For many aspiring doctors, choosing to pursue medicine is one of the biggest decisions they have to make in life. Getting the right foundation is important for students to gain insights into medicine as a career choice.

A foreign branch campus of leading universities in Ireland, RCSI & UCD Malaysia Campus (RUMC) provides a comprehensive pre-university pathway for students to embark on their medical studies through its Foundation in Science.

Early Introduction to Medical School

Foundation in Science at RUMC is designed to provide students with an early introduction to medical school. They are equipped with exposure to clinical and medical fields in a hospital setting that helps them realise their passion for Medicine and eventually pursue a career in it.

“One of the advantages of pursuing Foundation in Science at RUMC is the clinically-inclined setting of the institution. This setting exposes and prepares our students for their journey in medical school in near future,” said Datin Dr Annie Foo, Head of Foundation at RUMC.

Besides providing them with the knowledge of health sciences, the comprehensive subject offerings are also tailored to prepare our students for their first year in medical school.

Datin Dr Annie also highlighted the invaluable opportunities for students to communicate with medical students and lecturers, who are mostly clinicians, throughout the three semesters of the programme.

Seamless Progression into RUMC Medicine programme.

Upon completion of the one-year Foundation programme, students with aspirations to pursue a career in Medicine can progress into our 5-year Medicine programme.

Students with CGPA of 3.5 and above are eligible to directly progress into the Medicine programme, whereas, those with CGPA below 3.5 are required to take on the Pre-Medical Foundation Year before pursuing the medical degree.

For most of them, the Foundation programme is a gateway to realising their dream of becoming a doctor. Not only it provides them with early clinical exposure, but also gives them a clear insight into medicine.

“Studying Foundation in Science at RUMC has helped me in exploring my passion for Medicine,” said Nishaanie Velayutham, a former Foundation student who is currently pursuing her Pre-Clinical Studies in Dublin.

“The programme was efficiently delivered by the academics and we were looking forward to learning new things every day,” added Nishaanie.

An Immersive Experience from the Best of Both Worlds

Upon progressing into the Medicine programme, students receive high-quality medical education, taught by esteemed academics from around the world. It is a rewarding journey for those who wish to graduate with an internationally-recognised medical degree.

Students travel to Dublin, Ireland to undertake their Pre-Clinical studies for two-and-a-half years at either the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) or University College Dublin (UCD). They then continue their Clinical training for the remaining two-and-a-half years in Penang with exclusive access to training hospitals in the city. Early exposure into clinical setting during their pre-clinical studies in Dublin prepares the students for their clinical years in Penang.

“It was a good experience to consolidate the skills and knowledge learned during my Pre-Clinical years at RCSI and apply them during my Clinical years in Penang,” said Dr Dhssraj Singh, alumni from Class of 2007, who is a Cardiologist practising in Canada.

Like Dr Dhssraj, the University has graduated almost 1,900 medical doctors who are currently practising in various countries around the world such as the UK, the US, Ireland, and Australia, to name a few.