Yeo Wei Yan has always wanted to be a pharmacist since she was young. Her dreams came true when she was offered a scholarship to study pharmacy at the International Medical University (IMU). She recalls how excited she was to receive this scholarship and her experience studying in IMU. “On June 2011, when I received a phone call from Ms Jacinta informing me that I was offered the IMU Bachelor of Pharmacy scholarship, I was totally overwhelmed by the good news. If Ms Jacinta had not enlightened me about the IMU scholarship to pursue my degree in their campus, I would have dreaded to think even the slightest bit of what would have happened to me. 
The profession of pharmacy has long played a pivotal role in my life as it is my very own dream to be able to go through the tumultuous journey in the pharmaceutical line.
I believe that passion is the main factor that drives me to the pharmaceutical field today. I had fallen in love with medicine since I was a little kid as I was curious on how medications can heal me. I was amazed that a small Panadol® tablet can actually mitigate a fever once consumed by a sick person, a small cup of black syrup can ease a bad cough and even a minimal amount of iodine can disinfect a wound. These magnificent effects of medications which helped to improve humans’ lives had certainly intrigued me. Since then, I had known that the one and only one passion that resides within me is the love for the study of medicinal substances and their application for therapeutic uses. Upon being granted the scholarship by IMU, I was able to pursue what I have truly longed for, pharmacy. A new chapter had begun in my life. As I walked a distant memory four years ago, my life in IMU started as a freshman, with little, if not no, knowledge about medicine. As I stood at the entrance on the day of orientation, the large IMU sign perched at the top of the building, gleaming proudly as if to drive in the point that IMU is one of the most established universities in Malaysia that specialises in health sciences.
At this point, a sudden realisation ran into my mind, I was an IMU scholar. I dwelled on the fact that it is not easy to be awarded such a scholarship and thus, I was determined to prove that I was a worthy recipient of the scholarship and in order to do so, I vowed to excel in whatever I do during my journey in IMU.
Throughout my four-year experience in IMU, I had met many individuals, each with their own unique characteristics and abilities, ranging from lecturers, coordinators to students.
The lecturers here are dedicated as they put their best foot forward in imparting knowledge to students who are hungry for academic success. They are true in their teachings and certainly want to help students to rise through the ranks in the very best way possible. They are not greedy folks who take the teaching profession as a cash cow. If it was not for these wonderful people, I would not have been who I am today.
As for my fellow friends, acknowledging them as incredible is simply an understatement. They were always there for me to brave through the ups and downs during the gruelling four-year journey in IMU. These individuals would share and cherish any wonderful moments together when sunshine brightened our days. However, when things did not run smoothly, they did not abandon me but instead they patted me on the back and gave me encouragement to persevere and not to give up. I truly appreciate their uncountable motivation to me. Indeed, true friends are the ones who walk into your life when the rest of the world walks out. 
As an IMU scholar, I had participated in countless activities. Activities such as the Scholars’ High Tea, the Faculty Appreciation week as well as the Inter-professional forum certainly helped to foster camaraderie among the IMU scholars. The IMU scholar committee is indeed a large family and I realised that each and every one member of the group is special in their own ways. I really treasure the bond and kinship that were formed between us and will definitely not forget all the memories that were forged throughout these four years of my studies in IMU. Not only that, these activities also served as a platform to build many valuable skills and I had inculcated many values such as teamwork, leadership and others through all the activities that were organised by us – the IMU scholars together. I strongly believed that these values are of paramount importance to be an all-rounder.
It is definitely above par to be a person who excels in academics, but it is certainly better to pursue a holistic approach and be a versatile person who has multiple skills. Therefore, these values that I have learnt will serve as a stepping stone for me to embark in a more challenging future ahead.
The pharmacy programme is an enticing programme. During lectures, the basics and theory of pharmacology were the most intriguing. I was also exposed to many clinical knowledge and experience from OSCE and hospital posting. Both OSCE and hospital posting gave me an insight of how to become a successful pharmacist in the future. What mesmerised me the most is the clinical side of the Pharmacy programme in IMU. On top of that, IMU ensures that young undergraduate pharmacy students obtain the necessary exposure to the pharmaceutical and retail pharmacy settings. We, as students had industry visits to pharmaceutical companies whereby we garnered exposure to the process of drug manufacturing. In addition, we also got a chance to be in a retail pharmacy to understand the life of a retail pharmacist better, whether it is the adversities they have to face or the perks they will be blessed as they walk into the journey of pharmaceutical lines. 
I am grateful and honoured to be awarded this scholarship. It is the unconditional support from my parents, lecturers and friends that has brought me this far today. They were really helpful and I appreciate the concerns that they showered me with throughout this four years of study. Upon graduation, I am now one step closer to fulfilling their aspirations as well as achieving my dream which is to become a distinguished pharmacist in the near future”. Related stories: Scholarships Stories
