Pharmacy is a profession that is an integral part of the healthcare system and for one to be a qualified and registered pharmacist, one must graduate with a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy.
As someone who aspires to be a pharmacist, I, Chow Wai Hoong (Eunice) – in the photo below, decided to pursue my degree at the International Medical University (IMU), which offers Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) (Hons) (IMU) with a very unique curriculum that comprises of modules from basic medical sciences, statistics, pharmacology, and pharmacy practices to business management and pharmacy laws.
I am truly grateful to be an alumna of the IMU School of Pharmacy as the curriculum had equipped me with the essential knowledge and skills to practise as a pharmacist. I am currently a registered community pharmacist, working in one of the largest chain of pharmacies in Malaysia, Caring Pharmacy .
| Why do I choose IMU to pursue my study and fulfil my dream as a pharmacist? |
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| The BPharm (Hons) curriculum has opportunities for the students to explore all the three areas (the community, hospital, and pharmaceutical industry) through its mandatory placement opportunities during the 4th year of the study, for a total duration of 2 months. In addition, the students can also avail themselves to the opportunity to explore the sector that they are interested in, up to a period of two months, in their elective module. There are also more opportunities for students as the updated curriculum for 2022 onwards also include experiential learning opportunities right from the early semesters and more placement opportunities. |
During my studies, the Clinical Pharmacy II module in the Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons) programme provided me with the platform to gain hands-on experience in the community pharmacy setting.
With the acquittance gained during my study at IMU, I can communicate effectively and confidently with my customers by understanding their health conditions clearly, and not merely dispensing medication according to the prescription. One said: “Practise makes Perfect”, the real-life community pharmacy experience given by the IMU BPharm (Hons) programme has shaped me to be an all-rounded pharmacist. It was this placement that made me decide to become a community pharmacist as I was inspired when I see the committed service given by my preceptor to the community during my final year placement. It is my pride to serve the community with the knowledge I gained during the 4 years of study at IMU. Educating the community on how to maintain their well-being by proper use of medicines and supplements for the related conditions is always my responsibility and I am also trained to give comprehensive medication counselling to patients too. Furthermore, as a community pharmacist, it is imperative to know about the management of the pharmacy business. I am fortunate that the BPharm (Hons) curriculum in IMU does provide its students with business management skills through a dedicated module. I had the opportunity to learn about setting up a community pharmacy business and its management while I was pursuing my BPharm (Hons) course at IMU. In conclusion, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the School of Pharmacy, IMU for all its guidance and support throughout my journey of becoming a successful community pharmacist.
Chow Wai Hoong (Eunice) is from the BP116 cohort, starting her studies at IMU in 2016 and completing her studies in 2020. Her graduation was held on 14 December 2021 due to the restrictions from the Covid-19 pandemic.
