Careers Day

On the 5th of December, 2013, NUMed's first formal Careers Day was held for medical students in their clinical years.

The day kicked off with a welcome address by the Deputy Director of Medical Studies, Dr Steve Jones.

Seven guest speakers were invited for the event, including Associate Professor Dr Punna Wong Yin Onn, Dr Louis Ling, Dr Zaiton bte Salleh, Dr Ong Ah How, Dr Diong Seng Kwok, Dr Elaine Chiang and Stage 5 medical student Ho Ka Liang.

The day saw the speakers focusing their presentation on their respective career pathways and advices for medical students, especially to those who will be graduating next year.

For the soon-to-be graduates, the highlight of the day may be Ho Ka Liang's summary of the Housemanship Training Seminar conducted by the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) on the 16th of November, 2013.

The new housemanship training system is called "Flexi Hours", which will see an increase in working hours from 60 to 75 hours. Each houseman needs to go through a minimum of 2 years of training in 6 different core rotations, each rotation lasting 4 months should they survive the drill. What would be new in year 2014, is the addition of Psychiatry and Primary Care rotations as options for the remaining 8 months of training other than the already existing Anaesthesia and Emergency Medicine rotations.

It is important for medical students, or anyone for that matter, to equip themselves with sufficient knowledge in order to better prepare themselves a career plan. With this said, fellow readers should keep in view to attend the next Housemanship Training Seminar which will be held in 2015.

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Of Prisons and the Mouse Brain Slicer.

by Paik Hwa

Research may not be for everyone.

20th of November, 2013 - Academic Medicine Society (AMS) held a Projects Evening where NUMed students who have been involved in research projects shared their respective experiences to the audience. The following is the lineup for the night:

Student (Stage)	Subject
Thelma Tembo (4)	Delineation of risk factors in paediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia with favourable cytogenetics. (Public Health)
Ng Zee Yong (3)	How does the brain respond to the melody of speech?
Andrea Lim (3)	Defining the functional role of the autophagy regulatory gene Ambra-1 in melanoma invasion and metastasis.
Jaya (4)	Neuroblastoma
Alireza (2)	Kajang Prison Project
Paik Hwa (5)	The role of colour in object recognition. SSC 1 Research (Pathology Department)
Ho Ka Liang (5)	SSC 1 Audit (Emergency Department)
Muzammil (2)	Immunohistochemical analysis of hypoxia, glucose transporters and neuroinflammation in the hippocampus of the TASTPM and P301L mouse model of dementia.

The evening aimed to give the audience an overview of their peers’ experiences with their research projects and hopefully spark their own interest to take the same initiative in future. Whether you are sure or unsure about your passion in research, any new lesson gained in life is certainly worth its while. Nearly two hours of presentations later, here is obviously why you should not be hesitating and leave yourself behind in the pursuit to be on a discovery cloud nine. 

1. “Fun!” “I really had a good time doing the summer research project.” “Fun!” “Interesting!"

2. Scholarships 
  If you were at the lecture theatre, you may have jaw-dropped at least once. Not to mention it is a nice addition to your CV.

3. New skills
 Perhaps a rare ability like slicing mice’s brain, practical in real-life or not. It was not an easy feat as Muzammil revealed in a picture, “It was performed in a cold box, almost like a freezer.”  A presenter also said, “I probably learnt more about research methodology during the short period of project (6-8 weeks) as compared to an entire duration of a course (years).”

4. Making new friends from around the world who share the same interest.
 Zee Yong said, “I was in the UK doing a research project, but none of my colleagues including my supervisor are from the UK.”

5. Being in an intellectually stimulating environment.
 Gotta deviate from the usual routine and one-up it sometimes. GO and step on a different soil.

6. Be prepared for mistakes or accidents, learn from them, and meet the deadline.
 Things often go awry as the deadline approaches. It happens to almost everyone, but no one quite understands why that is the case. Except, it is a common way for discoveries to be made for civilisation: by mistake or accident. You either find out that you have been collecting data from the wrong specimens in a blind experiment; the stem cell culture did not turn out as expected no matter how rigid you followed the procedures; flies that did not like the food you cooked for them despite following the same recipe everyone else was using.

