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Volunteering at Institute for Youth Research (IYRES)

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Volunteering at Institute for Youth Research (IYRES)

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1. Your name, matric number, date
Fiona Cheong Shoon Jenn
A183585
24/7/23 - 28/7/23 (Week 1)

2. What have you done?
24/7 (Mon) - On the first day, we did self-learning about IYRES through their official website. It was filled with research topics and data of youths in Malaysia.
25/7 (Tues) - At 9am, we reached the Kementerian Belia dan Sukan (KBS) building, and headed to the IYRES level. We had briefing by the head of IYRES, Dr Vella and by our supervisor Prof Rosnah, on what we are expected to do and learn throughout our time in IYRES. They also introduced to us in greater detail, on what IYRES does.
26/7 (Wed) - We had a tour around KBS, where we were introduced to all the departments inside the KBS building, and also brought to the buildings near KBS. We were also introduced to good food and hangout spots near KBS.
27/7 (Thurs) - We were introduced to research papers done by IYRES, such as mental health of youths, where we got to see lots of data on youths throughout the years. We were also introduced to their E-belia system, where we signed up to be enumerators. We were also given a task to analyse the Indeks Belia Nasional (IBN) data and write it into a report. So the 5 of us discussed as a group on how to delegate the tasks.
28/7 (Fri) - We came to IYRES to do the IBN task, using the IBN resources provided in IYRES. We saw YB Hannah Yeoh and we greeted her good morning. We were also given IYRES passes for easy access into the building, so that we wouldn't need to use a guest pass in the future.

3. Points to remember from week 1!
Firstly is experiencing an 8-5 work life!
It was definitely fun experiencing a typical office worker's life, from clerking in on time, having to present ourselves appropriately and respectfully in front of higher ups, getting to know fellow colleagues (my group mates and IYRES office workers), looking forward to lunch time, working together, and waiting for the time to clerk out. There is also the awkwardness of not knowing what to do when we meet YB Hannah Yeoh! The luxurious building and facilities were also an exciting environment to work in.

Secondly is finding out the scale and importance of research!
The scale of research on a national level was big, with the budget they have, and the range they covered. Also, all the data collected were aimed to be used for improvement programs for effective betterment of youth development in the nation.

4. Your feelings & thoughts
My initial intention of joining this program was to be able to be exposed to a different perspective of life, away and different from the usual medical life that I was immersed in. At the same time, I hoped to be able to learn a little better about how researches are done, because I think it will benefit my career in the future with this bit of knowledge. I am glad that I was able to experience those things in week 1! These experiences definitely taught me a bit about the research field, and also let me observe a different way of life from these office workers at IYRES!

5. Any difficulties/concerns? How did you cope?
One difficulty is definitely punctuality. As my sleep schedule is quite messed up during the holidays, having to wake up early to head to IYRES was a challenge. I went to IYRES sleep-deprived during the first few days. It was so tiring, so gradually, I managed to fix my sleep schedule by the end of the week. Hopefully, I will keep this up for the next week!

Trying to understand the tasks and briefings given to us, were difficult. This is because I am entirely new to research. So they used a lot of research jargons. They asked us to see what methods and indicators were used. It took me and my friends a while to actually see what they meant as we look through the datas. So far, we are gradually familiarising ourselves with research. I think we won't be as lost by next week!

6. 2 words to describe elective posting progress so far
Exciting, curious

7. Your plan for next week (Week 2)
We will be assigned to different departments in IYRES for week 2. I plan to get a clearer picture on what each departments does, and how they work together. I hope to learn how each step and process of research is done, in greater detail. There will also be various volunteering and bonding activities carried out by KBS next week. We plan to join as many as we can.
I also help to get to know the office workers at IYRES better.
I also hope to meet Dato' Lee Chong Wei in KBS, as we have been told that he may drop in the builiding sometimes for meetings.

