Young Mercy & Volunteerism
Developing a competent and ethical professional with a passion to care for others is at the core of what we do at UoC. Volunteerism is a major part of these efforts and it is instilled through the Young MERCY programme which is the first of its kind in Malaysia.
Young MERCY is a two-credit hour co-curricular programme which is part of the teaching and learning process at UoC. It was developed in conjunction with MERCY Malaysia. The programme complements the development of psychomotor skills by having more student-centred activities that are related to disaster relief.
Extracurricular activities under various student societies are also frequently conducted, including community and health camps. The programme consists of indoor sessions that include lectures, small group discussions, proposal write-ups, debriefing and reflection sessions. Outdoor activities range from environmental and animal protection, helping orphans and spastic children, to flood relief efforts.
Basic knowledge of humanitarian relief is also taught through the Disaster and Relief Medicine Course while the Young MERCY programme concentrates on the practical aspects of volunteerism. UoC students undergo Basic Volunteer and Mission Training before being given the opportunity to get involved in the planning and implementation of a humanitarian project.
Our students have held an international humanitarian mission to Vientiane, Laos. Dubbed the Laos International Family Endeavour (LIFE) 2016, the programme was held between 12 to 19 July 2016 and aimed to provide much-needed healthcare screening and medical assistance to the poor communities in Vientiane. The programme was deemed a success thanks to the exemplary commitment shown by students from the faculties of medicine, pharmacy and health sciences.
Other than that, fourth-year Medical Students organised a charity programme called the CUCMS Acheh Holistic Medicine Awareness Programme 2016 (CHARMS) in Banda Aceh, Indonesia from 26th to 30th July 2016. This programme aimed to develop students in communication, clinical and management skills.
The purpose of these programmes is to create awareness and educate the public to avoid diseases by taking care of their environment and health check-ups for the poor. The team conducted medical check-ups, dental check-ups and Basic Life Support training for them to face emergency situations.
UoC Pharmacy students have also been conducting the Karnival Mesra Ubat (KaMU) annually since 2012, organized by the CUCMS Pharmacy Student Society (CUPSS) and third-year Bachelor of Pharmacy students. KaMU aimed to serve as a platform for knowledge-sharing for the community mainly on health and medicine management. The event was designed for students to better understand the local community’s common perceptions and management of their medications. The event highlights were distinguishing counterfeit medicines, learning the correct method of using common health devices and interpreting medication labels.