
The team will then employ nature-based
solutions such as a stepped cascade and a
bio-filtration system to enhance the water
quality of the canal and prevent pollution.
Nature-based solutions are green
infrastructure that can substitute or work
together with man-made infrastructure in
a cost-effective manner.
“Currently, we’re approaching Sunway
Group to ascertain the costs of the structural
measures, after which we will talk to the
Subang Jaya Municipal Council for further
discussion. We are also looking at non-
structural measures, such as developing
policies and educational materials,” he adds.
Hope for future restoration
efforts
It is Prof Khu’s hope that restoring the
Bandar Sunway canal will inspire others to
care for their local rivers.
“We want to demonstrate that it is possible
to rehabilitate a degraded canal or river. We
hope that as more people are made aware of
our efforts, they will begin to ask about the
rivers in their backyards and replicate the
restoration efforts,” he says.
n For more information on programmes
at Monash University Malaysia, visit
www.monash.edu.my

Discover the doctor within

WHAT does it take to succeed as a medical
student? The road to becoming a doctor is
paved with ambition, discipline and
dedication. But perhaps above all, it begins
with the right drive.
That is what makes RCSI & UCD Malaysia
Campus (RUMC) students stand out from the
rest. On top of having students who are
academically excellent, the cornerstone of
RUMC being a successful medical school lies
not only in the quality of the education it
provides, but also in its students’ motivation
in pursuing a career in medicine.
“Know what you have signed yourself up
for. Find your passion, know what motivates
you and keep hold of it. Never lose the
capacity to learn, to be humble, and to see the
human within,” shares Dr Esther Hor Shan
Lin, a 2018 RUMC graduate and recipient of
the Best All Round Student Award and
Penang Medical Practitioner’s Society’s Tun
Dr Lim Chong Eu book prize.
Established in 1996 as Penang Medical
College, RUMC is the first Irish foreign
university branch campus in Malaysia.
Students begin their transnational journey in
Dublin, Ireland, where they will receive an
Irish medical education as they undertake a
high-quality two-and-a-half-year pre-clinical
study at the Royal College of Surgeons in
Ireland (RCSI) and University College
Dublin (UCD), two world-renowned
medical universities.
Upon completion, the students return to
Penang for a two-and-a-half-year clinical
phase, where they will receive on-site
training as they interact with patients at
Penang General Hospital, Seberang Jaya
Hospital and Taiping Hospital.
“As RUMC students, we were fortunate to
be the only medical school accessing Penang
General Hospital and Seberang Jaya Hospital.
Some of our lecturers were outright
inspiring with their depth of knowledge and
genuine care for patients,” says Dr Hor.
“My clinical years have reinforced my
passion for a lifetime of service,” the young
doctor adds.
Embarking on the journey of an RUMC
education and experience is highly cost-
effective. In addition to reaping the fruits
from a best-of-both-worlds experience,
graduates are conferred a National
University of Ireland degree, a globally
recognised medical education qualification,
and are industry-ready thanks to the
immersive clinical years.
n For enquiries, call 04-217 1999 or email
enquiry@rcsiucd.edu.my

Recipients of this year’s RUMC Dean’s List. RUMC prides itself in its students’ motivation in
pursuing medicine as a career.
8 Allied Health Sciences, Medicine, Dentistry & Pharmacy
Stand out from the crowd
RECENT studies have named biomedical
sciences as one of the most in-demand
careers in Malaysia. A course of study that is
focused on research-oriented and lab-based
tasks, this course prepares students to delve
into human physiology and diseases as well
as acquire hands-on experience in managing
laboratory techniques.
Jobs in the field
Known for developing a high proficiency
in technical laboratory and research skills,
biomedical sciences graduates can opt for
careers such as toxicologists and laboratory
technicians, which are in demand because
of the rising need for specialists in the field
of research and development in the
medical and biomedical fields. Graduates
can also find career fulfilment in roles
including haematologist, scientist,
immunologist, microbiologist and
cytogeneticist, which are all aligned with
the fields of research, development and
academics.
However, taking a wider perspective,
biomedical sciences calls for analytical
minds. The skills and knowledge learned
through this course are transferable to
almost any industry. One such sought-after
skill is critical thinking, which has the
potential to position an individual as a
stand-out candidate no matter their
industry of choice.
Biomedical sciences at NUMed
Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia
(NUMed) in Johor offers a 2+1 BSc (Hons)
Biomedical Sciences degree. It encompasses
two academic years at NUMed, mirroring the
course studied at Newcastle University,
United Kingdom. The final academic year is
spent in the UK, with research-led teaching
and an intensive research project in one of
NUMed draws on the
academic excellence of
its UK parent campus,
Newcastle University, to
provide the best medical
education for students.
Long but fruitful journey
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They also monitor the patient’s heart rate,
body temperature, blood pressure and
breathing and adjust the amount of
anaesthetic needed during surgery.
Outside of surgery, they provide pain relief
for patients in intensive care units, women
in labour and patients who suffer from
chronic pain. Anaesthesiologists also work
with other physicians and surgeons to decide
on treatments and procedures before, during
and after surgery.
What education would you
require?
Before you become an anaesthesiologist,
high school students, especially those in
Form Four and Form Five, who are
interested in a career in this profession
should take up chemistry, biology, physics,
mathematics and additional mathematics.
In Malaysia, you would need to go
through medical school to obtain your
THE STAR, TUESDAY 20 AUGUST 2019
the most highly regarded institutes in the
world, Newcastle University Medical School.
The programmes offered by NUMed also
feed off Newcastle University’s well-
established excellence in translational and
education research. The university’s focus
on cancer research is in line with
biomedical research in a field that is active
in Malaysia.
NUMed has produced successful batches
of biomedical graduates who are involved
in various sectors of the global economy.
NUMed graduate Sylvia Liu, who is
currently a research assistant at the
university, believes that NUMed has helped
her carve a promising pathway for her to
achieve her ambition.
“I have always believed that a journey of
a thousand miles begins with a single step.
That is why I chose to embrace my current
role as a research assistant at NUMed as I
see it as a stepping stone towards fulfilling
my ambition to be a scientist,” says Liu.
NUMed also provides its students with
the opportunity to engage themselves in
several growing internal research projects
through its Graduate Research
Fellowship Programme.
“The Graduate Research Fellowship
Programme allowed me to delve into my
research interests. I received constant
guidance and support from knowledgeable
supervisors and lecturers,” says a grateful
recipient of the fellowship.
NUMed is accepting applications for its
September intake for Foundation in
Biological and Biomedical Sciences, BSc
(Hons) Biomedical Sciences, Bachelor of
Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery.
n For more information, call 07-555 3800,
WhatsApp 011-123 15411/012-784 9456,
email admissions@newcastle.edu.my or
visit www.ncl.ac.uk/numed
bachelor’s degree and undergo
housemanship, which is a form of
postgraduate medical training where you
will be trained as a doctor in a live hospital
posting for two years.
All of this should take around seven years
in total. Only after going through medical
school and your housemanship, are you then
eligible to specialise in anaesthesiology.
Further specialisations to
consider
Every anaesthesiologist is trained to
support surgical intervention, but those
interested can choose to specialise in
certain areas:
l Cardiac anaesthetic – For heart surgery
l Paediatric anaesthesia – For pain
management and anaesthetics in children
l Neuroanesthesia – Related to surgery
for the nervous system, brain and spinal
cord
l Obstetrics – Offering pain relief during
labour and delivery