Pn. Adiba Haq (second from right), gives a copy of the Pharmacy Oath to a student, observed by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yeong Siew Wei, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences

One for the album: A group of the students with their lecturers after the ceremony

The students proudly show off their oath-taking certificates

Puan Wong Yoke Sue with her daughter Melissa after the ceremony

Kuala Lumpur, 14 May 2010 - Graduating UCSI University’s Pharmacy students took part in the Oath-taking ceremony in front of the Vice President of the Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society, Puan. Abida Haq, their lecturers, parents and peers. The Oath-taking ceremony, an annual event for the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences here, the students pledged to not only devote their professional life to the service of all health care communities through the pharmacy profession, and make knowledge and skills enhance a lifelong commitment for the development of the pharmacy profession.

In her speech, Associate Professor Dr. Yeong Siew Wei, Dean of the Faculty said that all fresh graduates need to have three main things in mind. “These are; Respect, Confidence and Excellence.” She elaborated that all fresh graduates should respect their peers, be they doctors, nurses, attendants or part of the administrative staff, as respecting each other is important to form an effective health care team. “Fresh graduates should also have the confidence to carry out tasks given to them, take initiatives to volunteer for an assignment and most of all, they should carry out these assignments to the best of their ability with a hundred percent commitment. This is what excellence is, and this is why it is part of the University’s mission,” she says.

Pn. Adiba echoed Dr. Yeong’s points, and added that the Pharmacist profession is extremely well-respected. “Patients have expressed their gratefulness for the counseling services which Pharmacists dispense, and all fresh graduates need to bear this in mind, as your patients are not unlike your parents, brothers and sisters, and one day you may even be that patient.” Pn. Adiba emphasised that pharmacists must take pride in their work as they are an essential part of the nation’s health care team.

Puan Wong Yoke Sue, Assistant Principal of SMK Kepong Baru, and mother of Melissa Soon, one of the students who took part in the oath-taking, said that she is happy with the quality education her daughter has receives at UCSI University. “I was particularly impressed when I found out that all of the Pharmacy students at UCSI University learn through the Problem Based Learning (PBL) method which few private universities practice. I think that is just one of the examples which shows the University’s quality investment on the students.” Puan Wong hopes that her daughter as well as all of her peers will be able to give back to society serve the community well once they have graduated.

Alvin Teo, one of the graduating students who led the oath-taking ceremony, reminisces on the four years he has gone through in the pharmacy degree programme. “The years went by in a blink of an eye, and here we are to commemorate our transformation.” Alvin says that every experience they have had, from operating a simple apparatus, to dissecting rabbits, coupled with the wide range of laboratory modules which they studied has given them broad exposure in the field of Pharmacy. They also acquired soft skills through activities like annual events, such as the annual Public Health Campaign.