Transforming communities

GRADUATES of Master of Science in Public Health (MSc in Public Health) from International Medical University (IMU) are helping to build happier and healthier communities. From the villages of Nigeria to the metropolis of Kuala Lumpur, these postgraduates are transforming lives of the people they serve.

The graduates of this programme are making their presence felt in a wide variety of public health initiatives, health education as well as research and disease prevention in Malaysia, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Myanmar, India and Tanzania.

The broad-based flexible and modular curriculum has enabled these graduates to leverage on their knowledge and skills learnt at the undergraduate level. It has also allowed them to upgrade their competencies in a field they prefer as well as apply them with a public health perspective in the community they are serving.

With the MSc in Public Health, IMU has produced nurses who are working as health executives in the corporate sector, nutritionists as lecturers, pharmacists as researchers or executives in pharmaceutical organisations, medical doctors in clinical research centres and biomedical scientists as health programme officers.

The diversity of talent, which the programme attracts from Malaysia and internationally, has fortified the curriculum and the classroom itself, making it a rich collaborative learning experience for the students and the faculty.

Coupled with input from the faculty that has years of public health experience at the national and international level, it is no wonder that the MSc in Public Health is th most popular postgraduate taught programme in IMU.

Throughout the curriculum, communication skills are enhanced with hours of face-to-face presentation, semin and written assignments. In addition, research is given its due prominence an can be done either locally or elsewhere.

In the past, students have carried out studies in Bangladesh, Nigeria and India. studies done have varied from condom among sex workers in Bangladesh to utilisation of complementary and alterna medicine in Teluk Intan, Malaysia. The theses are assessed by both internal and external examiners.

In addition to the research module, the programme also includes modules in epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental, occupational and population health, medical sociology, health promotion and public health practice.

Furthermore, there are field visits and a two-week attachment in a government public health organisation.

The quality control of MSc in Public Health is stringent and the programme is benchmarked against superior standards. Unsurprisingly, this is the only postgraduate programme from a private university that is recognised by the Public Service Department (JPA) for employment in the government sector, provided the student’s undergraduate degree is also recognised by JPA.

Thus, pursuing the MSc in Public Heath in IMU is a unique rewarding journey that prepares students for a successful vocation to gainfully serve the community they live in.

IMU offers various taught master programmes, including the MSc Molecular Medicine, MSc Analytical and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Master of Pharmacy Practice, Master of Health Professions Education, and MSc and PhD by research.

For more information, call 03-2731 7272, e-mail postgraduate@imu.edu.my or visit www.imu.edu.my.