The much-anticipated Biomedical Science (BM) Fiesta 2023 was launched on a sunny Monday morning, making it the seventh annual BM event to be held by the BM Fiesta Committee under the guidance of the IMU Society of Biomedical Science (ISBS). This exciting and engaging three-day event held from 20 to 22 March 2023 featured an array of interesting activities and merchandise up for grabs, all centred on this year’s theme: Mycology. The committee chose this distinctive theme because it was a topic that received less attention in the healthcare industry. They therefore made it their mission to educate the participants about various types of fungal infections, antifungal medications, and their corresponding treatments.
The event kicked off with a brief speech from Nur Sarah, the project leader. By 10:00 am, the event was in full swing as participants eagerly joined in the booth activities held all the way up until 4:00 pm that evening. The flow of events was similar on the next day.
Students and teachers from King Henry VII College and Beaconhouse Newlands International School arrived on Monday and Tuesday respectively. The committee members and Dr Anil Phillip Kunnath, the project advisor, enthusiastically received the students and teachers from King Henry VII College and Beaconhouse Newlands International School. The students and teachers were divided into three groups as each group took turns to tour the university, visit the Clinical Skills and Simulation Centre (CSSC), participate in the booth activities, and attend a brief sharing session by Dr Lim Chooi Ling and Dr Anil Phillip Kunnath.
The activities that were organised at the booth this year were unique in their own way. Participants were expected to visit the five available booths in sequence, as each booth told a part of a story. When all the pieces were put together, the ending would be determined by the participants themselves.
Wednesday, 22 March, marked the third and last day the booth activities commenced from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm only, paving way for the participants to gather at the Mei Ling Young Auditorium for the closing ceremony which took place later that day.
On behalf of ISBS and the BM Fiesta Committee, Dr Anil had invited Dr Sushela Devi Somanath from the School of Medicine (SoM) to kickstart the closing ceremony with an engaging lecture on mycology. Following her lecture, the audience was entertained by popular renditions from the IMU Music Club band and energetic hip-hop dance moves from the IMU Dance Club, all of which truly wowed students and lecturers alike.
The emcees, Nur Sarah and Wan Normaisarah, then showed the audience some behind-the-scenes footage of the committee members’ hard work and effort in making the BM Fiesta Week a success. After which, the ISBS president, Yong Qiao Ru, Dr Anil, and Wan Normaisarah as the event manager stepped forward to convey their utmost thanks to the audience for their unending support and cooperation throughout the event. Prof Anna Ling, the Dean of the School of Health Sciences (SoHS) also came forward to say how proud she was of the Biomedical Science faculty and students as a whole and hoped for more to come in the near future.
All in all, this event was a fantastic opportunity for everyone to learn about the importance of mycology in healthcare in a fun and interesting way, truly showcasing the passion and commitment of IMU’s Biomedical Science programme towards promoting education and awareness within the field of biomedical science through engaging and interactive means, further proving the programme’s Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) accreditation. With that said, we eagerly await the next ISBS BM Week 2024!
Sponsorship for the Event by IBMS
IBMS is a professional body founded by and for biomedical scientists which recognises the achievement of quality standards within the field of biomedical science in line with the current scientific advancements and changing times. IBMS has kindly chosen to sponsor this year’s event – a first among the many up-and-coming events in the future. They provided us with financial support towards gearing up for the event as well as contributed to the BM Fiesta lanyards and stress balls the lucky draw winners proudly walked away with.