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Attachment to a Community Pharmacy in Kluang

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Attachment to a Community Pharmacy in Kluang

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1. Your name, matric number, date
Kan Yi Jie
A181529
24/7/2023 – 28/7/2023 (Week 1)

2. What have you done?

On 24 July 2023, which was my first day of attachment to Morning Pharmacy in Kluang, there was a briefing given by my supervisor, Mr Heng who is a consultant pharmacist. He briefed me about the operation of a community pharmacy and the services that provided in the pharmacy. Besides, he also told me about the daily job scope of the pharmacists. After the briefing, I followed him going on a tour of the store of pharmacy and a warehouse. From this, I knew that there were 2 different business running by this pharmacy which was an offline shop in the pharmacy and an online shop which running by the workers in the warehouse. With this, Mr Heng brought me to the pharmacy’s warehouse to introduce about the online business. I observed the progress of online business from the process of e-commerce to the packaging of the stock. In the next few days, I started to help in the pharmacy shop. There were 2 pharmacists, 1 nursing graduate and 2 pharmacist assistants in the shop. I started to recognize and learn about the medicines and health supplements in the shop through the introduction by a pharmacist and the brochures. Besides, I started to help them by doing some works such as cleaning up the store in every morning by sweeping and mopping the floor. In summary, I learnt the operation of a community pharmacy and the basic job scope of a pharmacist in a community pharmacy.

3. Points to remember from week 1!

I realized that the operation of a community pharmacy was not easy. It included many areas of job scope of a pharmacist in a community pharmacy such as order stocks of medicines and as a consultant to the community to buying or consuming the medications. Besides the offline shop, a community pharmacy also ran online business to provide medicines for the online buyers. A community pharmacy was really different from a pharmacy in hospitals.

4. Your feelings & thoughts
From the first week, I learnt a lot of pharmacological knowledges from the pharmacists. The pharmacists were so friendly and willing to teach me. I felt very happy as I had the chance to gain the experience to work with different professions such as pharmacist and nursing graduate. It was a great experience for me to learning in a community pharmacy. I hoped that I can learn more in the next week.

5. Any difficulties/concerns? How did you cope?
In my first day of helping in pharmacy, I faced a difficulty which was the pharmacy was very busy as there were many customers at every hour. This made me afraid to bother and ask the pharmacists about some of the things that I do not know. They were very busy to serve the customers at every hour. Luckily, one of the pharmacists noticed my concern. She helped me a lot and always ask me if I had any question. She was very friendly and always teach me some pharmacological knowledge when she was free. I was so glad to meet her in my elective posting.

6. 2 words to describe elective posting progress so far
Adapting, Interesting

7. Your plan for next week (Week 2)

In the next week, I plan to work as a retail assistant by learning to serve customers. Besides, I plan to learn the job scope of the cashier to collect payments. I will also be reading more on the details of the medicines and health supplements so that I can promote the medicines to the customers.

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Volunteering Program in Institute for Youth Research Malaysia (Week 1)

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Volunteering Program in Institute for Youth Research Malaysia (Week 1)

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1. Your name, matric number, date
Brenda Cheong Kar Wen, A180678, 24/7/2023 - 28/7/2023

2. What have you done?
24/7/2023 (Monday):
We were introduced to the official website of IYRES by our supervisor. A self-learning session was conducted among our group members to have a basic idea about what is IYRES and their role in the development of youth in the country.
25/7/2023 (Monday):
We went to IYRES department in Bangunan Kementerian Belia dan Sukan. We were introduced to the CEO, Dr Vellapandian, HR Manager, Encik Azammudin, and Head of Research of IYRES, Puan Hanim. A short ice-breaking session was conducted among us to help us know more about each other. After the ice-breaking session, we were brief about each of their roles in IYRES and also their expectation of us during the attachment period.
26/7/2023 (Wednesday):
A tour around bangunan Kementerian Belia dan Sukan was conducted. We were brought to visit various facilities in the building, and also some hangout spots for the staff during their break time. There is a huge gym facility in the building where we were also given a chance to try it out.
27/7/2023 (Thursday):
A meeting was conducted to brief us about the research paper that has been done by IYRES. We were also introduced to some ongoing research topics, specifically on youth mental health. We were also introduced to their E-Belia system, and we have registered ourselves as a enumerator for the project. We were given a task to explore further about IBN and a discussion was made among our group members to discuss about the task and future planning of our project.
28/7/2023 (Friday):
On the last day of Week 1, we got the chance to meet the Ministry of Youth and Sport, YB Hannah Yeoh! She was super friendly and even greet us good morning when we said hi to her. Besides, we have also registered ourselves with the administrative office and finally got our personalized pass and fingerprint in the system! The pass could help us to explore more facilities in the building such as library and gym.