7. Getting published.
 Last but not least, you should aim for this if given the opportunity.

I made the list with its corresponding elaborations in a lighthearted manner. In all seriousness, I often looked back to that summer in 2011 when I was first involved in a research project, and really appreciate the invaluable knowledge I was exposed to. It was one of the best times of my life. 

Depending on your involvement, it may bring you to new places, for example our fellow Alireza who had the opportunity to visit a prison in Kajang. He had this to say, “Contrary to what people think of research, it has no rules and structure, it’s chaotic. If you want to do any sort of research, you need to be passionate about your idea and your work.”

Have I encouraged you enough? The next step for you is to talk to someone who can help give you a head start with organising and planning. The Academic Medicine Society, obviously, is a good start.

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NBC Badminton Tournament 2013

by Paik Hwa

Muzhaffar in action. :D

On the 22nd and 23rd of November, 2013, NUMed Badminton Club (NBC) organised their very first Badminton Tournament which took place at Perling Badminton Court. As many as 36 participants signed up for the event.


There were 4 categories and the following are the winners:

Men's Singles: 
1st: Ho Ching Khai (Stage 1)                          
2nd: Chan Khang Yeon (Stage 2)                           
3rd: Muzhaffar (Stage 5)


Men's Doubles: 
1st: Ho Ching Khai/ Shaun Ee (Stage 1)                             
2nd: Muzhaffar/ Afdhal (Stage 5)                             
3rd: Lau Xian Zhuang/ Jeremiah Hii (Stage 2)


Women's Doubles: 
1st: Freda Bella Chen/ Lim Pei Shan (Stage 1)                                   
2nd: Tiffany Koo/Low Li Li (Stage 1)                                   
3rd: Fiona/Tong Shu Theng (Stage 2)


Mixed Doubles: 
1st: Lau Xian Zhuang (Stage 2) /Freda Bella Chen (Stage 1)
2nd: Shaun Ee/ Lim Pei Shan (Stage 1)
3rd: Chan Khang Yeon(Stage 2)/ Low Li Li (Stage 1)



NBC would also like to thank the following volunteers for making the event a successful one!


Linesmen: Peter Cephas and all the players 
Umpires: Seah Hwei Hwei, Sabyasachi, Lee SiQi, Sam Low, Ho Ching Khai, Chan Khang YeonPhotographers: Ong Shi Yu, Ng Zee Yong.

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Founders and Benefactors Day 2013

by Darshini

16^th of November 2013- The students of Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia attended the Founders & Benefactors Day, which was organised by the newly elected student council board.

From 6pm onwards, groups of students were seen walking towards the Numed campus dressed in their respective colour codes for the evening. The freshers looked lovely in white while the Stage 2s were ice cool in blue. The Stage 3s stood out in their red apparels, as did the Stage 4s who looked elegant in their black outfits. The Stage 5s who were also heads of their respective families were dressed for the occasion in royal purple.

The car park ground beside the amphitheatre was set up with tables and chairs in large tents to cater to the large volume of students who showed up. As the crowd started filling in, the ushers guided the students to their respective family tables and the sound of noisy chatter filled the air.

The event kick started at 7pm with Mohit Mohan, Education Representative of Student Council, presenting the welcome speech. This was followed by family photo taking sessions at the photo booth, which was specially set up for this event. The respective families then queued up for the delicious Iranian food and drinks that was served.

The peer parents and peer kids from all stages bonded over dinner at their respective family tables. People laughed and conversed with each other; some families even came up with games to play during dinner.  All in all, it was a pleasant and heart-warming evening of togetherness and campus spirit.  The night ended with a bang, literally, as huge fireworks lit the sky above the tents.





17^th November 2013- Today was all fun and games as the various families gathered to compete against each other, in true sportsmanship.  Although the turn out was small in number due to the various commitments and exams faced by most students, the event was still enjoyed by all who showed up.  At the end of the games which lasted from 2pm to approximately 6pm, food and goodie bags were distributed to all students. The peer kids then personally delivered the food to their peer parents who were not present at the event.  The event would not be possible without the student council who organised and managed both days efficiently. 

Here’s to more memory making events in the future! Cheers! 

