4 March 2019 – The International Medical University (IMU) made history today by admitting its very first cohort of MBA in Healthcare Management (MBAHM) students. More than 10 students, mostly healthcare professionals, have enrolled for this programme. 
Commenting on the inaugural intake, Programme Director of the programme, To’ Puan A/Prof Dr Safurah Bt Ja’afar said, “Preparations before the inaugural launch was filled with mixed feelings and anticipation. The Marketing, Admission and MBA in Healthcare Management teams had less than two months to promote and prepare all the relevant documentations. Yet the question still lingers: How many students will finally register?” “Finally, the enrolment day came. It started with six then eight and then a good number of ten finally confirmed they registered and will be joining. The jubilation of this further augmented the reasons they chose and the trust they gave to the IMU MBAHM.” “I have always wanted to further my studies at a postgraduate level. Unlike the other MBAs in Malaysia which is geared towards a general MBA, IMU’s MBAHM has a focus on healthcare management which will complement my medical degree. This will give me the opportunity to be a more effective healthcare leader”, said Tan Su Ching, one of our students in this programme.
Her cohort mate, Sandra So said, “I have been contemplating to do a MBA for the longest time, so when I saw that IMU is offering this programme, it really got my attention. MBA in Healthcare Management would lead me to the next level in my career. I am excited to see how this goes.”
A quantity surveyor who is in charge of an organistion’s construction and healthcare divisions, Chung Shin Fung said, “I feel that I will benefit from taking this programme and be able to better manage the healthcare division diligently as this will be a good platform for me to learn the basic management of the healthcare industries.” Another student who is an IMU alumnus, Mafeitzeral Mamat adds, “I believe the programme is unique and is tailored specifically for healthcare professionals. I would like to learn more and hopefully, this would be relevant for my future aspirations.”
The IMU MBA in Healthcare Management Programme aims to equip managers with relevant skills for leading and managing the various facets and challenges that confront professionals, managers and those keen to manage the healthcare industry. Learners have the opportunity to gain firm understanding to critically assess health systems and healthcare structures, apply core principles of management in the healthcare setting and to operate within prevailing legal frameworks. Graduates will benefit by building their personal and professional competencies, and glean insights into best practices and formulation of effective managerial strategies. 
A student from this inaugural cohort, Fadhullah Zamir, said, “I am interested in the IMU MBA programme because I am interested in learning and gaining information from a MBA that is specialised in healthcare. Furthermore, I would like to improve my current working place into a more established centre. This will also be a stepping stone for me to open a brand new medical centre in the future.” “Having transited from a clinician to a healthcare administrator, I realised that I require additional guidance. As an IMU alumni, I trust that IMU will deliver quality education despite us being the first cohort., said Delicia Chua. Another student, Kumudhini, said, “I am currently in the clinical service and would like to venture into the administration of healthcare services. IMU having a MBA specialising in Healthcare Management was precisely what I was looking for.” Students have the opportunity to can earn your degree MBAHM in 15 months! But if they find this too demanding, students can always have the option to stretch it to 2 years 3 months or 27 months. Designed to suit working adults, classes are offered mostly during weekends and occasionally after office hours.
Amongst our students who are medical doctors and specialists who are often on-call, or also are corporate staff and lecturers. These students can organise their time to have more flexibility in ensuring good attendance. Those who live outside Kuala Lumpur and find it logistically difficult to attend classes in our main campus in KL or are subjected to outstation duty can still find avenues to join the classes online in real-time.
To’ Puan Safurah adds, “It was exciting to start our classes on 9 and 10 March. We want to give the best possible learning and sharing experience to both our students and also to our lecturers. We trust that the student-mix of this first group will yield valuable exchanges and networking enriching their scholarship and industrial experiences here at IMU.” Related article: Getting Serious Into The Business Programme – To’ Puan Dr Safurah Bt Ja’afar, Associate Professor and Programme Director of MBA in Healthcare Management, International Medical University shares a few tips on how to find the right momentum in your MBA studies.
