A Journey Through Time at an Alumni Sharing Session

On 25 July 2023, the International Medical University (IMU) hosted its Psychology Day. One particularly inspiring highlight of the day was ‘The Alumni Sharing’ session, where esteemed graduates returned to their alma mater to share their experiences with current students. The Alumni Sharing commenced with eager anticipation and excitement, filled with enthusiasm and passion. This session offered students a valuable opportunity to gain insights into various psychology careers and sparked their excitement, which will certainly have an impact on their future as practising psychologists.

On this particular day, the auditorium buzzed with anticipation as students, faculty members, and alumni gathered with eager expressions. They were all keen to listen to the stories of those who had once walked the same halls they now tread but had subsequently embarked on exciting journeys in the expansive field of psychology.

Sharing by Shamir Das

Shamir Das, an alumnus since Foundation in Science to a graduate in BSc (Hons) Psychology, IMU, is a mental health enthusiast and a humanitarian employee working at International Rescue Committee, a US based company. The moto of the organisation is to respond to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and help people to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Shamir shared his previous work experience at Health Equity Initiatives, a community-based organisation committed to promoting and protecting the right to health of marginalised communities. Shamir’s core duty is to recognise the presence of trauma symptoms and acknowledge the role trauma may play in an individual’s life.

Shamir also shared the outcomes of his research study at a local conference with the topic entitled “An Understanding of Psychological Challenges Faced by Student Athletes and How They Manage”. He also managed to publish a manuscript in The Malaysian Journal of Qualitative Research. Not only was he a high-achieving academic, but he also excelled as a remarkable badminton player. He ended his session with a question to ponder, “What does Psychology mean TO YOU?’

The talk concluded with current students posing a series of questions to Shamir, intrigued by his remarkable diversity in providing mental health services, having research expertise, engaging in sports, and pursuing emceeing as a part-time passion.

He said, “I had the most nostalgic trip down memory lane at International Medical University with the IMU Psychology Day 2023 hosted by IMU Psychology Club and the Department of Psychology. Thank you for having me to share my work experience and how IMU specifically Psychology Department has played a role in my life”.

Sharing by Kerk Qian Wei

An alumna of the psychology programme, Kerk Qian Wei completed her BSc (Hons) Psychology and Master of Counseling at IMU and is now working at Tzu Chi International School as a counselor. In her sharing, “A Journey from Sowing to Reaping,” she compared her experiences to the growth of a seedling into a tree.

Sowing is when she embarked into BSc (Hons) Psychology programme at IMU. She proclaimed herself as a gardener planting the seed of passion in the garden of IMU. In the growing phase, she shared about her challenges, resources that assisted her journey, asserted that she built her inner strength by grabbing opportunities that came her way by using her potential capabilities such as leading the team to a Hospital Bahagia visit. In the reaping phase, she developed her own profile and narrowed down her passion in pursuing Master of Counseling, where she graduated in June 2023. She also broadens her networking skills in order to transfer knowledge and experiences of others for lifelong learning. She ends by posting a question to the audience “What seed are you aspiring to sow?”

Both alumni thanked the Psychology Department lecturers for nurturing them with knowledge, care and essential skills that are needed to succeed in their careers. The alumni sharing empowered the confidence of our current students, in the hopes that they will take a similar path to serve the community as a psychologist as well as to make a solid living.