An industry forum associated with the Medical Biotechnology (MB) module of Communication Skills and Etiquette was held on 9 September 2021, with invited guests Cheow Yi Ann, an IMU Medical Biotechnology alumna who graduated in 2017 and Koo Siew Ling.
| The theme of this forum ‘Pandemic and Post-Pandemic Interpersonal Skills in Workplace, aimed to: |
|---|
| – to emphasise on the importance of interpersonal skills |
| – to help students understand the shift of interpersonal skills pre- and post- pandemic. |
All MB students were invited, with MB119 students as compulsory attendance as it is under the module of Communication Skills and Etiquette. Students from other programmes also participated in this forum too. The event started with a warm welcome to all guest speakers and participants by Prof BY Chin, Associate Dean for Research & External Affairs, School of Health Sciences. The first speaker was Cheow Yi Ann. As a young graduate, she is enthusiastic in research and development. She worked as a research assistant at School of Medicine, Monash University Malaysia to gain experiences in research and prepare her for further studies. Currently, she is a master student by research and a research assistant at the Faculty of Dentistry, National University of Singapore (NUS). The other speaker was Koo Siew Ling, who is currently the Senior Commercial Manager from Fisher Scientific (M) Sdn Bhd. Prior to join Fisher Scientific (M) Sdn Bhd, which is in Malaysia, she held the position as senior business development manager in Fisher Scientific Singapore. Ms Koo has more than 20 years of experience in Business Development in both Singapore and Malaysia especially in managing sale teams, support and business development and marketing for the organisation. The speakers were very friendly and offered good advice on interpersonal skills and personal experiences encountered during this pandemic, which students benefited from. Ms Cheow shared good learning points for students, specifically for those who are interested to pursue further in the research and development field. Ms Koo has also shared a lot of practical experiences in the aspect of interpersonal skills.
| What the Students Say About the Industry Forum | |
|---|---|
| Seow Ke Sin | I feel the workshop was very informative and it had benefited me as a final year student who is going to graduate soon to prepare myself for the workplace in future. I enjoyed the workshop to the fullest as both speakers are very experienced in sharing their respective field of work. The sharing from Ms Koo had well prepared me for the industry and we understood the skills that must be acquired by a fresh graduate before we step into the industry. On the other hand, the sharing from the MB alumna provided us a better picture on the working etiquettes as a research assistant in a university setting. Besides, she also shared some of the tactics on time management which I think is essential for everyone not only as a student but also an employee. In general, the industry forum has provided me a general overview of the pandemic and post-pandemic interpersonal skills in the workplace. I am grateful for the opportunity given for attending such an interesting forum. |
| Dashwin Kumaran | By joining the industry forum, I had the chance to clear my doubts on certain questions that were answered from a trusted group of experts who have already faced these sets of challenges. The forum benefitted me as I met people with inspiring ideas that can make a real difference in the biotechnology industry. The forum has taught me to be passionate about ideas that were shared. I truly learned and gained adequate knowledge on the topics that were discussed. |
| Loong Ka Hui | I think the overall sharing session was good. After the workshop, I have more understanding towards what it takes to work in a sales environment or in research in a university. In addition, the experience shared by International Medical University (IMU) alumna was valuable and provide an insight on the sort of preparation that is needed as well as tips to cope with the environment. All in all, the session was worthwhile and good. |
| Tan Yung Cheng | This industry forum which was held on 9 September helped me a lot in preparing myself before stepping into the working environment. Plenty of experience has been shared by the amazing and experienced speakers. Some wise advice were given which helped me to stay positive and enthusiastic towards a whole new chapter of my life in the future. I appreciate that all the speakers took the time to share their experience with us and appreciate the MB faculty for arranging this amazing workshop to prepared us before stepping into the competitive working environment. |
| Chee Chun Onn | The industry forum was informative and provided information about future career paths. |
Written by A/Prof Ivy Wong Nyet Kui
