Two months before the end of 2024, but it is a new beginning for the group of Master of Public Health (MPH), Master of Epidemiology (MEpi), Doctor of Public Health (DrPH), PhD and Master of Medical Science by Research (MMedSc) students who have registered for the programme. The objectives were achieved as the students were formally welcomed and introduced to the department members, briefings about the postgraduate programmes, overview of the academic and career paths, tours on the campus facilities and the introduction to the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC).

The 2-day orientation programme was organised on the 1st and 2nd of October 2024. The sessions were conducted synchronously in a dual location in the Faculty Room, Dean’s Office and the TDR Regional Training Centre for Western Pacific Region, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine (SPM), Faculty of Medicine (FOM), Universiti Malaya (UM).

The first-day session began in the Faculty Room, with the Welcome Address and General Overview of the Public Health Programmes by the Head of Department, Professor Dr Victor Hoe Chee Wai Abdullah, followed by a photo session at the Centre Point before the session was synchronously conducted in a dual location for MPH and DrPH Briefing of Disciplines. Details of the agenda are as follows:

Time	MPH Briefing of Disciplines	DrPH Briefing of Disciplines
10.30 am – 10.40 am	Epidemiology	Health, Policy and Management
10.40 am – 10.50 am	Statistics	Occupational and Environmental Health
10.50 am – 11.00 am	Family Health	Epidemiology
11.00 am – 11.10 am	Diet and Public Health Nutrition	Statistics
11.10 am – 11.20 am	Health, Policy and Management	Family Health
11.20 am – 11.30 am	Occupational and Environmental Health
11.30 am – 12.30 am	Selection of Modules	Professional Internship and Public Health Attachment

The briefings were presented by the Heads or representatives of each discipline; Epidemiology by Professor Dr Noran Naqiah Hairi, Statistics by Professor Dr Claire Choo Wan Yuen, Family Health by Dr Nur Afiqah Mohd Salleh, Diet and Public Health Nutrition by Dr Rama Krishna (on behalf for Dr Ng Ai Kah), Health, Policy and Management by Associate Professor Dr Farizah Mohd Hairi, and Occupational and Environmental Health by Dr Rama Krishna. Then followed by the Selection of Modules by Professor Dr Nirmala Bhoo Pathy for MPH and the briefing on Professional Internship and Public Health Attachment by Professor Dr Victor Hoe.

After the lunch break, the session continued with a forum titled “How to survive your DrPH Degree” and the MPH students began meeting with their academic supervisors.

The second-day session also began synchronously in a dual location, the MPH with Ethics Application by Professor Dr Wong Li Ping and Professor Dr Victor Hoe briefed on the Research Topic and Potential Supervisor for the DrPH. Later on, Madam Sharivini Lekha Youva Raj, a Psychology Officer from the Department of Counseling and Disability Empowerment (CDE), Registrar Officer, Universiti Malaya briefed on Psychoeducation for UM Students.

The MPH students were introduced to the library and online resources by the FOM librarian, and just before the lunch break an ice-breaking session was conducted. The agenda resumed with a session on “How to survive your MPH Degree before their day ended with the tour of FOM and UMMC. Meanwhile, DrPH had a sharing session on “Being a Public Health Medicine Specialist” led by our distinguished guest, Dato’ Indera Dr Shaari Ngadiman, a Public Health Medicine Specialist, and former Director of Selangor State Health Department. He is also our MPH alumni of 1992. Just before the lunch break, the DrPH coordinators and lecturers presented their research projects and that was the end of their agenda of the day.

The department would like to welcome the new candidates who are joining the programme in Semester 1, 2024/2025 and wish all of you the best throughout the academic journey.

This write-up was written by Muhammad Haizril Arif Md Mokhtar, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya.

More photos here.

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