The full accreditation visit for IMU‘s Postgraduate Certificate in Health Informatics and Analytics (PGCHIA) took place end of February 2022, and the full accreditation visit for IMU’s Master in Health Informatics and Analytics (MHIA) has taken place early July 2022. Both programmes had been launched on 6 September 2021.
MHIA is a 40-credit and 2 semester programme, offered in three levels (Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma and Master), and allows for multiple exit from the programme. Students will enrol into the Masters programme but they can exit at the Postgraduate Certificate (after 1 semester) and Postgraduate Diploma (after 1.5 semesters) levels.
Classes are delivered mostly on weekends, both online and face-to-face if the Malaysian Covid situation allows it, otherwise it would be 100% online as was the case of the first intake. Students can choose to complete all modules of the Master programme within 1 year as full-time students, or within a maximum period of 6 years as part-time students.
IMU’s Master in Health Informatics and Analytics programme provides the perfect pathway for recent graduates or professionals from various areas who intend to move their career into this area of the healthcare sector. This is also an ideal programme for current health and social care practitioners who are looking to gain additional knowledge and skills in digital innovation.
It prepares graduates for a range of careers in the healthcare sector across various settings where health improvement is sought, enhanced by technology. This includes health related industries in the private sector as well as ministries and departments in the public sector. The programme will also lead on to opportunities for further studies (PhD).
The programme is delivered by a multidisciplinary team of experts in computing, artificial intelligence, health informatics and health related disciplines. Students learn about state-of-the-art technologies and systems, related to Digital Health and Health Informatics.
The success of the programme is due to the quality and commitment of IMU staff involved in its delivery, but also to the collaboration with industry partners, such as Doc2Us, Fusionex, HealthMetrics, Medic Footprints Malaysia and Imperial Medical Solutions (UK).
The first intake has welcomed 15 students, with 6 medical officers, 6 students with a background in bioengineering or biomedical sciences, and 3 start-up managers. Four students are currently finishing the MHIA programme full time with the 20 week research project. Other students are enrolled part time.
The second intake of the MHIA programme will be launched on 5 September 2022.
Micro-credentials in Health Informatics
IMU also aims to equip working adults in the area of Health Informatics through micro-credential courses. “Introduction to Health Data Engineering” courses will be offered from September 2022 onwards. They aim to build an understanding of the needs of data science, data management and data engineering in the healthcare sector. Details of these micro-credential courses can be found at http://web.imu.edu.my/icl-v2/micro-credential-courses/
Students feedback
Organisation
“Overall the ways the teaching and learning activities organised by the Professors are very unique and able to suit my needs especially in this Pandemic situations and as well as the busier working schedules.”
Feedback
“Timely and constructive feedback. Very helpful lecturers too.”
Learning Resources
“It was good especially the online classes as people like us who are full time working adults are able to playback those recordings during our free time to access the lectures. Those reading materials and PPT decks provided by lecturers are also useful and informative.”
Technical Resources and Supports
“Did not require IT support from the university.”
| What Our Students Say | |
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Tee Kar Men, first PGCHIA graduate “As a recent science graduate with limited to no background in data science or computer science, PGCHIA has taught me so much in understanding how health data are collected, processed, analysed and used to gain insight for informed decisions within the healthcare industry. I have learned to use several analytic tools such as R Studio, Python and SQL. The lecturers who are experts in their fields and supportive coursemates from multidisciplinary backgrounds have facilitated lively discussions between students and lecturers. It was a challenging and eye-opening experience. I look forward to applying the knowledge and skills to my future career.“ |
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Cindy Lee Sin Yee, MHIA student
“MHIA programme is a flexible programme for a part-time learner like me who would like to upgrade their knowledge in Python and explore in current technology. I had a great time learning with my classmates, Professors and lecturers are very friendly and helpful too!“ |
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Nuraini binti Muhammad Naim, MHIA student
“I believe that healthcare professionals need to be familiar with digital technologies in order to be able to provide a more innovative approach in addressing their patients’ needs. The MHIA course has increased my awareness of the latest advancement in these technologies and their true potentials. The lecturers are very friendly and helpful, and the dynamics of the class proved to be very enlightening too, with students coming from different types of background, each with their own sets of strengths. MHIA has certainly provided me an immersive, exciting, and memorable experience that I had truly enjoyed.“ |
Success story
Allow us to congratulate Tee Kar Men, the first graduate of the Postgraduate Certificate in Health Informatics and Analytics (PGCHIA), which focusses on the theoretical and practical aspects of Health Analytics and constitues the first semester of the Master in Health Informatics and Analytics (MHIA). Full time MHIA students will complete the programme and graduate in August 2022.
Guest lecture delivered by Hamish Mackenzie and Dr Jordan Tsigarides on 19 March 2022 for the “Advanced Health Informatics” module
