What’s next after SPM? School leavers these days are bombarded with a multitude of choices. Among those options, medicine sits at the top of popular career choices.
Malaysia produces an estimated 5,000 medical graduates every year. Consequently, demand for quality medical education remains high as graduates compete to join a highly attractive but regulated field or seek specialisations to further stand out in the competitive market.
Spearheading the provision of quality medical education in the country is Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NUMed) in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, an international branch campus of the 189-year-old Newcastle University, UK. NUMed offers top-notch British medical curricula through its foundation and degree programmes. Its Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree is professionally accredited by relevant governing bodies in the UK, Malaysia, Thailand, Maldives, Pakistan and Mauritius.
School leavers wanting to get a taste of what medical studies will entail are encouraged to look into NUMed’s PreMed Workshop, which is slated to be held on 25 March. Organised by the NUMed chapter of the Asian Medical Student Association (AMSA), a regional student body representing medical students from across Asia, the workshop aims to introduce school leavers to the world of medicine, offering insights into the various aspects of a medical school, from academics to student life.
Interactive sessions are lined up for participants during the one-day workshop. Apart from discussion sessions with medical professionals and current NUMed undergraduates that provide a sneak peek into the field of medicine, participants will also gain exposure to medicine through engaging activities such as sessions on cardiovascular health, blood groupings, emergency cases, first aid and basic clinical skills.
According to Ms Premila Nair, the Chief Operating Officer of NUMed, the workshop is tailored with school leavers in mind to provide aspiring medical professionals with early exposure to world-class medical education. Through continuous engagement with students, she also hopes to ignite interest among the school leaving cohorts in medicine. “Medicine is a tough field. Many students and even doctors find it hard to cope and feel disillusioned with the challenging career prospects. With events such as the annual PreMed Workshop, we wish to inspire school leavers and spark their passion to enable them to pave a seamless career pathway in medicine.”