3. Points to remember from week 1!
The most memorable moment in Week 1 is when we got a chance to meet YB Hannah Yeoh! The situation was quite in a hurry and it was a pity that we could not get a chance to take a photo with her. Besides, we also get to learn some of the important working attitude in IYRES. Firstly, punctuality is very important. We need to be punctual every day as the have a thumbprint system that keep track of the staff's attendance. Hence, we need to be there on time. Second is discipline and team-building. There are fixed dress code in the department, such as we are required to wear sports attire on Tuesday and Wednesday, whereas formal wear for Monday, Thursday and Friday. We were also invited to follow their dress code and we are officially part of the team now. Lastly is teamwork. There are various activities that will be conducted by the ministry to build team-spirit among the staff. Some of the activities include Zumba and senamrobik. We were also invited to join their session next week!

4. Your feelings & thoughts
I feel excited yet nervous when I am in IYRES. It was a totally different field from what I have been in medschool and things kind of work differently there. However, i think that IYRES is a good place for me to explore more about fields other than medical-related fields, and it is also a good place for me to improve my soft skills, get to make new friends and also explore more about the current issues among youth in our country.

5. Any difficulties/concerns? How did you cope?
There are some tasks that was given to our team but we are not quite clear with the instructions given as the terms used by the staff in IYRES is quite unfamiliar for us. I need to do more study about IYRES and its related topic to get a better and thorough understanding about IYRES. If there is any confusion, I will also need to step out to ask for clarification to avoid misinterpretation of information among any parties.

6. 2 words to describe elective posting progress so far
Challenging, confused

7. Your plan for next week (Week 2)
We will be assigned to different department under IYRES, more tasks and information will be shared with us in the following weeks. I plan to get a clearer picture on how the department works, and asked any related questions if I have any. I will also try my luck to grab a chance to have a photo with YB Hannah Yeoh, if the situation is feasible.

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Enhancing Senior Residents' Health and Well-being

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Enhancing Senior Residents' Health and Well-being

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1. Your name, matric number, date

Chan Hui Ying
A181362
25/7/2023 - 29/7/2023 (Week 1)

2. What have you done?

On 25th July 2023, I started my elective posting by volunteering in Pusat Jagaan Pertubuhan Kebajikan Kampong Baru Mentakab. Ms Lim, the person in charge briefed me on the daily routines and health conditions of the elderly residents. Additionally, there were two caregivers assisting with the residents' care during my time there. I mainly focused on conducting health examinations for elderly residents including physical examinations and taking blood pressure and blood glucose measurements. I followed the established protocols for taking accurate readings and ensured a calm and comforting environment for elderly individuals. Besides, I also helped in maintaining the elderly's personal hygiene by making sure their rooms are tidy and pleasant and cutting their nails short and keeping them clean.

3. Points to remember from week 1!

a. Proper Technique: I learned and practised the correct techniques for measuring blood pressure and blood glucose levels.

b. Elderly Care: I gained insights into the specific needs of the elderly population and how to approach them with empathy and patience during medical assessments. Besides, as I’ve noticed there were some elderly residents who were on multiple medications, I also learned the importance of using pillboxes to avoid missing doses of medications.

c. Effective communication: When working with older persons, effective communication is very important. I learned how to explain the procedures clearly and answer their questions patiently.

d. Record Keeping: It is essential to have accurate measurement records in order to track health trends and make wise medical decisions. I recorded their everyday blood pressure and blood glucose readings in a book so that the caregivers can always monitor their health conditions.

4. Your feelings & thoughts

My experience during week 1 was eye-opening and fulfilling. Spending my time and attention with the elderly made me feel satisfied. I was very touched and happy when seeing the smile on their faces. They were very kind and willing to share their stories and life experiences with me.  However, I also felt sad about their conditions as I realized that some of them might be lonely and in need of companionship from their family members.

