KUALA LUMPUR, Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway City (SMC), Malaysia's largest private quaternary hospital, has announced a partnership with the prestigious International Medical University (IMU University) for the Graduate Trainee Programme (GTP). The programme is aimed at providing opportunities for IMU University's Bachelor in Pharmacy students who are interested in pursuing careers in hospital pharmacy. In a statement released today, SMC outlined the objectives of the programme, which include identifying suitable candidates from Year 2 onwards, facilitating early engagement between SMC and potential candidates through interviews, elective placements, and hospital activities. 'With 25 years in the healthcare industry, winning various accreditations and awards including the recent inclusion of SMC into the prestigious Newsweek World's Best Hospitals 2024 rankings, the GTP is expected to greatly benefit the selected IMU graduates and SMC. 'Furthermore, the initiative will provide a smooth transition for the graduates fulfilling full employability with SMC, while providing the hospital with a consistent stream of applicants for Provisionally Registered Pharmacists (PRP) positions annually,' the statement read. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) which was recently signed between the two institutions is effective for three years. Under this agreement, up to five eligible IMU University graduates will be selected annually to commence their PRP-ship (Provisionally Registered Pharmacist) with SMC. Signatories on behalf of SMC were President of Sunway Healthcare Group, Datuk Lau Beng Long, Managing Director (Hospital and Healthcare Operations) Dr Khoo Chow Huat, while signatories on behalf of IMU University were Professor Gerard George, Group Managing Director of IMU Health; and Professor Winnie Chee, Pro Vice Chancellor (Academic), IMU University. Also present were Chief Executive Officer of SMC, Dr Seow Vei Ken, Vice Chancellor of IMU University Professor Abdul Aziz Baba and Deputy Vice Chancellor of IMU Univer sity Professor Ian Symonds. Meanwhile, Dr Khoo during the ceremony said the MoU will facilitate the early exposure of trainees to real-world healthcare settings where they can acquire invaluable insights and experiences that will shape their future careers. 'By fostering robust partnerships between academia and healthcare institutions, we have the opportunity to cultivate a pipeline of talent that is not only highly capable but also inspired to push the boundaries of what is achievable in healthcare,' he said. IMU's Director of Industrial Partnership and Engagement, Ridzuan Repin said that GTP aims to provide the graduates with a holistic career pathway, leveraging the rich ecosystem offered by SMC. He added that the GTP will showcase a seamless collaboration between industry and academia, ensuring curriculum relevance, and early talent development for their graduates. 'Through this collaboration, SMC will not only contribute insights into the current best practices and future directions of the employmen t market but will also actively engage in curriculum enhancement, industry input, and the development of our early talents,' he said during the ceremony. Source: BERNAMA News Agency
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