Stamping its mark
THE Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences (JCSMHS) has reached a 10-year milestone. Since its concurrent establishment in Johor and Selangor in 2007, JCSMHS has grown by leaps and bounds, gaining accreditation from the Malaysian Medical Council, as well as becoming the first medical school outside Australia and New Zealand to be accredited by the Australian Medical Council.
A research-intensive private medical school, JCSMHS is involved in major research in the areas of public health, brain research, dengue virus infection, diabetes, obesity and cancer. Publications by academicians have also increased over the years, with over 800 publications in high impact journals such as Nature, Lancet and JAMA.
Excellent staff
“Just as envisioned, we are now one of the premier private medical schools in the country. We have recruited excellent staff, enrolled highly talented students and are progressively increasing our research output. In fact, our intense focus on research is one of our widely acknowledged attributes,” stated Sunway Group founder and chairman Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah AO (Officer of the Order of Australia).
According to JCSMHS head Prof Dr Shajahan Yasin, the school has produced several graduates of high calibre. This was especially notable in 2012 and 2013 where Monash Malaysia students took top honours, ahead of their counterparts in Monash University Australia.
The school imbibes a holistic approach to education and provides students exposure to international, public and even private healthcare systems. It is one of the first medical schools to include postings in highly regarded private hospitals in Malaysia on top of postings to rural hospitals and a large public hospital for pre-internship. All students also spend a compulsory 12-week clinical posting in Australia, gaining invaluable international exposure and experience.
“Nearly 200 of our 600 graduates over the last 10 years have obtained internship positions in Australia; this means they can begin their careers within two weeks of graduation. The year-long internship in Australia also allows students an earlier start to specialist training. A number of students who have completed their specialist training in Australia are now returning home. This will help address the increasing need for specialists in Malaysia,” added Prof Dr Shajahan.
As JCSMHS moves into the future, potential opportunities for collaboration with other universities is an area of focus. This includes local medical schools as well as regional universities.
Close collaboration
“JCSMHS is also collaborating closely with top medical schools in the world such as those at Harvard and Cambridge universities. Both of these renowned institutions are keen to establish a presence here, especially in research and postgraduate training, in Sunway City, recognising that the infrastructure and the ecosystem are already in place to make this integrated township a vibrant and sustainable centre of excellence for research and education,” said Dr Cheah.
In conjunction with its
10th anniversary, JCSMHS will be hosting a range of workshops including research training programmes, which are open to the public as well as researchers. A two-day Assessment Workshop will also be included, aimed at senior academic staff from medical schools involved in examinations and other forms of assessments.
A highlight of the celebration is a forum – “Our Future, Your Past”, which allows current students to engage with alumni.
To mark its 10th year, JCSMHS has launched two books – a commemorative book, celebrating its milestone, as well as
On Becoming a Doctor, a collection of stories and musings of alumni who are now doctors and specialists. Proceeds from sales will go to a designated charity.
■ For more information on programmes at the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, log on to www.med. monash.edu.my.