Taking part in research and innovative challenges important too, says medical student
HER dream to study medicine has come true but Lee Min Ci (pic) is not solely immersing herself in her studies.
She is also devoting time to engaging in research and innovative challenges, and she is not alone in her pursuits. Noting an uptrend in her peers’ participation in these areas, the second-year medical student at IMU University emphasised the significance of adopting an active learning attitude.
“Medicine is developing at a fast pace. For example, during the Covid-19 pandemic, vaccines were promptly developed and digital contact tracing was heavily utilised.
“Research and innovative challenges are great avenues for students to discover new topics that they might find themselves genuinely interested in,” she told StarEdu.
“The critical thinking aspect of research significantly complements a medical student’s academic development as well,” she added.
The 20-year-old’s belief in the importance of expanding one’s horizons was reinforced following her recent successful outing at the 2024 International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (IUPHAR) International Students’ Poster Competition.
Open to medical, pharmacy or pharmacology students, the competition, held in conjunction with World Smart Medication Day on May 2, saw Lee named one of the two winners in the general posters category.
The sole Malaysian winner at the event, she received US$300 (RM1,368) for her effort.
The other winner in the category was Venessa Andrea Nugura from Sri Lanka, while the two winners in the research posters category were Michael Sponfeldner from Germany and Jie En Valerie Sia from China. For the contest themed “Drug Evaluation at the Extremes of Ages”, Lee rose to the challenge of creating a poster that underscores the importance of safeguarding health across generations by considering how medications affect children and the elderly.
“Children and the elderly are considered vulnerable populations; hence, we have to take into account their different metabolism rates and the possible side effects they may suffer from extreme dosages.
“It is also important to note the variations in dosage calculations such as milligramme per kilogramme (mg/kg) and part per million (ppm),” she said.
Besides producing the poster, Lee gave a three-minute oral presentation virtually to an international audience comprising professors and doctoral students.
“The judges said I was very enthusiastic and aware of current pharmacological events, which is very much what they were hoping to see from a preclinical student’s point of view since they are all researchers,” she shared.
Reflecting on her participation in the competition, she said it provided her with a strong insight into research.
“Research is essential in helping one see the correlation between different aspects of medicine.
“For example, from the physiological aspect, an extreme increase in heart rate would damage the heart’s valves, causing heart prolapse. This might cause the backflow of blood and subsequently lead to heart diseases, which fall under the pathology aspect of medicine,” she said.
In preparing the poster, Lee said she spent hours researching from papers and textbooks, and coming up with scenarios exemplifying dosage adjustments for children and the elderly, who are subject to polypharmacy due to multimorbidity.
“One of the challenges in creating an informative poster is compressing information. It is important to insert only key information and subsequently present it in your own words based on your understanding of the topic,” she offered.
Intent on taking her research journey further, Lee expressed her hope of exploring the topic of pharmacosurveillance in the future.
“One of the benefits of pursuing medical studies is that I get to learn about drugs from the viewpoints of pathologists, physiologists and anatomists. This is extremely useful in furthering my understanding of pharmacology,” she said.
To students seeking to flex their muscles in research or innovation, Lee’s advice is to seek a mentor who can provide guidance on the aspects to explore and practical recommendations throughout their journey.
Attributing her success at the competition to the guidance of IMU Department of Pathology and Pharmacology deputy head Dr Htet Htet, Lee said the academic was also the one who recommended her participation to enrich her experience and insights into pharmacology.
“Through her guidance, I threw myself into the task, drawing inspiration from my medical studies and previous research experiences to create the poster,” she said.
“Another piece of advice is to take opportunities that have been given to you, and be open-minded when weighing the benefits and risks of every decision you make,” she concluded.
With the theme of the article in mind, carry out the following English language activities.
1 As a student, how have you broadened your horizons beyond your school syllabus, and what have you gained from these experiences? Share your thoughts with your friends.
2 Using words and pictures from the newspaper, create a poster highlighting the importance of expanding one’s repertoire. Work on this with a friend and present your poster in class.
Li Lian, 19, a student in Kuala Lumpur, is a participant of the BRATs Young Journalist Programme run by The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) team. For updates on the BRATs programme, go to facebook.com/niebrats.
