Medical Biotechnology (MB) Alumni Continue their Pursuit of MB at Postgraduate Level

An alumnus of the International Medical University (IMU) Medical Biotechnology (MB) programme, Nithiya a/p Sinnathamby is currently in her first year enrolled in Master in Biotechnology with Business Management at University College Sedaya International (UCSI) under Faculty of Applied Sciences and Department of Biotechnology. She started at IMU in 2010 and graduated in 2013. In this piece, she shares her experiences at IMU with us.

“One of the best learning experiences that I have encountered at MB IMU is that the fascinating class trips to Biotechnology based companies during last few semesters. Not only did we strengthen our bond with our wonderful lecturers, but we also got to learn about the job opportunities and upcoming areas in Medical Biotechnology. Through the trips, I got to prepare myself to face the working world after graduating. Besides that, the job interview at the end of the semester by the respectable IMU lecturers also gave me an overview/rough idea of what I will be facing during future job interviews.”

“The lecturers of this programme are very helpful and understanding. They have always been there to guide me along my entire studies at IMU. I also have amazing course mates who made me feel like IMU was a second home to me. They always gave me a helping hand whenever I faced any problems or challenges.” “As a student, I have always wanted to learn something new and come across interesting ideas/knowledge during my entire study journey. As a field that is progressing very rapid lately, there is lot more to discover and learn in Medical Biotechnology. Right from creating potential cure, medicines, medical devices and other new massive discoveries, I feel that this field is always coming up with new ideas and contribution to an individual, society, and country. Besides that, as compared to other courses, I feel that this course provides more job opportunities once they have graduated. They get to work as researchers, in medical diagnosis field, laboratory technologist and many others. While, on the other hand, for those who have interest in business field, they get to apply for sales specialist job at pharmaceutical and medical appliances companies.” “The reason I chose MB at IMU is mainly because I feel that that IMU is a very well-known university for its outstanding facilities and learning environment. The classrooms, auditoriums, and laboratories are well equipped with amazing features. Besides, IMU is the only university offering Biotechnology course concentrated on Medical line. Many new discoveries have been or are currently progressing in this field. So, I feel that I get to learn more in this course at IMU. Moreover, IMU is quite near to my hometown at Seremban. The LRT train station located at walking distance from IMU makes it even convenient for me to get back home every weekend. The accommodation for students are also very nearby to the university.” Another member of our alumni, Lim Wui Zhuan, is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in computational and theoretical chemistry at Universiti Putra Malaysia. He is working on protein dynamics, deciphering the unfolding mechanism of L1 Lipase using computational methods, including molecular dynamics simulation and quantum mechanics calculation. “This enzyme is important for industrial catalysis as it is unlikely to degrade under extreme temperature condition, compared to the mesophilic types. By applying in silico studies, it saves cost compared to wet lab experiments, and we would like to study its thermodynamics under high pressure to gain more atomic insights.”

“I like the Medical Biotechnology course in IMU especially when we had the opportunity to improve our lab skills, and solve things independently. I used to be a very passive person in the past, but the experience working in research lab definitely helped me a lot in terms of understanding, thinking, even my confidence as well. The lecturers and mentors were helpful too.”