Alumni homecomings are indeed a one-of-a-kind university affair. Sentiment and nostalgia rule the day, with shrills of joy and warm hugs a norm everywhere. Every year, the IMU Biomedical Science programme organises its annual Alumni Homecoming, an event celebrating the alumni and their stories depicting their individually unique journeys from once-students to where they are now. It is also a platform for students to polish their networking skills by developing strong ties with their fellow alumni, helping to build long-lasting relationships and enhance their knowledge of the opportunities out there in the job market.
Once held physically pre-pandemic, this year’s IMU Biomedical Science virtual homecoming event was held on 10 December 2022, hosting twenty-three alumni altogether from as far back as the pioneering cohort BM1/08 to the fresh graduates from BM1/19. Listening in were 51 other students from the BM1/20, BM1/21, and BM1/22 cohorts respectively, as well as professors and lecturers from the Biomedical Science programme.
The event kicked off with a cordial speech of welcome from the Associate Dean for the School of Health Sciences, Prof Chin Beek Yoke, followed by acknowledgements from the Biomedical Science Programme Director, Dr Tsen Min Tze, and the Head of Applied Biomedical Science and Biotechnology Division, Dr Lim Chooi Ling. Next came a brief introduction by an Alumni Relations Office representative, Indumathy Kasavan, before it was succeeded by a short introductory session where the facilitator, Dr Tsen, introduced eight alumni speakers featuring a wide range of sectors within the job market. Also present in the call were Dr Koh Rhun Yian and A/Prof Dr Chye Soi Moi, lecturers from the Biomedical Science Programme.
The sharing session commenced with:
Brandon Mong
(BM1/11)
Brandon, a well-published researcher who is currently carrying out environmental biology research in Academia Sinica, a world-class institute in Taiwan.
Voon Khai Boon
Khai Boon shared his experience working as an embryologist in a fertility centre, having completed his Masters in Clinical Embryology in the UK.
Up next was the industry series.
Sarah Kor
(BM1/19)
Sarah came forward to present her job scope as an application specialist in Roche Diagnostics Malaysia, specialising in point of care solutions and Roche COBAS™ analysers.
Harvin
(BM1/14)
A presentation from Harvin of BM1/14, a medical product specialist and pharmaceutical marketing executive tasked with overseeing the sale of leading drug brands in both local and global markets alike.
In the next session of the homecoming event, the clinical research and diagnosis series started off with:
Parvinpal Kaur
(BM1/13)
Parvinpal, a former medical laboratory technologist (MLT) at Subang Jaya Medical Centre (SJMC) is currently working on cell cultures and specimen karyotyping with Hematogenix, a haematological cancer research hub.
Quek Xin Fei
(BM1/16)
Xin Fei attended the event all the way from Australia. She is currently a PhD student researching the characteristics and targeted therapy of immunological response mechanisms in individuals suffering from thunderstorm asthma due to ryegrass pollen allergy.
Jasmine Kaur Olikh
(BM 1/17)
Jasmine is currently managing Beacon Hospital’s data-driven hospital information system via data mining, software development, and electronic medical records implementation.
The event ended on a positive note with a short and sweet closing speech from Dr Tsen, who sincerely thanked the alumni for taking the time off from their busy schedules to join students and lecturers in sharing their experiences and stories. She hoped that students and alumni had benefitted from the event, as it provided an excellent opportunity for student exposure and networking. May the next Alumni Homecoming event be even bigger and better!
Written by:
Shamirra Esha Nair (BM1/22), Editor-in-Chief of the IMU Society of Biomedical Science;
Sia Wei Tong (BM1/22), Secretary of the IMU Society of Biomedical Science;
Fathimath Zana Zahir (BM1/21), Editor of the IMU Society of Biomedical Science
