EXPOSE THEM YOUNG TO THE REAL WORLD: My Advices to Teachers and Parents

 

If we want the next generation of Malaysians to excel in medicine, we must spark their interest early—especially in specialised fields like surgery—by providing meaningful exposure.

During an Open Day at Sunway University last year (2024), I took my children to meet Dr. K. Sagathevan, a former colleague of mine. He graciously introduced them to the world of surgery and even recommended the instruments they would need to conduct dissections at home.

Following his advice, I spent around RM120 at a shop near Subang Jaya Medical Centre to purchase the necessary apparatus. Since then, my children have dissected a buffalo frog (sourced from a restaurant that serves frog dishes), a fish, and various animal organs including the liver, heart, and kidneys.

Remarkably, my son was just 16 and my daughter was 13 when they performed their first animal dissections. It could have been earlier had I thought about it! 

Earlier, when they were still in primary school, I was doing consulting for Lincoln University College. Captivated by their medical museum, I proposed an initiative to expose young students to the sciences. 

Lincoln enthusiastically supported the idea, bussing around 120 students from SRK (C) Puay Chai 2 for three consecutive days of hands-on learning in human anatomy. The children explored both physical exhibits and digital anatomy tools, gaining valuable insight into what a future in medicine might look like.

Today, some of those students may be seriously considering a career in medicine—and I wish them every success on that journey.

I am glad that my son had had the opportunity of shadowing my cousin who is a urologist with SJMC. He is also hoping to shadow another cousin who works in a hospital. 

It is important that, whatever the field may be, it is good to expose the children to different careers. It is NEVER too young for them to gain exposure. My two children have visited a court house, the parliament, among others. 

IMU Medical workshop

A good starting point, in fact, is to start them young at the National Science Centre, Kuala Lumpur.