Everyone is ruled by habits and we are comfortable in doing things the same old way. It is definitely hard to break out of this comfort zone and pushing beyond these boundaries may take some time and practice, but the rewards will be worth it. This is especially so when you try to achieve your career and life goals.
Someone who has gone beyond her comfort zone and has done something out of the norm is Amiera Mat Aziz, one of the few non-Chinese students at the International Medical University (IMU) who is studying Chinese Medicine. She decided to embark on this journey at the University in 2014 and is currently in her seventh semester. This is miles away from the norm.
So why did Amiera decided to study Chinese Medicine? She decided to study Chinese Medicine because of her exposure towards alternative medicine since childhood. She believes that Chinese Medicine is effective in restoring and maintaining our body. She also believes that a combination of western medicine and Chinese medicine will enhance healing process and maybe can cure non-treatable and new disease. 
Amiera revealed that her decision to study at the University is based on the fact that IMU could provide her with more opportunities to engage with students from different healthcare professions. Besides that, the main medium of instruction at the University is English (even for the Chinese Medicine programme) and there is an opportunity for students to credit transfer to Melbourne. As part of the requirement for the programme, Amiera needed to learn Mandarin in IMU during her first semester. To her, learning Mandarin is very hard as she had no exposure to the language at all. However, after learning it, she realised that it’s helping with her studies especially when she is studying acupuncture, classic books and herbal formula. In addition to that, she also thinks that it’s an advantage to have Mandarin as her third language. In terms of skills, Amiera believes that the University enhanced her clinical skills and soft skills in a study environment that is comfortable and conducive for the student. Additionally, IMU provides students with lots of hands-on practice and engagement with other Chinese Medicine students from different universities in Malaysia and China. Amiera is most appreciative of the assistance and support extended to her by all IMU staff especially the Chinese Medicine lecturers. They are always available for the students and are willing to answer any question students may have regardless of the time. In the future, Amiera hopes to transfer to RMIT, Melbourne for completion of her degree. She then plans to work as Chinese Medicine Physician for a few years to gain experience in clinical practice before furthering my studies.
All of us at IMU wishes Amiera all the best in her future undertakings!
