IMU Medical Alumnus, Ng Ka Ting, had the opportunity to be involved in a study that measures the isoflurane concentration in coronary sinus blood. This project won the Anaesthesia Student Essay Prize from the Royal Society of Medicine (Annual Anaesthesia Section Meeting) on 3 June 2016. The anaesthesia project had been accepted for oral presentation in many conferences, such as Edinburgh and East of Scotland Society of Anaesthetists’ Member Night, EACTA Annual Congress 2016, Royal Society of Medicine Anaesthesia Meeting and World Congress of Anaesthesiology.
“I was fortunate to have Dr Peter Alston as my Year 4 project’s supervisor, who was really thoughtful about my financial situation. He used his grant’s funding to fully support my attendance to those conferences in order to maximise my learning opportunities.”
Speaking on his experience presenting at the European Association of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiology Annual Congress at Basel, Switzerland, Ka Ting said, “It was an amazing and meaningful experience to give an oral presentation in front of all cardiothoracic anaesthetists at the European Association of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiology (EACTA) Annual Congress 2016 in Basel, Switzerland. I was grateful to be invited by my consultant, Dr Peter Alston to socialise with all the participants for a cruise dinner. I made so many contacts and got to know all the famous authors that I cited for my research paper.” “Nevertheless, I have developed confidence to deliver the presentation in a big auditorium and was able to handle questions from audience precisely and calmly. My consultant was really supportive and was with me during my presentations. He expressed his kindness to help me out if there are any hard questions that I can’t handle.”
“Initially, I felt quite pressured and inferior as I was the youngest speaker among them with limited knowledge regarding anaesthesiology. However, perseverance and practice did help me to appreciate the clinical significance of my research project in delivering the oral presentation”
A JPA-sponsored student from humble beginnings, Ka Ting started studying for his medical degree at IMU and transferred to University of Edinburgh, UK for the completion of his degree. He is currently a fifth year medical student at University of Edinburgh.
“Studying in Edinburgh is fun and exciting where clinical and research opportunities are everywhere. Consultants, lecturers and friends are really helpful and keen to lend a hand if you need help. Being able to balance up the commitment of academic and research along with my personal life is essential in contributing to my learning curve in University of Edinburgh.” “I enjoyed mixing with all my friends (Clare, Deep, Ian, Abhi, Cecilia and others) who taught me valuable communication skills and shared their opinions to assist my learning process. The fun of playing golf or curry night with them in Edinburgh was memorable to me.” Having chosen University of Edinburgh as the university to transfer to, upon the guidance of his IMU mentor, Dr Sow Chew Fei, Ka Ting said, “Good academic teachings, kind clinical patients, peer tutoring our Malaysian juniors, golf skills, and of course travelling around Scotland gave me many memorable moments at University of Edinburgh. While at IMU, it was mainly the great support system, SRC election and IMU Cup (basketball, volleyball, table tennis, Frisbee, cheerleading)”
His mentor, Dr Sow, said, “I am honoured and proud of Ka Ting, who has been one of our finest, most well-rounded undergraduates. He is a self-motivated, tenacious, responsible student and always cheerful, which bring smiles to the people around him. He is a valuable asset to any organisation as I have no hesitation he will measure up to the expected standard!”
Ka Ting feels that IMU has prepared its students very well for transition to their partner medical school, including University of Edinburgh. “A strong foundation of core knowledge among IMU students allows them to apply the knowledge on to real patients during their clinical years in Edinburgh. However, you will experience a new set of communication skills from the University of Edinburgh to approach your future patients by expressing empathy and respect. It is of clinical significance to exhibit the quality of doctors being caring and listening to patients.” 
During his studies in the UK, Ka Ting was awarded a scholarship to work in one of the most prestigious research lab, the Queen Margaret Research Institute to investigate on the role of hepatic stellate cells β8 integrin in liver cirrhosis.
His advice to students aspiring to be doctors is “Studying is a process for us to enjoy but not to follow strictly. Perseverance and strong determination play an important role in achieving our goal. Failure is learning process, whilst success marks a victory of learning process. Hence, keep learning and never give up until you nail it.” Ng Ka Ting returned to the University to give a talk on his research to our students at the Seremban Clinical School.View the photos here.