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NUMed Carwash Bonanza!

by Benjamin Oh

Medical school provides no shortage of evidence that students are a versatile and adaptable lot. 

On the 15^th of November, under a sleepy afternoon sky in the car park area next to the Clinical Skills Lab, the NUMed Student Council’s Carwash Bonanza kicked off.

Armed with sponges, buckets of water, cleaning fluid, and a powerful car wash hose, the volunteers attacked the dirt and grime on the cars surrendered to their care. The persistent rain falling on the car park grounds did little to stifle their enthusiasm as they swept off layers of detritus from windshields and polished wheel rims until they sparkled brand new. 

The volunteers worked steadily from 2.00pm to 5.00pm, moving rhythmically and systematically. As new cars were registered, one or two volunteers would drive the cars into the designated ‘cleaning’ lots. Then the exterior of the cars would be soaped up, scrubbed clean, and rinsed off with the hose. Once the cars were clean, they would then be driven to the nearby parking bays for collection, freeing up space for new cars. From amidst clumps of soap and a powerful deluge of water, cars emerged sparkling and fresh, to the satisfaction of their owners and the delight of our students-turned-car wash attendants.

In total, about 20 cars were washed during this event. With the price at RM 10 per car, this represents sizable takings of about RM 200. These funds will be channeled into future activities for the student council.

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A Run For Life

by Paik Hwa

Aren’t we glad? The General Election 2013 had not taken over that fine day, 27th of April where we had determined to “Run for Life” and raise awareness about Lysosomal Storage Diseases (LSD) instead. 

Students started trickling in at Bell’s Court to register themselves at the event as early as 7am. There were well over 100 participants who came, most donning the event’s official t-shirts given out some days prior. Besides the NUMedians as the majority of the participants, invitations were extended to Southampton University’s students as well. A Golden Retriever and a Dachshund joined the run too.

The run which was scheduled to start at 8am had to be delayed as the traffic police were missing in action. But of course, this typical phenomenon hardly affects Malaysians anymore (unless you are an international student and is still in culture shock), it did not dampen anyone’s spirit. However, the key people to ensure our safety while runners are on the road were finally ready. With the President of the Student Council leading them in a series of loud cheer, the even more energised runners were set to go as the honk blazed! All these were clearly audible from the ISV. If it did not wake you up and excite you, we empathise that you may have had a long day at the hospital the day before ... (poor medical students...) 

Now that the runners have dashed out of the starting line, they cannot wait to finish the 6km route. It was estimated to take under half an hour for the competitive runners to complete the route, or under an hour for various reasons, though still achieving the day’s objective. 

Proceeds from the NUMed Run for Life were donated to the Malaysia Lysosomal Disease Association (MLDA), a non-profit organization that advocates for patients’ right and to educate people about the various life threatening LSD. MLDA was formed in April 2011 where 8 LSD families decided that there should be increased awareness of the issue where LSD patients have difficulty accessing medical care from multiple disciplines, thereby compromising their quality of life. There is no cure for the rare inherited disorders, however, bone marrow transplantation and enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) have been tried with some success in some cases.

At the end of the day, MLDA received RM1228.90 in total from the event. The amount will be used to purchase a colour laser printer (to be named NUMed), an important asset to help the association print out colourful stories about LSD patients to all that are involved in the budget approval for ERT funding.

The event ended before noon with the prize giving ceremony. Dr. Dominic Johnson, the Dean of Clinical Affairs, won first place for the male category, beating all other younger participants (time for reflection!). The winner of the female category was Aisyah Abdul Rahman, a Stage 3 student while Professor Bradley was the fastest over 60 runner of the day. Congratulations to all winners and cheers to MLDA who has benefitted from this event. NUMedians sincerely hoped to have assist in making a change in LSD patients’ life. 

To support the MLDA in their cause, like their Facebook page (search “Malaysia Lysosomal Diseases Association) or visit www.mymlda.com for more information.

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North East Malaysian Night 2013 (2)

A Slice of Malaysia in Newcastle (One Night Only).

- by Alvin Chua 

Greetings from Durham,

I’m Alvin Chua, a second year student of Ancient History and Archaeology at Durham University. Here is an article on the North East Malaysian Night, which was held at the Northumbria Students Union on the 24^th of March 2013. Basically, the event can be divided into 3 parts – the play, ‘pasar malam’, and more performances.   

