Awarding high-flyers
PURSUING any degree requires dedication and hard work. While there are plenty of opportunities for fun at university and to develop skills outside of work, the commitment to work should be ever present.
This is true for those studying to be doctors.
At a recent ceremony, Medicine (MBBS) and Biomedical Sciences
(BSc) students at Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NUMed) were informed that their hard work had been recognised.
NUMed’s senior and fellow lecturers, vice-chancellor Prof Chris Brink and dean of academic affairs Dr Kenneth McKeegan joined NUMed students from across the years.
Second year medical student Lim Sheng Zheng was among the 10 in his year to be awarded the Vice Chancellor Merit Award.
The award is given to top performing MBBS and BSc students in each year and is equivalent in value to 10% of the annual NUMed fees. It is held by the winners for a year.
The award was founded with the aim of encouraging students to perform consistently and keep up their achievements, in order to win year after year.
“Awards are an important way to not only recognise the hard work being put in by students, but also to motivate them to keep improving,” said NUMed chief executive officer and provost Roger Barton.
Top performing MBBS student from each stage was also awarded the TM Teoh Prize.
The winners are recommended by the Board of Examiners that identifies the undergraduate with the highest marks.
A monetary prize is included as part of the reward for the students’ academic excellence.
Taken from the fund donated to NUMed by TM Teoh, each winner from Stages 1 to 4 receives RM250.
This year’s Stage 5 TM Teoh prize, awarded to the best performing student in the final exams, went to Teh Jin Zhe. As the winner of the Stage 5 TM Teoh prize, Teh received RM500. The TM Teoh Prizes were handed out by Dr Robert Teoh himself.
The award was initiated with the aim of encouraging students to perform well consistently as they need to keep up their achievements to win it year after year.
“The ceremony also provided a further platform to mingle with classmates and students in other years,” added Lim.
The winner of the NUMed Prize was also announced at the ceremony. The prize is awarded to the student who achieves the overall highest mark among the Biomedical Sciences first year students.
Jia Lin Tan, who had also received the Vice Chancellor Merit award, was awarded the prize by Newcastle University’s Head of Biomedical Sciences, Dr Debbie Bevitt.
“It was the best way to end a wonderful first year at NUMed,” she said.
“I have learnt a lot and my life on campus has been enriched by the societies I have been a part of.”
Away from exams, NUMed is known for enriching life outside of academic work.
The Medicine teaching faculty prides itself on offering a truly rounded medical degree that provides technical and practical skills required to reach the top of the medical profession.
The NUMed student association coordinates and finances co-curricular activities and entertainment.
Since its establishment, more than 20 new student societies, clubs and organisations have been set up and are flourishing.
NUMed’s diverse student population is reflected by the wide range of ethnic and social societies available.
Event highlights include a Winter Ball, a Deepavali night and a Talent night. All of which have provided the students with exposure to a mix of cultures as well as the opportunity to socialise across different cohorts.
The Student Association actively encourages students to form friendships and offer advice and guidance as an alternative to the pastoral support provided by a student’s personal tutor.
In order to deliver a truly rounded education and to ensure students develop all the necessary skills, NUMed students also have the opportunity to be involved in community care initiatives.
These activities teach the reallife dynamics and complexities of society, as well as the theory that education and prevention is just as important as treatment and care.
Newcastle University UK established NUMed as an international branch campus in Johor, Malaysia, to provide its Medicine (MBBS) and the Biomedical Sciences (BSc) undergraduate degrees. Both programmes offer opportunities for periods of study in the UK.
All NUMed programmes of study are equivalent to Newcastle’s UK-based provision, and lead to the award of the same degrees.
Choosing to study at NUMed Malaysia allows students to earn a reputable UK qualification from an internationally recognised university at a lower cost than studying in the UK.
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