Sharpen skills in Chinese medicine
KNOWLEDGE is of no value unless it is put into practice. Sng Kim Sia and his Semester 8 classmates had hoped to obtain as much practical opportunities throughout their eight months clinical practice module in their Chinese medicine programme at IMU.
The university initiated a community service project with Chi Hui Tang Traditional Chinese Herbal Centre (known as Chi Hui Tang in short), by sending these students as the pioneer batch of IMU Chinese medicine students to volunteer at the Seri Kembangan Community Centre.
The Chi Hui Tang community service project provides opportunities for communities around the new Serdang Village to seek free Chinese medicine consultation and treatment, which includes Chinese herbal medication, acupuncture and moxibustion.
Sng related the students’ experience at the centre.
“We started volunteering in November 2017, first by observing and assisting the physicians in providing treatment for patients.
“We familiarised ourselves to the operation works of the centre. Now, we are given the opportunity to consult patients on our own and provide management for patients.”
As a final year student, Sng realised that determination and constant practices are crucial to his grooming to provide professional services to patients.
The project has given the team the opportunity to practise obtaining history and provide acupuncture treatment to patients under the supervision of the physicians on duty.
As practice makes perfect, the training the team received over the months helped them become more confident, especially in administering acupuncture to patients swiftly without hesitation and pain.
“We realised that patients feel more at ease with us if we presented ourselves confidently when inserting acupuncture needles and this project definitely helped us develop that surety.”
Being in the project exposed Sng to various cases and compounded his experience slowly.
“I’m grateful and blessed to be given the opportunity to be the pioneer batch of students to volunteer in such a community service project that allows us to give back to the community with our existing knowledge,” said Sng.
With constant practice, the team learnt patient communication skills and became more confident in providing management to patients.
“Throughout this project, we realised that when we perform community services, it is not about how much we give, but how much love we put into giving,” pointed out Sng.
“By having confidence, a caring personality and a passionate heart, I’m sure we will be good Chinese medicine practitioners providing excellent care to our patients and subsequently, bring pride to IMU’s Chinese medicine programme.”
IMU offers a four-year BSc (Hons) in Chinese Medicine and partners with several TCM universities in China such as Shanghai University, Shandong University, Guangzhou University and RMIT University, Australia.
Students can transfer after three years in the IMU Chinese medicine programme.
Students will then be awarded the bachelor’s degree in Chinese medicine of the respective partner universities upon completion of their studies.
The commencement for the Chinese medicine programme is in February and September every year.
IMU welcomes students with pre-university qualifications to join the university as a start to a promising and rewarding yet challenging future with a career in Chinese medicine.
Those who have pre-university qualifications can make an online application today.
If you have just completed your SPM and do not have pre-university qualification, consider enrolling in the one-year IMU Foundation in Science, the direct route for entry into any of IMU’s degree programmes.
■ For details, refer to http://www. imu.edu.my/, e-mail start@imu.edu. my or call IMU at 03-2731 7272.