A transformative experience
CHOOSING a career in medicine is a lifelong decision. It means dedicating yourself to the care of others and committing yourself to decades of learning. Five years of intensive practical and theoretical study at Medicine School is just the beginning.
See Yi Koon, 22, is one of the many students in Malaysia who have chosen to make this commitment. With her classmates at NUMed (Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia), she attends lectures on Monday to Friday from seven o’clock in the morning until five o’clock in the afternoon.
However, when she has the chance to take a break from her busy academic schedule she doesn’t spend her downtime watching a film or surfing the internet. Instead, she volunteers at a local orphanage.
Why? Because she believes that by giving back to the community she will come to understand soemthing far beyond the science of biology.
Yi Koon first realised there was more to patient care than learning the text book after she left school.
She had graduated with four ALevels from KDU University College, but she wanted to ‘ give something back to the community’ prior to starting University.
Yi Koon began taking care of young children with learning disabilities at the Bridges Early Intervention Programme (EIP) Centre in Kuala Lumpur. It was so rewarding, that she has returned every year since.
Yi Koon counts herself lucky to have been accepted into NUMed, where her volunteering experiences are valued and the University’s whole ethos reflects her beliefs. NUMed’s MBBS course prides itself on offering a medical degree that provides the technical, practical, and communication skills required to reach the top of the medical profession.
It exposes students to the clinical setting early on in the programme, and students are encouraged to take up periods of study in the UK and to get involved in vacation schemes in Malaysia as well as overseas.
On one vacation scheme last year, Yi Koon volunteered at a hospital for HIV patients in Ghana. It was a truly humbling experience that taught her to think even more deeply about the human side of medicine.
These are some questions posed to her:
Why did you choose NUMed?
I chose NUMed because I think it provides one of the highest qual- ity medical educations available in Malaysia, but recognizes the importance of a rounded approach to patient care. The lecturers are highly qualified, dedicated medical professionals and the campus offers state-of-the-art facilities and equipment. I also chose NUMed because it offers the opportunity to spend a period of study abroad, at the Newcastle UK campus, but keeps the MBBS course contextualised to Malaysian circumstances.
Did you enjoy your time in Newcastle UK?
I enjoyed my time in the UK very much and I think I developed both personally and academically. I enjoyed getting exposure in a different clinical setting and exploring the ethical side of medicine further. However I also value the different experience I gained as a student; I became more independent and learned to adapt to a new environment.
What do you like most about studying at NUMed?
Studying is at NUMed is about much more than memorising the text book and I have benefitted from being in such a learning environment. I find the lecturers are very inspiring; they too are encouraged to get involved in the community and most of them deliver patient care in local hospitals.
What will you do in the future?
Looking ahead to the near future, I would like to continue to combine my studies with my volunteering efforts. I will graduate in 2015 and go on to do my housemanship in a local hospital. We are very well prepared for this stage by NUMed, so I look forward to it as an opportunity for further learning and development. In the long term I would like to specialise as a cardiologist.
How well were you prepared for life as a medical student?
I did my A Levels at KDU University College, it was thanks to the excellent teaching that I graduated with A* grades in Math’s, Biology, Chemistry and Physics and was offered a position at NUMed. I was also encouraged to look around a selection of medical schools to make sure that I chose one that best suited my needs.
Who would you recommend volunteering to?
I think that everyone has something unique to give and to gain from volunteering. For me personally it is an experience that allows me to learn about myself and others while making a difference. Many people have noticed that I have grown in confidence after my trip to Ghana, but it is an ongoing process and that was just the beginning.
What is your greatest achievement?
My greatest achievement was being awarded the TM Teoh scholarship earlier this year. It is awarded by NUMed to the best performing student in each cohort.
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