Goh Yan Hun has always had a keen interest towards the subject of Biology in secondary school. He was always intrigued in learning the various ways on how the body functions. Thus, over time, he knew he was inclining towards a future career in healthcare or any biology related career. This prompted his decision to study Foundation in Science at IMU. It was during his Foundation in Science (FiS) studies when he first heard about the University’s Chiropractic programme and that is when his Chiropractic journey first begun. Yan Hun shares about his journey to where he is now in an interview via email. “When I first heard about the Chiropractic programme in IMU, I did some research on it, and found great interest in the idea of Chiropractic and the fact that it is not a profession that was too common at that time, so I decided to enrol into the programme.”
What are your most memorable moments at IMU?
During my time in IMU, there were many events throughout which has been memorable and influential to who I am today. On the top of the list was meeting life-long friends and people that made university life an unforgettable experience. I was very lucky to have met my group of friends who were very supportive regardless of race and religion! I have also met various like-minded and dedicated friends throughout different semesters of the Chiropractic programme. We came together as a group to practice and improve our knowledge and technique skills several times every week on top of our academic classes and subjects.
Amongst the events that gave me one of the best memories, was definitely the IMU Cup sports events. I joined the IMU Cup events since my first year in IMU, when I was still enrolled in the FiS programme. People often mistaken medical/healthcare students as dull and boring geeks, but I can assure you, that’s not the case! The IMU cup events were instrumental in introducing me to many people that I knew in IMU back in the day. I participated in various types of different sports ranging from football, track and field and even powerlifting! These were the people whom I trained together with and had shared many victories together with. One of the events that will always be dear to me, would definitely be winning the IMU Cup Football tournament with House Draco for four years in a row! Another monumental event was joining the IMU Powerlifting competition and winning it. Ever since then, I have been incorporating Powerlifting into my fitness routine, and it has helped me develop not just physically, but mentally as well. All in all, the IMU cup events has taught me many valuable life lessons and I would encourage every student in IMU to partake in at least once! Due to the fact that the community in IMU is relatively small, people tend to know each other, even people from various different courses such as Medicine, Dentistry, Chiropractic, Nutrition and Dietetics and many others. This has allowed me to make friends with future healthcare professionals from other professions. This opens up a variety of opportunities for an integrated healthcare approach to a patient’s health which I think plays an important part in our healthcare industry.
| How has studying FIS helped you in your undergraduate studies? |
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| FIS has really prepared me well for my undergraduate studies. The FIS programme incorporated a lot of basic sciences, mainly biology and chemistry which helped prepare me tremendously during my first few semesters in undergraduate studies.Another advantage of being enrolled into the Foundation in Science programme in IMU is that I was very well adapted and used to the community and IMU culture when entering my undergraduate programme. I was comfortable with the way the system works and I have also made many friends from various activities and thus allows a smooth transitioning from the FiS into the undergraduate programme. |
| What valuable lessons have you learnt from the IMU programmes that are with you until now? |
| The Foundation in Science programme and Chiropractic programme have incorporated a lot of teamwork as part of the in-course assessment projects, which allows us to learn how to function as a team player in group projects. This is particularly important as when we start our careers, we are often involved in a company with a team. It is important to know how to contribute and take account for the responsibility that has been given.The fact that we are in a university with several other healthcare profession allows us to learn more about other healthcare professions which then helps us understand a multi-faceted and integrated approach towards a patient’s health issue. By this, we would soon hope to build a healthcare industry that is well suited to various aspects of a patient’s health in the future. |
Who inspires you?
I have to say, there were a few key people who inspired me throughout my journey as a Chiropractic student. But If I had to pick one, it would most definitely be the renowned Australian Chiropractor, Dr Ian Rossborough. Dr Ian has been my biggest inspiration since the first year of my Chiropractic journey. I first came across Dr Ian’s videos through YouTube, which were nothing short of amazing as he provided awe-inspiring Chiropractic care that changed the lives of his patients as a measure to increase the awareness of the Chiropractic profession. It was truly an honour to finally meet him when I went over to Australia for a seminar. When the journey was tough and met with challenges, I would look up to this man as an example and see the changes that a Chiropractor is capable to do in improving the lives of the people who needed care. This has inspired and motivated be to keep going when I meet several challenges across my journey.
| What is your motivation? |
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| My biggest motivation would have to be simply, the wellbeing of my patients. I am 100% dedicated and committed in providing the best care as I possibly can. To find fulfilment in being able to make a difference in the quality of life of those in need, is truly a blessing. The ability to be able to provide a solution and restore hope to patients with debilitating conditions is something that motivates me to wake up every day to be the best healthcare provider I can be for my patients. Ultimately, it is the change that I as a Chiropractor can bring into someone’s life that motivates me daily. As the famous quote says, “the only way to do great work, is to love what you do”. I truly believe in this quote and I do love my work as a Chiropractor. |
When did you graduate?
I graduated in 2019, and I had 6 months of waiting period before my convocation. During this period, there was a lot of time that I had to be invested in improving myself. I have always believed that you can never be over prepared for anything. For starters, I attended several seminars to improve my skills and knowledge as a Chiropractor. That includes seminars being held in Malaysia and in Australia which have greatly improved my technique and diagnostic skills. I also spent countless nights practicing my technique and skills with my colleagues from various semesters from university. As one of my mentors once told me, Chiropractic is a life-long journey of learning and getting better, to no end. You don’t get chiropractic, you just get better at it!
Where are you working now?
I am currently practicing at Aligned Chiropractic, which is located at the Boulevard, Mid Valley. I have been practicing at Aligned for almost a year now. And during this short period of time, I have grown tremendously by learning from each of my patients and their cases. I would also like to give credit to a wonderful support system that I would proudly call, my team. The Aligned team were always so willingly helpful with each other when we had difficulties and challenges that we learnt to overcome together. I am loving the work culture in this clinic as we treat each other as an equal and a team-mate regardless of experience and background.
| What is a typical work-day for you? |
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| My working hours are usually 4-5 hours per day, and I work 6 days a week including weekends. A typical day would involve me encountering patients with various issues such as the typical back pain, neck pain, migraines/headaches, sciatica, numbness, tinnitus (ringing in the ear) and dizziness. Every single patient that comes in would be thoroughly examined with a detailed history taking and physical examination to determine the root cause of the issue. Some cases are more challenging than others, but are all important, nonetheless. Once the root cause of the issue is identified, the patient then gets an in-depth explanation on the cause of the issue, the solution to it, and preventive measures. The corrective adjustment is then delivered to the issue located along the spine with hands and a controlled amount of pressure. A big part of the Chiropractic service that we provide is education. I believe education is the key in elevating the Chiropractic experience of all my patients and to increase awareness on how a better quality of life is very achievable. |
What are your future plans?
My ultimate goal has always been the same since I have embarked on this journey. Since Chiropractic is considered in a stage of infancy in Malaysia, it would undeniably experience some growth and changes in the next few years, and I would like to be a part of that growth and contribute to it. I would like the general public to be more informed on exactly how Chiropractic care is beneficial and can be a solution to their health problems. Many people are unaware on how and where they can seek help for their health issues, and Chiropractic may provide an answer to some of them. Hence, I believe in educating every single patient of mine regarding what we do, so that they can go out there and educate more people and eventually, more people are able to be helped with Chiropractic. I would like to see Chiropractic being propelled as one of the major healthcare providers in Malaysia.
We would like to thank Yan Hun for taking the time for this interview and wish him all the best in his future undertakings.
