Here's what went down at TalentCorp's Semester Break Programme – Healthcare 2018

Taking place at Sunway Medical Centre in Subang, TalentCorp's Semester Break Programme – Healthcare 2018 kicked off with 43 students and recent graduates learning about the inner workings of the healthcare sector in Malaysia.

The idea for a dedicated healthcare event for students was first mooted at a recent TalentCorp outreach in Australia with the Director-General of Health Malaysia Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah. Together with our partners – Sunway Medical Centre (SunMed), Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Malaysia, we collaborated to bring this event to life so that students will gain exposure to the Malaysian healthcare ecosystem, an experience that they would not normally get otherwise.

 
The day started off with a presentation by Dr Israfil Merican, MHTC’s Country Director for Indonesia on the landscape of Malaysian healthcare travel. Giving an example in cardiology, Dr Israfil shared,

The Institut Jantung Negara is not only the best medical centre, but the best training centre in the region. We have good doctors, surgeons and facilities. We want our healthcare system to receive global recognition. We want to become the number one healthcare destination in the region, and in the long term - the world.”

Then Dr Khoo Chow Huat, CEO of SunMed took to the stage and walked participants through the establishment of SunMed as a premier private healthcare facility, and how healthcare specialists over the years expanded their infrastructure exponentially, garnering international acclaim and accolades in the process. He shared with the students that "Sunway Medical Centre is the nation's first hospital to receive full 4-year accreditation from the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards.".

When Dr Syed Abdullah Al-Haddad, Neuro and Spine Surgeon at SunMed shared his story on the ups and downs of how he joined the medical profession, he added this advice to the students,

Everything I am, is because of obstacles thrown at me. If I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability.”

 
Jamuna J, Senior Manager of SunMed recounted her unconventional switch from being a medical science graduate to taking up a managerial position in the Allied Health Support, Pathology Laboratory Department at SunMed. Her advice indicated to everyone present that climbing the career ladder doesn’t have to mean sticking to the narrow specifications of their degrees. There are plenty of opportunities in other pathways while still remaining in the healthcare field. On making the daunting switch, she referenced American personality and psychologist Dr Phil McGraw, "Sometimes you make the right decisions, and sometimes you make the decisions right."

In exposing the participants to the current trends in workplace culture in the Malaysian healthcare sector, Basker Maniam of GSK Malaysia had everyone in the hall paying attention when he talked about how the future of work meant more flexibility accorded to employees. As an organisation that embraces Work Life Practices, GSK walks the talk in doing away with the standard 9 to 5 working hours. Instead, their employees are able to work from home, should the need arise.

The day ended with a grand tour of Sunway Medical Centre, where the participants were led to check out SunMed’s state-of-the-art facilities and witness first-hand the hospital wards and rehabilitative rooms designed exclusively for optimal comfort and patients' ease.

 
The Semester Break Programme – Healthcare 2018 was an experience truly worth the wait. Team TalentCorp would like to thank all participants for showing great initiative and wanting to learn more about our healthcare ecosystem. To our partners - GSK Malaysia, MHTC and SunMed, thank you for being such amazing collaborators, in making this event a giant success.

Malaysia Healthcare FORWARD!