The Play

Adnan Rahim gives a uniquely Malaysian twist to the age-old tale of star-crossed lovers in "Beautiful Pretence". Two figures from diametrically opposed backgrounds are brought together by fate. A harmony of contradictions, or a recipe for disaster…? 

Jet Kee, a member of the notorious “Super Sepet 808” gang, meets Nur Ain, daughter of the “minister in charge of the state police”(if one ever existed). Love blossoms between the two (obviously). 

Alas, “The course of true love never did run smooth.” Jet is eventually caught in a dilemma, and has to decide between loyalty to the gang and love. 

I missed the ending, unfortunately (duty called), but I understand that the audience is left to guess whether Jet was killed or not. In a proper tragedy, he’d be dead.

In all honesty, the play was not my cup of tea, though there were many who loved it. (A more thorough piece of writing on the play will be on the DUMAS blog.) 

The ‘Pasar Malam’

From what I can tell, the ‘pasar malam’ was a great success. Great Malaysian food (When you’re in the UK, more so in Durham than Newcastle, ANY Malaysian food is likely to be great.) Perhaps the only thing lacking, atmosphere-wise, was the open-air setting. With the UK weather, though, you’d think twice before selling or indulging in ‘nasi lemak’ or ‘teh tarik’ outdoors. The pleasure soon turns to pressure, I can assure you. 

The Other Performances

Unfortunately, the last train heading to Durham was the 2145 one, so quite a few Durhamites had to leave early. From what I’ve heard, though, the various performances were spectacular. One particular act (so I’ve been told), which involved female dancers, generated a vast amount excitement amongst the audience, so much so that, to quote a spectator (not in verbatim, but more or less) “I shout until my throat sore.”

Well, there’s my take on the North East Malaysian Night in about 400 words. I hope you enjoyed reading it.

P.S. Durham is pronounced “Dar-em” (ˈdʌrəm), and not Dar-ham. 

(Try inserting the former into the ‘Pink Panther’ tune, if that helps.)

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North East Malaysian Night 2013 (1)

By Sin Eu

For the first time ever, the universities of Newcastle, Northumbria and Durham collaborated to bring a magnificent event to the Malaysian student community in the North East. The North East Malaysian Night has been a stellar achievement by the universities students of the North-East region. Not only have we endured a great time planning and executing the amazing project, we have forged a lasting, concerted relationship among the universities and Malaysians here.

The event is a combination of introducing a contemporary-themed play and a sumptuous food fair. The main aim is to introduce the enriched value, culture and customs of Malaysia as well as providing a platform for Malaysian students in this region to reminiscent what they have been missing since leaving Malaysia to study in the UK. 

The Play

A theme of love, friendship and sacrifice, Adnan Rahim brought us a play that explores the flip side of the Malaysian society that was less chronicled in most Malaysian plays. The show of true grit, survival and dilemma-laden milieu of three underworld characters, Jet Kee, Vicky and Jallelah embarked on a journey that will forever change their life.

It was a portrayal of the stratified society which Malaysians can recognise and relate to. One can empathise with the characters in the show and applying the values and morals learned in one’s life. Not only have it showed the au courant environment that we Malaysians live in, it has given a food-for-thought element that made us reflect upon the situation that we are exposed to.

The Pasar Malam

Malaysia is deemed as ‘Truly Asia’ for a lot of reasons. One of them, the most important one actually in my opinion, is the food. A thing that is much appreciated and more so when you are studying in the UK, the ‘Pasar Malam’ provides the North-East England region students a nostalgic feel of the food that has been largely missed. Ranging from nasi lemak, rendang chicken, chendol, milo drinks (trust me, it’s not a big thing in the UK), roti canai to the more modern fascination of bubble milk tea, the audience is spoiled with variety of food available.

Art and Dance Performance

Jeffri and the Jammers brought us a truly memorable and empowering performance in R’n’B, Pop and Soul style; an awesome variety of songs that Malaysians can truly connect with.

Next up, we have the power couple of Rebecca Khoo and Machi Yu who brought us a string of Latin dances. Their display of a strong, solid yet flexible performance kept the crowd asking for more. 