5. Any difficulties/concerns? How did you cope?

One of the difficulties I faced was dealing with the elderly who had hearing difficulties and had difficulty understanding my instructions. In order to cope with this, I spoke to them slowly and clearly. The other concern was encountering elderly individuals with limited mobility or cognitive impairments. There were some elderly residents with limited mobility due to amputation of the foot, in this case, I took extra care to make them feel comfortable and safe.

6. 2 words to describe elective posting progress so far

Interesting, grateful

7. Your plan for next week (Week 2)

My plan for next week is to contribute more to the old folks' home by carrying out clean-up activities at the old folks' home in order to promote a clean and comfortable living environment for the elderly residents. Besides, I also aim to learn more about their daily routines, personal stories, and interests to build stronger connections with them.

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Research Attachment at Infectious Diseases Lab, UMBI

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Research Attachment at Infectious Diseases Lab, UMBI

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1. Your name, matric number, date
TING TIEW HUNG
A182881
24/7 - 28/7 (Week 1)

2. What have you done?

[O] = UMBI Basic Orientation Module (hands on)

24/7 Mon
- Registration & Introduction
- Meeting and research briefing with Assoc. Prof Dr Neoh Hui-min as my supervisor
- Literature review of MRSA ST6 strains (spa types, SCCmec types & subtypes, any
molecular typing, phenotypic studies)
- Reading SV's master student's thesis and presentation slides
- Sorting data of antibiotic resistance profile for MRSA isolated from HCTM in
2009, 2021, 2022

25/7 Tue
- [O] UMBI occupational safety & health briefing
- [O] Hazard communication briefing
- Reading articles about MRSA molecular typing (MLST)
- Sorting data of antibiotic resistance profile for MRSA isolated from HCTM in
2009, 2021, 2022

26/7 Wed
- Orientation at Infectious Diseases Lab, UMBI
- SCCmec typing of 14 MRSA isolates (PCR multiplex + gel electrophoresis)
- [O] RNA extraction (briefing)
- Reading about multi-resistant gram-negative bacteria
- Sorting data of antibiotic resistance profile for MRSA isolated from HCTM in
2009, 2021, 2022

27/7 Thu
- [O] DNA extraction (from my own blood!) using salt extraction method
- Discussion with SV about the result of SCCmec typing & troubleshooting
plans for 4 of the 14 samples
- Exploring CLSI and EUCAST standards for antibiotic susceptibility testing (disc diffusion method)
- Rechecking data of antibiotic resistance profile for MRSA isolated from HCTM in
2009, 2021, 2022

28/7 Fri
- UMBI Research Update Series: Breast cancer
- [O] Meeting with Penolong Pendaftar
- Reading SV's master student's thesis (methodology)
- DNA extraction from MSSA (no direct handling of MRSA, yet)
- Introduction to bacterial biobank and its importance in investigating new onset of antibiotic resistance in the future
- Observing culture technique for ESBL-producing Enterobacterales and MRSA on CHROMagar

3. Points to remember from week 1!

- MRSA surveillance using molecular techniques is very useful and feasible in monitoring the trends of resistance, investigating MRSA outbreaks, assessing the effectiveness of infection control policy and antibiotic stewardship program in hospitals and shall be adopted more widely by clinical pathologists.
- Collaborative inter-professional efforts are important in monitoring and tackling the issues of antimicrobial resistance globally.
- Read, read, read and read more in order to appreciate the research project.
- Maintain sterility!

4. Your feelings & thoughts

I was amazed by my supervisor for her great personalities and passion in teaching and research. With full enthusiasm, she introduced and explained to me about the current threats and trends of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), MRSA clonal replacement in HCTM (which is interesting) and how modern molecular tools could be very powerful and promising in tackling AMR, as compared to the conventional methods currently used in most hospitals, including HCTM. She also expressed her hope that future clinical pathologists who specialise in medical microbiology (which has been my ambition even before I entered medical school) could adopt these tools more widely in the diagnosis and surveillance of various antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospitals. She was very kind and generous in sharing her knowledge and I would regard her as my role model in teaching and mentoring as well as communicating science in the future.

I felt glad to meet other more senior interns from various courses such as genetics, bioinformatics, medical laboratory technology, and from other universities including UM, MMU and even Cambridge. I received a lot of guidance and help from them, particularly for the basic orientation module. They were very friendly and approached me first as I looked quiet and shy.

