IM in the news

In the efforts to promote UBD, particularly the medical programme offered by IM, a series of articles have been published recently in the Borneo Bulletin. Below are the articles:

[Dated 06 February 2009]
Institute Of Medicine To Open New Building With More Programmes
By Sonia K

Bandar Seri Begawan - As Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) is reviewing its undergraduate programmes, the Institute of Medicine (IM) at UBD will not only be offering just one bachelor programme but will be adding another masters programme as well as getting a new building this year.

From August this year, IM will be offering a Bachelor of Health Science where students will have a choice to major one of four — Medicine, Biomedical Science, Nursing and Midwifery.

On top of that, the masters programme that IM will be offering besides Masters in Primary Healthcare, is Masters in Public Health.

According to the Dean of the Institute of Medicine, Dr Anita Aziz, the new masters programme will be open to doctors, nurses and allied professionals or to anyone in the health industry.

She said that IM will also be offering few diploma programmes such as Diploma in Nursing, Diploma in Midwifery and Advanced Diploma in Nursing/Midwifery.

For the Advanced Diploma in Nursing and Midwifery, there will be 11 specialties to choose from such as mental health, midwifery or surgery.

"In addition, students can have a lot of options from a variety of courses which will give them more adaptability and flexibility. It has been developed to keep on par with the rapid changing world out there and we want our students to be better equipped, so that they can evolve together with the changing needs of the society," she added.

IM will also be changing its style of teaching, as it will be more student-centric.

"Students will be doing their own research so they will know how to obtain the necessary knowledge and resources. Apart from mediciné, students taking the three other majors will be spending up to a year abroad (Discovery Year), studying or probably doing some placements abroad," Dr Anita said.

The students will have the option of where to spend their third year, either at hospitals abroad or other universities or even labs, organisations and companies, before coming back to UBD to finish their degree.

Therefore, currently, IM is in talks and negotiations with other universities for the third year abroad programme.

As the institute is proactively looking for ties, it is quite attracted to those who can confer a diploma or related degrees, when the students spend their third year abroad.

As for the medical students, on the other hand, they will have to spend three years at the Institute of Medicine and graduate with an ordinary degree in health science. And then they will have to spend another three years abroad, where they will graduate with a medical degree, coming back as doctors.

IM currently has partnered with medical schools in the UK, Australia and Canada.

According to Dr Anita, IM now has 20 lecturers, ranging from senior lecturers to professors and associate professors.

"The bulk of our teaching staff is actually expatriates. They come from various parts of the world in various fields with different expertise," she added.

As for the Institute of Medicine's new building, they are hoping to move in sometime in April this year.

It has state-of-the-art teaching and research labs, seminar and tutorial rooms and two lecture theatres. Also included in the new building are areas for communication and ethical skills, as well as a reading room for students to study. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

[Dated 07 February 2009]
Future Docs Visit UBD's Institute Of Medicine
By Narissa Noor

Bandar Seri Begawan - UBD's Institute of Medicine (IM) is opening more windows of opportunity for young aspiring doctors to realise their dreams and this time the dream is much closer to home.

A group of Maktab Sains Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan and Maktab Duli Pengiran Muda Al-Mutitadee Billah students took a glimpse of their future recently as they toured the new facilities which they hoped is where they will spend their next three years.

Eagerly a waiting to fill in their applications, these students could be accepted into IM to pursue a Bachelor of Health Science with a major in either Medicine, Biomedical Science Nursing or Midwifery.

Fadhil Abdullah, an 18-year-old from Maktab Duli, hopes to become a general surgeon one day and sees UBD as the best route to get there. "UBD is where I want to go and getting in will be a golden opportunity for me," he remarked adding that the Discovery Year will be an added plus.

UBD medical students spend three years at the IM, graduating with a degree in Health Science before doing a further three years abroad to pursue their medical degree. Meanwhile, students of the other three majors will be able to benefit from the newly launched Discovery Year - one year in universities, hospitals or even organisations abroad.

Aspiring orthopaedist Syaahidah from Maktab Sains grew up thinking that being a doctor is the greatest job in the world. The feeling never went away. The 19-yearold thought she'd end up abroad but said, "I saw what UBD has to offer and was surprised. I realised that UBD is just as good as any other university I would have chosen."

Meanwhile, Hui from MD admits to being fickle. "I wanted to become everything from a doctor to a lawyer to an accountant and a businesswoman," she quipped. "I've finally decided on medicine because I love biology and at the end of the day I have to do something that I love," added the 19-year-old.

According to senior lecture Dr Zaw Wint, IM students are expected to have, by the end of their programme, patient care, examination and communication skills, extensive knowledge of the cardiovascular and neurological system and basic life support skills.

"The qualities of the students we are producing here at UBD are of a high standard with a benchmark from the St George's Medical School," he asserted.

Fifteen recent IM graduates from the first cohort have since moved on to pursue their medical degree in Australia, Canada and the UK.

Since the appointment of Dr Zulkamain Hanafi as Vice Chancellor of UBD, the university's structure and programmes, including those within IM, have seen a huge transformation, which has received both commendation and criticism.

However, in a recent interview with the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Western Australia whose effort to review and consolidate UWA programmes have proved successful, Don Markwell had nothing but praise for the initiative.

"The view that educational leaders have around the world, in a world of rapid change and global forces is that we need to refresh the balance between the breadth that students have and the depth of their specialisation so that they can be equipped to live and work successfully in such an environment.

"The world changes and universities need to change what we offer our students to ensure that it remains highly relevant to the world as it is becoming," said Markwell who believes that a broader educational base and greater professional maturity is a necessary step in pursuing a professional career. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin