UNIMAS Medicine Interview Batch 17/18

Just last Tuesday 30/5/17, i was selected for an interview in UNIMAS for medicine programme. Well, to be honest, we all got a little hectic due to the late announcement on 25/5/17 (which only got us 5 days to prepare everything!), plus it was near school holidays toooo. But I felt really excited and nervous at the same time, as I wasn't really prepared for anything YET.

Interview letter.

We are required to take a blood examination test for HIV, Hepatitis B and C. For that evening I RUSHED to the nearest medical lab to get a syringe of blood out of my veins (sounds cool but actually no). It took about 2-3 working days to get the report. So my advice is not to wait but immediately get it done~ If you are HIV/Hepatitis B/C positive, dengdeng! So better vaccinate now than being late. However if you have no Hepatitis B/C antibody, no worries! Most of us are not immune too ;)

Before the battlefield (not so serious lol), we got to be well armed.

Fortunately and thankfully, I got a few really caring and helpful seniors currently studying medicine as Year 1 students in Unimas. Special thanks to Patricia and Jessica <3 They were willing to explain the systems and also gave us useful tips on how to be ready for the interview.

So here I am, to share with all of you, in case you need it for a medicine course interview too~

For Unimas, medical students are using different curriculum structure as other undergraduate programme--BLOCK SYSTEM. In block system, for e.g., we study blood in this block (chapter), we basically learn every aspect of it (histology, biochemistry, anatomy, pathology,...). Year 1 consists of 5 blocks, year 2 with 4 blocks. One block is about 7-8 weeks long. Towards the end of each block there will be a EOB exam (usually week 8). There is an allocation of 100 marks for each block. In order to pass Year 1 and go on to Year 2, the medical students must accumulate at least 250/500 marks.

Besides the block system used, there's also a methodology called PBL (Problem Based Learning), in which most of the medic school will conduct. Students are given cases dealing with common clinical situations (triggers). Through small-group discussions, students formulate their learning needs, and subsequently engage in self-directed learning using a variety of information sources such as textbooks, models, dissected specimens (anatomy), charts, electronic sources and discussions with Faculty members. This material is then shared within the group and is guided by the facilitator.

If you were to ask me, what's so special about Unimas medicine course leh?! Well, certainly not PBL, nor block system (other schools use this too). What catches my attention is the ADOPTION PROGRAMME in Year 1 and 2. 

In adoption programme, students are given the opportunity to visit a 'kampung' in Kuching whereby they are responsible to examine their Foster Family's common health conditions (BMI, Blood Pressure). They also take urine, stool samples from the family members. It sounds interesting to have the idea of 'treating patients' when you are only a Year 1/2 medical students, haha! It is certainly a great exposure to enhance soft skills and learn to deal with patients from different backgrounds from time to time.

Throughout the 5 years are pre-clinical years (Year 1&2), Clinical years (Year 3,4,5). I heard that in clinical years, students need to undergo for rotational postings in Kuching & Sibu Hospitals. (correct me if I'm wrong)

Okay. Suited up. Time to go!

My session is from 12.30-1.30pm. But don't be too 'lengan', please get ready and reach the place as early as possible. Punctuality is the 2nd best policy (obviously I made this up LOL).

It was my first visit to Unimas, and I was completely WOW-ed by the wide entry road (not only that lah, of course unimas is a HUGE university!) Frog in the well--this was totally me at that moment.

Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), where we are interviewed.

FMHS. Didnt take much photos so here you go ;) from Google

View of Unimas

We are all assigned to wait in a room after registration. Throughout my waiting period I feel really great to have my friends, Kai Ning, Grace and Sara accompanying me (if not i will be bored to MAX). The afternoon session interviews were delayed to 1.30pm, as they just ended with morning session interview at around 1pm. My turn was about 3.20pm. (Luckily I did have my brunch and my stomach is full!)

The facilitator (i called them that way) called out my name. I took my files with me, slowly pacing to the corridor and sat on the chair provided just next to my interview room. There are 2 interview rooms conducted simultaneously. I tried my best to calm myself, close my eyes and mumbled my prayer. Inhale a deep breath, ready to go.

Door opened, a smiling assistant came out of the room and took my files, asked me to go inside the room. Well, once i stepped in, the interviewers (3 of them) talked to the assistant and then to me,"could you please wait outside for a moment?" Then with that i apologized and walked out of the room HAHA.