I felt especially thankful for Ms. NA who was ending her internship under Dr Neoh this Friday. She was really patient in guiding me to perform the procedures according the the protocols that she has simplified for us.

I also liked the working environment at UMBI which takes the staff and students' mental well-being into account. In addition, the instrumental pop songs played hourly throughout the building were nice and reminded me of the time based on the song.

I felt excited and energetic when going to the lab every morning :D

5. Any difficulties/concerns? How did you cope?

I was not aware of the compulsory UMBI Basic Orientation Module beforehand. This module is tentatively 9 days long but many of the PICs were busy or on leave this week so my progress was lagging. Nonetheless, the PICs were trying their best to accommodate the three new internship/attachment students (including me) and we cooperated together in restructuring the module. My SV was very understanding about this situation and  willing the arrange the MRSA project schedule accordingly.

Although I had prior exposure to some techniques in molecular biology and microbiology at INBIOSIS UKM, however it was many years ago and I realised that I could not recall how to perform the techniques correctly. Fortunately, my SV and her intern were patient enough to teach me from the beginning again and gave me the confidence to perform those procedures under supervision.

6. 2 words to describe elective posting progress so far

- Exciting
- Inspiring

7. Your plan for next week (Week 2)

- Continue with UMBI Basic Orientation Module
- Continue with MRSA research project when my SV is back
- Checking the concentration of extracted MSSA DNA using NanoDrop
- Attending UMBI internal educational events like Research Update Series/Seminars
- More reading during free time

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Volunteering in Institute for Youth Research Malaysia 

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Volunteering in Institute for Youth Research Malaysia 

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1. Your name, matric number, date

Teoh Qi Wei
A182051
24/07/2023 -  28/07/2023 (Week 1)

2. What have you done?

- On Monday, I have done self learning about IYRES through website

- On Tuesday, my group had a briefing by CEO of IYRES and also meeting with our prof

- On Wednesday, I have followed my group go on a tour around Kementerian Belia dan Sukan and also introduction of IYRES by HR manager

- On Thursday, there’s a meeting between my group and the CEO, HR manager and senior researcher. This meeting is about the introduction of the research papers by IYRES. We also get to know the system and website of IYRES. I also discussed with my group mates about future planning of our project. After IBN was introduced to us by the CEO, we registered ourselves on ebelia and signed up as an enumerator and volunteer on the website. We were given a lot of topics to discover through IBN so that we can come out with our interpretation

- On Friday, we accidentally saw minister of youth and sport, Hannah Yeoh in the lobby of the building. Me and my groupmate managed to say good morning to her and she greeted us back as well. We also registered ourselves in the administrative office and got our pass. After getting our pass then we explore the facilities in the building such as library and gym as well.

3. Points to remember from week 1!

I get the chance to see Hannah Yeoh, our minister of youth and sports in the lobby. It’s my first time seeing one of the ministers of Malaysia. She is very friendly and nice as she also greeted us back when we said “Good morning” to her.

Also it’s my first time to expose myself to an 8-5 office job. So it’s exciting to work in the office instead of the hospital and also be able to interact and communicate with my colleagues in the office. This widened my eyesight and allowed me to explore more future career pathways after I graduated from medical school.

4. Your feelings & thoughts

I feel very excited to attach to IYRES as this golden opportunity allows me to gain valuable experience to work in the youth support department. I feel very delightful to meet with the CEO of IYRES department and get to know the objectives and roles of IYRES

5. Any difficulties/concerns? How did you cope?

I am still unsure of some of the tasks that I’m going to perform throughout the 4 weeks. I am also not familiar with the potential tasks that we are going to perform in the following weeks. But I will do more readings about IYRES and also all the research materials from IYRES to cope with the difficulties.

