A life-changing experience and a shot at a brighter future
NOT everyone has the funds to see them through a medical degree. At IMU, scholarships and bursaries are available to help deserving students achieve their dreams and fly higher.
Dr Chew Chien Yung (MBBS, 2003-2008) shares how the IMU scholarship helped him start his journey to a fulfilling career and taught him to always give his best.
An Occupational Health Physician at Petronas Bhd, Dr Chew was born and raised in Sarawak where his father – the family’s sole breadwinner – was a secondary school teacher. Determined not to let his humble origins deter him from his dream of working in the medical field, Dr Chew (‘Jack’ to his friends) excelled in school and scored well in the STPM examinations, winning a place at a university in his home state to read Marine Biology.
“I was totally not interested in Marine Biology – not to mention the fact that I didn’t even know how to swim! I wanted to save lives and help people, especially the underprivileged. But because of my family’s own financial situation, I couldn’t enrol in a medical course at a private medical school, so I had to find another way to achieve my burning desire to be a doctor.”
Dr Chew scoured the internet and local newspapers for notices advertising scholarships and educational loans that would help him get into a medical school. Finally, he chanced on an advertisement for a scholarship at IMU in Peninsular Malaysia.
“I talked to family friends who had children studying in IMU, and I learned that it was one of the best private medical schools in the country.
“When I was informed that I had been awarded a scholarship to study in IMU, it took me half a day to digest the news.
Receiving the scholarship ‘changed my life forever.’ I knew that this scholarship was the best chance I would ever get to pursue my dream of becoming a doctor,” Dr Chew said.
He quickly learnt exactly what planning he needed to do for his five years of study to stay on track until graduation, and by force of discipline he became good at managing his time and planning his activities.
“Overcoming the fear of losing my scholarship was one of the best things to happen during my student days.”
The life of a medical student life then was much simpler than it is today, Dr Chew said.
There was a strong focus on academic work balanced by many outdoor activities organised on campus. “We were encouraged to be involved in community service from the beginning of our student lives, and there wasn’t much distraction or screen-time compared to what students have today.”
Gaining a scholarship to study at IMU “brought out the best in me and made me a better person especially in terms of focus and results,” he said.
“The hardships I faced during the scholarship application process made me learn that no matter how hard a situation is, keep focused and keep on going – keep on learning and appreciating what life has to offer, even in the smallest things. This mental resilience is what brings us far in our careers.”
“My personal advice to prospective students seeking for scholarships from IMU is research the field that you want to apply for. Have some basic understanding of what the field is all about. Be sincere and tell the story from your own perspective.”
Inspired by individuals who have a keen interest in making a positive difference in life, IMU is proud to support those who show outstanding academic results through the provision of scholarships and bursaries at Foundation in Science, Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels.
A total of RM18.8 million in bursaries have been awarded from which 1,365 students have benefitted in getting a good foundation in science over the last four years since the inception of the IMU FiS programme.
At the undergraduate level, approximately RM31.9 million scholarships were awarded to 187 deserving students since year 2002 which allowed them to study courses such as Medicine, Chiropractic, Chinese Medicine, Psychology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacy, Biomedical Science, Medical Biotechnology, Dietetics with Nutrition, Nutrition and Nursing.
Recognising that the cost of an education in healthcare today can place large pressures on households, corporate sponsors such IHH Healthcare and the Kuok Foundation have also stepped forward to provide the PantaiGleneagles Scholarship.
This scholarship reaches out specifically to Malaysian students from B40 and M40 households enrolling into the IMU Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) or Bachelor of Nursing programmes.
It is IMU’s aspiration to continue nurturing young Malaysians to achieve their dreams and contribute back to society as conscientious and dedicated members of the Malaysian healthcare profession.
For more information, please refer to www.imu.edu.my or email: start@imu. edu.my or call IMU at 03 – 2731 7272.