By: Sze Lynn
Interviews were conducted for both Dr.
Ameya and Dr. Sapna as we heard about their leaving from NUMed soon. Here are
their experiences in NUMed as well as some final advice they would like to
share with all of us. Their advice would be kept close to our hearts.
An
Interview with Dr. Ameya
“Good Afternoon Dr. Ameya, I was just
wondering if you could share your experience here in NUMed?”
“We arrived in April, when Educity was
still rather deserted. There was rarely any car that was passing by. And I was thinking,
‘Am I really going to be teaching here?’ It is really amazing how time flies
and how Educity has developed to what we see as of today. It has been an
enjoyable experience in both Educity and NUMed. It is really a good place to
teach because the students here are really of good quality. One of the best
students that I have taught was in NUMed. I feel that the NUMed curriculum is
in the lead. It is in line with the global curriculum, a flagship project, that
is transforming the way we look at medical education in Malaysia.
There is really a lot of student-teacher
interaction and I believe this is what makes NUMed different from other
Universities. It has a very student centric approach, which is very different
from my past experience. Asian has a very introvert-teacher centric approach
that is definitely a change that I have to adapt coming into NUMed.
I have never felt out of place in NUMed,
although I am an expatriate working here. The NUMed family embraces the variety
in cultures of both staffs as well as students. I feel that the culture here in
Malaysia is not very different from the culture of India. I feel quite at home
here as the Malaysians are of a pretty culturally international standard
culture. Everyone is regarded the same in spite of diversity.”
“It is true how wonderful that we all blend
in as one even though we are of different cultural ethnicity. I believe it is
our respect for one another that precipitates such culture. Doctor, I was
wondering what would you miss most in Malaysia?”
“Well, the food definitely. Also I would
miss the infrastructure of the Malaysian Universities. It has been
interesting.”
“I see… Do you have any advice that you
would like to give the students?”
“Well, keep the hard work going on. You
will need patience, continuous hard work and focus by your side throughout your
life as a medical student and a doctor. It would be a long journey. So you
should always be goal-orientated and disciplined. Just stick to these and
you’ll do fine. The road ahead will be tougher as you go along, but don’t
forget to enjoy life at the same time. I never studied on Friday evenings, just
went on outings with friends. This is the time for you to enjoy. There should
always be a good balance of fun and work.”
“Thank you for the advice doctor. You will
be missed. And thank you so much for your time doctor. Take care.”
An interview with Dr. Sapna
“Good Afternoon Dr. Sapna, I was just
wondering if you could share some experiences in NUMed with the student?”
“Yes, sure. Well, it has been an enriching
experience. I could still remember the first time I came. The NUMed building
was empty and students were not arriving until months down the line. Memories
would stay with me as I did witnessed the starting of NUMed from scratch alongside
with Professor Bradley.
I found it challenging to deliver the UK
teachings to the students and on top of that integrate it with the Malaysia
content. There was a lot of support given to me from the UK. When in doubt I
Skyped my colleagues and they are very helpful in clearing my doubts on matters
of the curriculum. I feel that there was very good teamwork in delivering the
curriculum.
There are many differences when comparing
NUMed with other universities. There are differences in not just the number of
students but also the difference in the types of assessment. This is my first
time delivering such a curriculum. The NUMed students are in a good course.
They are a really good lot. The students have been responsive and interactive.”
“Doctor, what would you miss most from
NUMed?”
“I would definitely miss all of the
students here and also the Malaysian culture in terms of hospitality.”
“We would miss both of you too doctor! Is
there any advice you would like to give our students?”
“Hmm… This is an outcome-based course.
Hence, it is important that you have a strong foundation. It all comes down to
the basics. You must do it as well as possible for your learning experience in
the upcoming years to be more enjoyable. The course is more that just lecture
notes. You have to do your own further reading. Refer to the reference books
when in doubt. There is no harm in knowing more than you do. It is important to
do this early in the course itself. Knowledge is crucial and it is not only
about smart work but the effort you put in as well.”
“Thank you so much doctor for these advice. We
will keep them close to our hearts. Thank you for you time! Take care. I hope
to see you again in the future.”
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