Raising Awareness on the Vital Role of Biomedical Laboratory Scientists in Healthcare

The Biomedical Science Week (BM Week) is an annual event organised by the IMU Society of Biomedical Science (ISBS). Its aims are to introduce the Biomedical Science programme to the IMU community, high school and pre-university students; as well as to raise awareness about the important role played by biomedical laboratory scientists in healthcare industry.

This year the event took place from 4 to 6 March 2024 with the theme ‘Genetics: Molecular Diagnostics’. This theme was chosen because of its significant relevance to the rapidly evolving field of medical science, where genetic testing plays a crucial role in diagnosing and treating numerous incurable and life-threatening diseases.

The event was filled with inspiring and educational activities from the activity, merchandise, and photo booths. It commenced with a simple opening ceremony, attended by Biomedical Science students, Society Advisor Dr Tsen Min Tze, Programme Director Dr Shamala Salvamani, and other Biomedical Science lecturers.

Approximately 120 participants attended the two-day event. The closing ceremony on 6 March 2024 was attended by Prof Gerald George (Group Managing Director), Prof Winnie Chee (Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic), and Prof Anna Ling (Dean, School of Health Sciences).

The committee invited Dr Rebecca Tay from Beacon Precision Diagnostics as the distinguished guest speaker for a talk. Dr Rebecca recounted her path from being a Biomedical Science graduate to becoming a CEO overseeing a diagnostics laboratory specialising in genetic tests to tailor personalised medicine. Her enlightening and motivational presentation marked a successful conclusion to BM Week 2024.

“The positive feedback we received from professors, lecturers, and participants for our event was encouraging, considering the relative obscurity of the topic Molecular Diagnostics.”

“The decorations created a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere, enhancing the event’s ambiance.”

“The BM Week 2024 was a fruitful event overall, giving us a better insight into event planning and execution.”

“The Biomedical Science Week 2024 was a memorable event that validated our efforts as a team. I believe we learned how to be adaptable, resolve conflicts, and work cooperatively.”

“This year’s BM Week offered a fantastic opportunity for engagement, and I was particularly impressed by the creativity showcased in the stamp collection cards! The buzz generated on social media truly captured the event’s spirit. Enhancing BM Week with a hands-on workshop, offers an engaging and practical introduction to genetics, sparking curiosity and solidifying understanding of key concepts in a memorable way.”

“Biomedical Science Week was an exciting event! Personally, I enjoyed the station games as they allowed me to apply the knowledge I’ve learnt from my course, but the games gave me an opportunity to learn new facts, which was the icing on the cake.”

Prepared by Dr Tsen Min Tze and A/Prof Dr Lim Chooi Ling