IMU Medical student, Shivadeva Selvamani has been awarded the Participation, Engagement, Advisory, Leadership (P.E.A.r.L) award in the class of ME219. He has always followed the path of consistency, efficiency, and pure hard work throughout his whole journey at IMU. Academically, he has constantly displayed exceptional results in his exams, alongside evident critical thinking competency when it came to case discussions. He has been awarded the IMU scholarship for Medicine back in 2019 and has successfully transformed that into his motivation to continue dedicating himself to strive for utmost excellence.
Being recently appointed the University Ambassador for Malaysian Medics International (MMI), he is also very engaged in various co-curricular activities, both internally and externally. To date, he has participated in over 20 activities/projects.
As one of the most outgoing individuals in his class, he is one who still maintains care and empathy towards his peers. He is well known as someone who motivates the people around him to push beyond their limits and aspire to be better versions of themselves. He is seen to go around different groups of friends and sharing his knowledge regarding OSCE examinations; simulating a tutor-like role. A quote from his friend reads “one of the most commendable personalities that Shiva has is his charismatic yet empathetic attitude that never fails to make people around him feel comfortable and needed”.
Receiving the Award
About the Award
The PEArL award stands for Participation, Engagement, Advisory and Leadership. It is awarded to only one student in the cohort graduating with the Certificate of Completion for Part 1 (pre-clinical phase) of the Medical Programme. This book prize award is recently introduced under the newly implemented “Enhancement of Personal and Professional Development (EPPD)” programme. One of the few objectives of this programme is to identify students who demonstrate extraordinary engagement and performance in both academics and extra-curricular activities. In Medicine, juggling between outstanding academic achievements and active participation in both university and external projects is a feat worthy of commendation. The selection of the award recipient depends on the highest score attained based on a “Point Achievement System”, in which 8 aspects are covered.
Shivadeva Selvamani (front row) with his friends at the IMU Bukit Jalil campus
Journey in IMU Bukit Jalil
As I am recalling the nostalgic times on campus, I can feel a rush of mixed emotions down my spine. Looking back at the times I spent in IMU Bukit Jalil (IMU BJ), it was indeed a roller coaster ride for me. Academically, I would say that everything was smooth sailing as the lecturers were extremely helpful whenever there are moments of doubts. I personally appreciate every single lecture as I understand how difficult it is to convey knowledge to fellow students, especially during the trying times of the COVID pandemic.
Apart from that, just like everyone else, I too had my fair share of personal struggles.
With that in mind, I am very glad that I had a strong support system, consisting of my mentors and friends. All the friends that I have made in IMU BJ are nothing less than amazing. People always refer friendships with the common saying which states that you don’t need a library full of books, instead you only need a few good quality books. For me, it was rather different because I can confidently say I do have a library filled with wonderful books.
Take Home Message
The secret formula behind finding the right balance between academic studies and extra-curricular activities is nothing else but efficient time management. The first step is by setting a goal and dedicating that goal to both yourself and your loved ones. By placing such a heavy responsibility on myself, I realized that I have been constantly overcoming procrastination. This is because of the thought of always wanting to make everyone around me proud of what I am bound to become. Once you have gotten that down, start your time management journey by planning mini schedules for your daily tasks so that you will not fall behind classes. In connection with all of that, the most crucial factor is to start early; be ahead of your lectures.
Ultimately, I am truly delighted with IMU for setting up such a conducive environment on campus. Being very medically oriented in its programmes, it further pushes me to connect with others who share the same mentality and pathway. That particular fact is already convincing enough for anyone out there who are still on the fence for university selection. If you aspire to be in a healthcare setting in the future, IMU is the place for you.
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