The Orchid Chinese Dancing Group meanwhile brought us Chinese traditional dance that can be seen during Chinese cultural shows in Malaysia (and other parts of the world). It is a classy performance that is much appreciated which reminds us of the multi-cultural aspects of the Malaysian community.

Last but not least, we have the North-East Malaysian Dance Crew bringing us a set of modern dances that is being endorsed by the youths of today. Bringing the energy and entertainment that gave the night a strong climax, the dances are greatly pacey and enthralling. The contemporary dances kept the audience truly entertained to the end.

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Lecturers' Farewell

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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World Health Day: Hypertension

by Paik Hwa

7th of April was the World Health Day, and in conjunction of that, a Health Tour Carnival was held at Padang Complex, Hospital Permai. This year’s theme was “Hypertension”. 9 NUMedian volunteers thus set out to the site with a mission: health screening for the population at the carnival. 

The event started early morning with aerobic exercises to the beat of catchy Malay and Bollywood songs. There were 20 booths set up with various activities including a Quit Smoking counseling booth, treasure hunt games, oral health promotion and so on. The NUMedians were in luck as the Health Screening booth was just next to JOHO, who put up some great band performances. 

Being dedicated to a worthy cause, the volunteers had brought their stethoscopes with them. But there was no use for the ultimate equipment (of medical students or health care professionals). They soon found that going through a long list of health screening questionnaires with the public was more challenging than they thought. 

One of the volunteers said, “I am actually thankful for the opportunity to practice communication skills. Some things were awkward and difficult to explain.”

The volunteers worked together with the nurses from Health Clinics to measure BMI, and to take blood pressure and glucose readings.

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Bahasa Malaysia Intermediate Class

By: Andrea Lim

In the seminar rooms at the Sir George Smart Building, a group of 20 students partake in a student-led class to learn Bahasa Malaysia. An hour-long session, the class aims to help students increase their fluency with Bahasa and to provide advice on clinical scenarios that are likely to be encountered by NUMed students.

Starting in late January, the class provides an official session to help facilitate students to converse in Bahasa and to guide them on approaching clinical scenarios done in the national language. Unlike the beginner

Bahasa Malaysia class, the Intermediate class does not have a formal tutor to teach Bahasa. Instead, teachers are mostly made up of Stage 4 students who already have 2-3 years experience in the hospital, making them ideal to teach and provide assistance on any common clinical scenarios. The class currently has 15 volunteer tutors and around 12 tutees, of which the number increases with every session. Most of the tutees are made up of Stage 2 students, who will be starting their clinical years soon.

Although there are more teachers than students, not everyone will be involved in teaching every week. Tutors are divided into small groups consisting of 4-5 tutors and are assigned to a certain week. “Each week has a different theme or a topic, and one lead tutor will be chosen to be in charge of the session,” says Nafisah, a Stage 4 tutor. “We did it this way to allow us to interact with the tutees so that we can deliver effective teaching.” So far, the class has completed 3 sessions, which focused on basic topics such as family relationships and daily activities. “We will be conducting Clinical classes after the Easter break, which will focus more on actual clinical scenarios such as physical examinations and history-taking,” Nafisah says.

Despite the rocky first-start, attending students have found the sessions useful. “It has allowed me to gain better fluency and exposure to the language,” says Sabyasachi, a Stage 2 medical student. Being an international student from India, he also attends the beginner Bahasa classes, but says that the benefits provided are different from the Intermediate Bahasa class. “In the beginner Bahasa classes, we mostly learn new words, but not how to string them into sentences,” he says. “In the Intermediate class however, we learn how to put the words into sentences and it allows us to practice conversing rather than just learning words.”

Sabyasachi also comments that the small student-to-teacher ratio has made it easier to learn new words and meanings, as well as allowing better interaction between tutor and tutee. Malaysian students who attend the classes also find the sessions useful, as they not only help increase fluency in Bahasa, but also to receive advice and tips on how to approach common clinical scenarios in the national language.

“We feel that a class like this is essential for students who believe that they need help in Bahasa,” says Afandi, another Stage 4 teacher. With the way the course is structured, NUMed students have plenty of contact with patients, as evident from the Family/Patient studies in the first two years and in the clinical years.

