2 April 2016 – In conjunction with the International Biomedical Laboratory Medical Science Day, a one-day event – 3rd National Biomedical Science Gathering was held at the TJ Danaraj Auditorium at the Faculty of Medicine in Universiti Malaya (UM), where around 100 future biomedical scientists from around the country get together for a day to meet and share their latest endeavours in the field. One of the IMU Biomedical Science student, Natasha Nabila Mohammed Shoaib, was very excited to have the opportunity to be one of the participants of this Gathering. The event commenced early in the morning; Biomedical Science students from several private and public universities came as early as 8 am for registration and breakfast. They were then led to the auditorium where the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, UM gave her welcoming speech as well as for the official launching of the event. This was followed by several performances by UM students and a brief ice-breaking session, where the participants were separated into groups, before proceeding to the games. Booths were also set up by the main sponsors of the event as well as by the UM students themselves.
Speaking enthusiastically about the Gathering, Natasha said, “It wasn’t all play all day; the fun was put on hold as a short but very informative talk was delivered by a representative from the Malaysian Institute of Medical Laboratory Sciences, or MIMLS for short, explaining to the participants about their future career and everything they need to know and expect in the work field. The speaker, who was, in fact, the president of the organisation, gave a brief history about how the society came about and also shared his own personal experiences with the participants.” Additionally, one of the main sponsors of the event called BioMedKL sent a representative to speak to the participants about the possible career pathways after graduation, particularly in the sales and marketing field. A Q&A session was also carried out, where participants were given the chance to voice out their doubts and opinions on the matters discussed.
“It was truly an eye-opener for me and most of the other participants, as we found out that a Biomedical Science career could go beyond laboratories and lecture halls. It definitely made our future a bit clearer and brighter for all of us.”
After all the seriousness, the fun resumed when the participants were quizzed on their knowledge in the field. This was a great way for all the participants to share their knowledge and show off their skills to one another, as the quiz was fast-paced and tough with technical questions asked. Then, the event finally came to an end in the evening. And by this time, many new friendships were made and a lot of useful information was gained.
“In a nutshell, the event was a huge success and each and every one of the participants and the organising committee went home with a smile. It was definitely a good way to build long-lasting relationships with fellow biomedical scientists, as latest news and achievements could be shared seamlessly among them. It was also a good way to refine and strengthen communication and critical thinking skills, as well as to widen the perspective on the ever-evolving biomedical science field.”