2 minutes later, I was once again been called to enter the room. Be polite: knock, knock. Close the door. Bow slightly and smile brightly. Good afternoon! (Almost said good morning LOL) Tips: only sit down when they ask u to do so. One of my interviewers, Dean of FMHS, introduced himself and the other 2 interviewers. They were friendly-looking and smiling to me often.

So here's my questions:

1. Which choice did you put Unimas as? Why choose unimas?

My ans: I selected unimas as the 2nd. Then they ask about my first choice (it's UKM). They seemed surprised and Dean kept on asking me why why why haha.

I also told them that unimas is a great university to study medicine, as in Sarawak, we can deal with different backgrounds/ cultures of people, with different community health issues.

For Sarawakian, you can give answers like: closer to home, less homesick, want to contribute to hometown!

2. Tell me about your family background.

My ans: I talked about each of my family members, their occupations, blablabla. I did mention about helping in my father's stall (my father's hawker!), then followed by next:

3. Where is the stall? Selling what? Non-halal? (just joking around)

Its in the Ramadhan Month, well, but no tension in between the conversation~

4. If you choose ukm, you only leave your parents both in Kuching...you said you want to take care of them?

My ans: I had thought of this too, so I'm starting to consider unimas is better. (HAHA i don't know if this is appropriate but i speak out my thoughts)

5. Your involvement in previous school?

Interviewer want to know better of you, are you proven to be socially active and so on. This is the time to sell yourself out! Tell them you kk involvement, what activities you participated, leadership and so on. I kind of let the chance to shine slipped out of my way...I only mentioned a little bit instead of more. ;(

6. Why choose medicine?

For this question, answer sincerely and ask yourself why you choose to be a doctor. No point to cheat them just to get in, because in the end you might regret as being a doctor is not as glamorous as you think. It requires life-long service and commitment.

7. What's the name of our Chief Minister?

HAHA, okay special thanks for my friend Grace for telling me about this earlier on! But i forgot the full name of him, instead, i answered only "Abang Johari" which sounded rude (better than getting it wrong lah :P). It should be: YAB Datuk Amar bin Abang Johari (if i remember correctly).

8. What's the name of our TYT?

Okay everyone knows this, trust me I got this right. (Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud)

9. Are you willing to serve in the rural areas?

My ans: Yes! because rural areas possess a lot of learning experiences, we can get hands-on experiences on different sickness from different people with different cultures. 

10. What about your parents? But yor're leaving them alone..

My ans: That wont be a problem as my sister will be graduated already. xD

11. What are you aware of unimas medicine course?

I explained about BLOCK System, PBL too. But too bad i didn't talk about the adoption programme.

12. Do you have any questions?

Ultimate tips: Please say YES. Prepare some questions for them before going, and this will show that you are interested and enthusiastic about studying there~

I asked about i-Silent Mentor* and Clinical Simulation Centre.

i-Silent Mentor: a programme of encouraging people to donate their bodies upon death for advancement of medical education, in which their bodies are used for training surgical procedures and so on. It was a really meaningful approach for the nations.

Some of the questions asked for my friends:

13. How many hospitals (including private) are there in Kuching?

14. How much do we need to pay when we visit 1 Malaysia Clinic?

15. What are you top 4 choices in UPU?

16. Name a few infections that are very common in Malaysia.

17. Talk about your kk activities.

During interview, be confident and don't show that you're nervous even though you are. Be humble and don't boast about your achievements. Lastly, always have eye contact with the interviewers. 

I would say it was a really good experience for me! A really big thank you for my interviewers for treating me patiently and being so friendly :) 

Well, as aforementioned, my file was being taken by the assistant first. So when i was about to leave the room, Dean told me:" you forgot you file." But actually, i did remember but was hesitant to claim from them (i thought they might still want to flip through or what, such funny thought I had) hopefully it was not a big deal. x( Anyway it's a good lesson to be more alert next time~

That's all for my Unimas interview! Getting ready for another from UKM next week. 

View before I went home xD

All the best to you, regardless of which university, courses you are applying to! Chase after your dreams. :D

Leave me a comment if i wrote anything incorrect/ you have any questions!