As students have found out, most patients do not have a good command of English and can only converse in Bahasa. “Although this is an English university, we have to admit that not every patient is able to speak English. Thus, having a good command of Bahasa will surely help students to get through the MBBS programme,” Afandi continues.

The class is held every Thursday, at 5:30PM in Seminar Room 2.11.

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Liberia Awareness Week

By: Alireza Behzadnia

Advancements in technology and media have enabled journalists to report and bring light to veiled issues in the world like never before. Global Medicine Society (GMS) of NUMed aimed to raise awareness on one of the many obscure issues in our world. GMS looked at Liberia and the problems the country is facing. They tried to raise awareness throughout the campus by giving out flyers and setting up posters. A presentation was held at Baylis Lecture Theatre where they explained the issues in greater details.

The awareness week was to relate public health studies, which is one of the main areas in Medicine in Community module for Stage 1 students, to real world situations.

GMS has received positive feedbacks on this event and would like to carry out similar events in the future. When Stephanie (Stage 1), a member of GMS was asked why the society is focusing on Liberia in particular, she believes that Liberia is a very unknown country to majority of students in NUMed. Despite this, what is more shocking is the lack of awareness through media worldwide.

“In light of all these, Liberia is suffering from a very bad healthcare system and is in need of help. GMS could not make any donation to Liberia, as the country has no representative in Malaysia,” Alexander from GMS explains.

Societies in NUMed are relatively young and need time to blossom. This was the Society's second major event. Academic Medicine Society collaborated with Global Medicine Society in hosting the talk given by Professor Frederick Lewis Altice from Yale University.

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Education Fair

By: Sonia Susiman

On the 17^th of March 2013, Vanessa and Cyril, both from Stage 1 as well as NUMed staffs went to Women's Institute of Management in Kuala Lumpur for an education fair. The main aim was to promote the university and for people who want to know more about the courses offered, they can clear their queries there. Prospective students were also able to personally communicate with NUMed students on how the curriculum structure is. The 2 volunteer students left the International Student Village at about 4am for the event all the way in Kuala Lumpur. They set up the university’s booth in the Permata Exhibition Hall and started giving out brochures.

To add on, there was a talk organised by The News Straits Times for students to get a broad idea on their career pathway. For this particular week the main focus was on medicine, dentistry and pharmacy. There were four speakers present on the day, two doctors, one dentist and one pharmacist. Our very own Dr Ahmed was one of the speakers that day. They spoke about the career prospects for each field. The education fair ended around 12pm. The student representatives felt happy and satisfied for the day as there were many students and parents who were interested in NUMed. 

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Stem Cell Registration

By: Darshini Muralidharan

March 12^th , Tuesday – The Malaysian Stem Cell Registry (MSCR) made a visit to NUMED to recruit potential stem cell donors as part of their objective to increase the number of registered volunteers. The registry was founded in the year 2000 and is part of a joint project with the Ministry of Health, the National Cancer Council (MAKNA) and the Institute for Medical Research.

As of today, there are 18000 registered volunteers. However, this number only forms 30% of their total target of 40000 volunteers. 

In Malaysia, stem cell transplants are usually integrated in treatments for leukaemia, thalassaemia, lymphomas, immunodeficiencies and aplastic anaemia.

Unfortunately, the chances of finding an unrelated compatible donor are very slim and rely significantly on the size of the registry. As part of their initiative to increase the size of the registry, the MSCR have been organising campaigns, typing donors, and handling search requests from hospitals within and outside the country.

NUMED-ians gathered at 5.00pm at Baylis Lecture theatre for a brief introductory talk by a team from MSCR. There was quite an impressive turnout as students from all stages filled the lecture hall. The team began by introducing themselves and proceeded to educate NUMED-ians about stem cells donation. They ended their talk in 40 minutes and handed out registration forms for the audience to fill out as potential donors. We were walked through the entire procedure from the filling up of the form to the donation of stem cells.

Upon completing the forms, NUMED-ians who volunteered then piled into the clinical skills lab. A small blood sample of 10ml was collected for tissue typing. In the future, if there is a match and the need for a donation is required, potential donors will be contacted and asked for bone marrow samples.

 There was an overwhelming response, with a total of 120 samples of blood and saliva collected, and the event only finishing just before 9pm. The only downside to this was that our fellow international colleagues were not eligible to donate.

 Miss Jamilah, a member of the MSCR team conveyed her gratitude through an email to all NUMED-ians who volunteered and stated that the MSCR was proud of NUMED-ians who volunteered and hope we would continue to support the cause in the future. Well done NUMED-ians on fulfilling your social responsibilities and contributing to the betterment of the health of the Malaysian society.

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Needles… Scissors… Forceps… SUTURE!

By: Cyril Lucas 

On 1^st March 2013, the Surgical Society of Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NUMed) organised a suturing workshop for the society’s members. It was a great success with a total of 20 members participating, the maximum number of participants set for this event.

The workshop was guided by Dr Kevin Khoo, Dr Lim May An, Dr Ahmed Awil Adam, Dr Adi Bagoes Soetjipto, and Dr Harinarayan Radhakrisna. All equipments consisting of 20 suturing sets were sponsored by Ethicon Johnsons & Johnson company. Ethicon’s representative, Kristine Ten, was present during the workshop.

            All participants came before 3pm to register themselves and got ready in the NUMed Clinical skills labs. For every workbench, there would be 2 participants and there were 10 workbenches set by the Surgical Society then. Each workbench will have 2 complete sets of suturing kits for the participants to use.

            Dr Kevin started by giving a lecture about basic surgical knowledge and many safety measures during the workshop and operating theatre. He also introduced the various surgical suturing equipments and the common sizes of needles used. Then, he showed a video showing the proper suturing technique. After that, the participants had an hour of practical session where the participants focused on stitching an interrupted and uninterrupted suture.

The participants’ competitiveness was put to the test with an impromptu battle of surgeons. Each workbench will have its two participants going against each other where 3 minutes was given and the best interrupted suture was determined. The winner would proceed to the next round with the one who did not win becoming his/her “surgical assistant”.

            The next round involved performing the best uninterrupted suture where only the best 4 among the final 10 are selected. The top 4 were then placed in the middle of the lab where the fastest two will be the finalist.

            The final round involved two finalists, Gan Chia Ee (Stage 2) and Siti Aisyah (Stage 1) where they have to stitch an elliptical laceration. The ideal method was determined to be stitching the middle part first then proceed outwards to the side with interrupted sutures. This was not made known to the finalist though and the two finalists had to determine for themselves what was the best method to perform. Finally, Gan Chia Ee triumphed against all odds and proved her potential as an aspiring surgeon.

            Generally, the event was a success with participants being able to learn and practice suturing efficiently. The Surgical Society will also organize similar events in the future for the benefit of all its members. 

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Avicenna Futsal

By: Stephanie Teh

On the of 23^rd February, 2013 a contingent of our compatriots left ISV in the middle of the night, sacrificing sleep for the privilege of representing NuMed in the Avicenna competition. Arriving at the crack of dawn in KL, the participants competed in futsal, debate and basketball against medical students from all over Malaysia. It was a day of immeasurable pride for Newcastle University students, where the participants still managed to score remarkable results despite it being only our second year in the competition.

Both our male and female futsal teams had a fantastic run in the competition. The male team consisting of Sang Hoon, Mkuzi, Lutfi, Premjeet, Ali Ilhami, Izzudin, and Nazmi managed to secure second place, and were awarded with silver.  The team members of the female team were Fairuz, Miza, Adila, Khausar, Naeimah, Afnan, Meenakshi, and Siti Aisyah who managed to perform just as strongly coming in third place.  

Videos posted on the NUMed Students’ Facebook group showed the exhilaration when our boys won the semis in a penalty shootout where our goalkeeper saved a remarkable 2/5 of the opponents’ penalty shots.

Naeimah has this to say about the entire competition: “It was definitely an honour to win for Newcastle. Even though it was [sic] third place but [sic] we are looking forward to become champions for NUMed one day.”

Our brilliant results in in the futsal category were certainly a highlight of the day. Big congratulations to all the participants for showcasing the fine quality of the students at NUMed. We’re only going to greater heights from here on.

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