The International Medical College (IMC) is part of IMU Health Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of IHH Healthcare Bhd. IMC is among the first few private colleges providing nursing education.
Muhammad Arizal Bin Syafrizal, Siti Mardiana Bt Muhamad Sayuti, Intan Airani Binti Abd Rahman and Fatin Nazirah Binti Zulman, Nursing Diploma graduates of the International Medical College (IMC), recently travelled to Istanbul to take up employment with IHH Healthcare Bhd, a major healthcare provider in Turkey. The opportunity to work and travel overseas is open to all graduates of the college. Employment mobility is integral to the IMU educational philosophy. In the case of IMC nurses, this also means opportunities in IHH group hospitals, including in Singapore. 
The first group of four IMC nursing diploma holders travelled to Istanbul in January 2014 for orientation to their new workplace, the Maslak Acibadem Hospital in Istanbul. Five more graduates will join them in April 2014. Each IMC nurse is paired with a Turkish buddy who helps them practice their Turkish, and helps them get to know their working environment and Turkish culture.
The IMC nurses stand to gain valuable nursing experience in the units of their hospital, including Emergency, Intensive Care, Coronary Care, Neonatal Intensive Care, Plastic Surgery and Orthopaedics.
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Describing her experience to date, Intan Airani Binti Abd Rahman said:
“This is an advantage for us that not every nursing graduate will get – A nursing graduate without any working experience who is not yet very proficient in the language, having the opportunity to work overseas. Indeed, we had difficulties understanding Turkish people as they talk very fast. We are glad that some of the Turkish nurses can speak English – when we don’t understand something, they will try their best to explain it to us. Besides this, they treat us well and we are happy here. The hospital provides us with a fully-furnished house with WiFi which enable us to easily communicate with our families in Malaysia. The hospital provides free transportation to-and-from work and free lunch for its staff. We are very happy to be given a chance to work in Istanbul as we have the opportunities to visit places such as the Grand Bazaar, the Dolmabhce Palace, Galata Bridge, Galata Tower, Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia to name a few.”
Selection for employment in Turkey involves evaluation of English communication skills in, knowledge, practical nursing skills; and willingness and motivation to learn Turkish. The evaluation was conducted by the Acibadem Hospital Director of Nursing. Upon selection the nurses undertook five months of Turkish language classes before sitting the National Turkish Language Proficiency Exam.
More on the Nursing programme in IMU
