Students Take the Lead: Clinical Experience at NUMed
Given the right platform, students can be tomorrow’s movers and shakers. Bhirom Sugontha, known as Su, an ambitious student from the bustling city of Kuala Lumpur, is forging her pathway at Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NUMed).
Su kick-started her journey with a deep interest in the subjects offered and the various career options available in the medical field, but soon found herself getting more intrigued as she learnt more about it. Today, she is a Stage 5 Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) student. As she gets ready to step into the professional world, Su shares how NUMed is helping her achieve her dreams.
Clinical Adventure at NUMed
Students start their clinical sessions at Stage 1, which is the very beginning of their medical education. This, according to Su, is a key factor as students are able to gain early exposure to one of the most critical stages in their academic lives. They begin with occasional clinic and hospital visits during Stage 1 and 2, which increases in frequency as they progress into Stages 3, 4 and 5. This approach allows the students to be well-prepared before undergoing actual clinical rotations during their final stage.
The Stage 5 clinical sessions allow students to rotate their schedules in different departments in the hospital and be exposed to various medical cases on a daily basis. Su considers the surgery and obstetrics and gynaecology departments to be her favourites, as well as witnessing the heart-warming relationships between patients and their families.
Taking the Lead
An active medical student, Su has taken charge of several medical-related projects in NUMed. Among her pride and joy are her involvement as a project leader for the university’s Health Camp and Surgical Workshop. In fact, she initiated the workshop during her Stage 5 studies.
The former involved students visiting local communities within the vicinity of NUMed to spread awareness on the importance of healthcare, with Su’s team being the first to organise it at two locations concurrently and target underserved areas.
“The Health Camp was conducted in two different areas: a squatters’ area and an aboriginal village. The response we received was indeed overwhelming. As underprivileged communities with almost no access to basic medical facilities, they were very thankful that we conducted the Health Camp in their areas,” said Su.
Studying at NUMed
When asked how NUMed has helped her towards achieving her goal, she explains that the well-rounded UK curriculum has been ideal in preparing doctors of the future. “The most important thing a doctor needs is communication skills; NUMed has been emphasising this point since the very beginning, and I’m glad that we future doctors are prepared this way.”
Aside from their busy academic schedules, students at NUMed are also encouraged to be part of the clubs and societies there. “Despite being surrounded by piles of assignments, clinical rotations and projects, I also find some time to be involved in outdoor activities every now and then, with my favourite being rock-climbing,” added Su enthusiastically.
NUMed offers undergraduate degrees in Medicine (MBBS) and Biomedical Sciences (BSc), as well as opportunities for foundation and postgraduate studies. The programmes of study lead to the award of the same degrees as those studied at its parent campus in the UK. To find out more about NUMed’s programmes, excellent facilities, and student life, visit www.newcastle.edu.my.