6. 2 words to describe elective posting progress so far

Confused, excited

7. Your plan for next week (Week 2)

I will plan to attach to different department in IYRES and get to know the process of data collection and printing process of the research paper of IYRES

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1. Your name, matric number, date
Chua Khai Xian
A182187
24/7/2023- 28/7/2023

2. What have you done?
I had a self learning session for couple of days about IYRES through the website and had a brief understanding about the roles and functions of IYRES and the departments and units under this organization. My friends and I also went to IYRES, Kementerian Belia and Sukan at Putrajaya. We had an meeting with our SV Prof Rosnah Sutan, the CEO of IYRES, Dr Vellapandian and the Human Resource Manager and Head of Research of IYRES. We had a ice breaking session. We had a tour around the KBS and we were introduced to food stalls and cafe around us by the person in charge for our group where we can go and grab for lunch. They
introduced us to their research paper about youth and we had few reading about the research. We also registered ourselves into Ebelia and signed up as enumerator for IYRES. We had a disucssion among the group members for tasks and future planning. IYRES also introduced us to Index Belia Malaysia (IBM) and provided us the IBM book for each year starting from 2015. We were given tasks to study the difference of health domain score in IBM for different years and come out with our own interpretation. Discussion among the group members were made to distribute tasks in reading the IBM and generate a report if possible.We had registered with the administration office and got access pass in the KBS building. We saw YB Hannah Yeoh, Ministry of Youth and Sports accidentally and had a chance to greet her. We also had access to the gym in KBS, it was so nice and we are allowed to use the equipment!

3. Points to remember from week 1!
- Learn to be proactive in asking questions
- Clarify tasks with the superior to ensure the work is done correctly.
- Understand the roles of IYRES in youth development.
- Critical thinking in identify differences of health domain scores in IBM of different years
- Emphasize and improve own interpersonal skills when dealing with the
high council.

4. Your feelings & thoughts
I felt excited and nervous at the same time because it was my first time meeting with the high council of IYRES. IYRES is a research institution and it might be a little bit beyond my education level but I am mentally prepared to be face the challenges even though sometimes i was quite lose in the tasks given.
I think this experience will definitely benefit myself and my future career. Looking forward to learn more in this elective posting !!

5. Any difficulties/concerns? How did you cope?
- difficulty in understanding the tasks given to us (related to research); clarify again with the superior despite having the chance to get scolded again.
- Difficulty in finding parking when we reach putrajaya and have traffic jam when we leave the site. To overcome this, we plan to reach there at 7:30 am and also check in our work at 7:30am too so that we can leave at 4:30pm.

6. 2 words to describe elective posting progress so far
Challenging, Fun

7. Your plan for next week (Week 2)
- My friends and I will be assigned to a unit/department in IYRES. The unit is to be
determined later.
-  Learn and volunteer in any activities that is carried out in the unit assigned later.
- Continue with our work on the report
- Explore more about the programs done for youth development in malaysia.

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Volunteering Program in Institute for Youth Research Malaysia (IYRES)

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Volunteering Program in Institute for Youth Research Malaysia (IYRES)

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1. Your name, matric number, date
Lee Kar Yen
A182043
24/7/2023 - 28/7/2023 (week 1)

2. What have you done?
24/7 - 28/7
- Self-learning about IYRES through their website including knowing little bits of their background, function and what research they have done
- Sign up an account in eBelia and an account to become an enumerator for their future events
- Meeting Prof Madya Rosnah Sutan and prof brought us to meet Dr Vellapandian, the CEO of IYRES; Encik Azamuddin, the HR of IYRES; and Puan Shahhanim, the head of research department. They were very friendly!
- After self-introduction, they introduced more on IYRES to us and some programs they had carried.
- Encik Azamuddin brought us around the building (Menara KBS) and introduced the departments to us. We even visited and played around the gym room there! He also helped us to register as "attachment student" at the administration office.
- Then, we were also introduced to certain research projects especially Index Belia Malaysia (IBM) including the system and websites they used.
- Later, we were given our first task which is to study the difference of scores related to health domain topic through some data in IBM and give our own interpretation by writing a short report.
- On the last day of week 1 (28/7), we were very honored to meet our Minister of Youth and Sport, YB Hannah Yeoh by accident at the KBS lobby!

3. Points to be remembered from week 1!
- Joining IYRES is an 8 to 5 work and we have to log in and out every day. Hence being punctual and arriving on time for work, meetings, and any assigned tasks are of paramount importance. Time management is crucial in a government setting where efficiency is essential and also shows our enthusiasm and responsibility towards the job.
-  Be proactive! I have to ask questions if I'm unsure about the task or any procedures. Seeking clarification will show an interest in doing things correctly.
- Government offices have diverse teams who serve diverse communities. Thus, I have to learn how to communicate professionally with colleagues, superiors, and the public. From using appropriate language and tone to polite gestures and actions.

4. Your feelings & thoughts
Days before starting my attachment at IYRES, I felt excited and nervous at the same time as I never worked in the ministry before. And I might need to work with higher council people makes me feel stressed. However, after the first week there, I slowly gained my confidence as the people there were so friendly and kind. I look forward to joining their programs in the upcoming weeks

5. Any difficulties/concerns? How did you cope?
I was not familiar with any research program or how a research project has to be done. Even after Prof Rosnah's explanations, I was still lost. My friends were lost too. That time Prof had to rush for a meeting so we tried to ask a staff there whom she works as a publisher at IYRES. After her guidance and explanations, we slowly get to understand a bit. And throughout chatting with her, she happens to be UKM alumni!

Another difficulty we faced was the traffic congestion and limited parking space. Since I stay in Sri Petaling, KL, the journey to IYRES, definitely will be congested, especially during the working morning hours. Therefore, I have to depart as early as possible to prevent traffic congestion and secure a parking space there and also to ensure I reach the IYRES on time.

6. 2 words to describe elective posting progress so far
Exciting, curious

7. Your plan for next week (Week 2)
- We will be assigned to a unit in IYRES which will be determined next week
- Continue to learn and volunteer in any activities and to work on the report assigned earlier.
- Continue assist the implementation of health program targeting towards youth in Malaysia.

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Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Volunteerism - Vaccination Programme

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Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Volunteerism - Vaccination Programme

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1. Your name, matric number, date

Deena Priyanka Edwards A/P Roger, A181019, 24/7/23 - 28/7/23

2. What have you done?

I volunteered in the Animal Vaccination Programme held at the SPCA Seberang Prai, Penang. It was my first time and I was briefed by the SPCA committee members and the veterinarians about the shelter and the vaccination programme. I helped in recording the animal details into the forms and health books provided by the veterinarian. I also helped to lift the animals from their cage and weigh them before getting their vaccination. There were 100 cats and 100 dogs vaccinated on that day.

3. Points to remember from week 1!

I learnt that not all animals are eligible for the vaccines. Animals with skin disease, underweight, pregnant and with flu are not vaccinated.

I also learnt that soft skills is important even when dealing with animals. I noted the kind and caring gestures of the members in building a relationship and gaining the trust of the animals as some animals were very scared to get near to humans.

I also learnt that having good communication skills is important as handling animals in a shelter is something new to me and I was able to do it well because I was able to communicate with the members and learn.

4. Your feelings & thoughts

I feel so sad for the neglected animals. Many animals were sick with wounds on their bodies. On the other hand, I felt so happy and privileged to be a part of the programme in caring for the abandoned and sick animals. It was a great experience as the members there were friendly and they were happy to see me joining their team.

5. Any difficulties/concerns? How did you cope?

Difficulties I faced during the vaccination is some animals were quite fierce when I tried to lift them up to the vaccination table. Some animals were to scared and didn't allow me to get near to them. I called the other members to help as they have experience in handling such situations. I was also not sure to confirm if the animals I selected is healthy to be vaccinated and I also had some difficulty in identifying the gender of the animals as some animals have been spayed. So,  I asked the veterinarians for some guidance in checking the animals.

6. 2 words to describe elective posting progress so far

Interesting, Useful

7. Your plan for next week (Week 2)

My plan for the next week is to volunteer in helping to give treatment to the sick animals in the pet clinic area at the SPCA.  Many animals there with skin disease, wounds, ticks and eye infection needs treatment.

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Assalamualaikum & hi everyone
Welcome to the elective posting journaling!
This journal platform will help you actively work on your development throughout your time in elective posting.
You can write, upload pictures/videos (lots of them please!)
Share your journey with your friends. Like & comment on others sharing too!

1. Your name, matric number, date

2. What have you done?

3. Points to remember from week 1!

4. Your feelings & thoughts

5. Any difficulties/concerns? How did you cope?

6. 2 words to describe elective posting progress so far

7. Your plan for next week (Week 2)