BUILDING a career in medicine and healthcare usually starts from the ambitions that most children hold from a tender age.

Perhaps children recognise the nobility and integrity that stems from saving lives and relieving the pain of others, but it would take grit and perseverance for them to become true medical practitioners later in life.

Similarly, Newcastle University’s established reputation as a top quality academic centre for medicine and healthcare – amongst others – has its roots going way back into its early days, even before the university was formed.

It is this reputation that empowers its steadfast presence in the Southeast Asian region, namely with its Malaysian campus, Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NUMed Malaysia).

Serving the greater good

The institute of higher education had humble beginnings as a School of Medicine and Surgery that started in 1834, in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, which offered over 20 students basic lectures and practical demonstrations.

Eventually, it became linked to the University of Durham some 30km away and was amalgamated as the University of Durham College of Medicine in 1870, known as the Newcastle Division.

By 1908, this division began instructing a full range of subjects besides medicine and the Royal Commission soon merged the two colleges to form the King's College, Durham.

However, an Act of Parliament on Aug 1,1934 divided them, which allowed Newcastle University to come to fruition on its own.

Besides offering undergraduate degrees in Medicine (MB BS) and Biomedical Sciences (BSc), NUMed Malaysia also offers foundation and postgraduate studies.

Besides offering undergraduate degrees in Medicine (MB BS) and Biomedical Sciences (BSc), NUMed Malaysia also offers foundation and postgraduate studies.

Commanding a modern outlook

Today, Newcastle University is part of the prestigious Russell Group of intensive-research universities and a globally recognised academic leader in the areas of ageing and health, as well as data, energy, cities, and the creative arts.

According to the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Ranking, it ranked 171 this year, making the list at 126 – 150 for its clinical, pre-clinical and health studies on the THE World University Ranking.

Moreover, its 214,000 alumni are frontrunners in industries such as digital technology, finance and fine arts, with research facilities that help discover new cancer treatments and more.

Establishing regional focus

Newcastle University has long recognised that many of its graduates hailed from the Asean region, with a large number being Malaysians.

It's one of the reasons why the university has developed a fully integrated, multi-campus education hub called EduCity in the heart of one of the largest developments in Iskandar Malaysia – Nusajaya, Johor – as the base of a regional centre for its medical studies.

The campus occupies a 13-acre (5.3ha) plot of land situated about one kilometer east of the Gelang Patah Interchange on the main Second Link Expressway.

By 2011, the NUMed Malaysia opened its doors, growing from strength to strength to house eight strong institutions under its brand.

In addition, the next month is a highlight for NUMed Malaysia as it commemorates its 10-year milestone for delivering a top UK medical education locally.

Besides offering undergraduate degrees in Medicine (MB BS) and Biomedical Sciences (BSc), NUMed Malaysia also gives local and regional students wishing to train as medical professionals the opportunity to ground themselves with a solid foundation, or explore more specialised fields via postgraduate studies.

Unlocking the power of research

A key component that drives Newcastle University is its emphasis on research. Over the years, the university has made significant contributions in many fields, including in ageing, cell and molecular sciences, cellular medicine, health and society, genetic medicine, neurosciences and cancer.

The institute of higher learning has certainly developed a strong, vibrant interdisciplinary research base in medicine and the physical sciences, with its research ranked eighth in England for combined Medical Units of Assessment in the Research Excellence Framework 2014.

NUMed Malaysia is no exception, as the campus also delves into the development of important treatments. It provides for its research projects using a hub-and-spoke model in its headquarters.

In this way, the research programme at NUMed feeds off Newcastle’s established excellence in translational and education research.

One of the key researches done at NUMed include initial clinical and translational projects focusing on the epidemiology of non-communicable disease and biomarkers for common cancers in Malaysia, such as breast and oral cancer.

Another research component is in medical education, which seeks to improve the university’s own MB BS and Biomedical Science curriculae, ensuring that these are constantly up-to-date and serves the educational needs of NUMed students.

At the same time, NUMed’s research governance encompasses a range of policies, tools and processes to assist researchers in ensuring that their work continues to be of the highest quality.

NUMed Malaysia presents students with a full-fledged campus right in the education hub of Iskandar Puteri, Johor.

NUMed Malaysia presents students with a full-fledged campus right in the education hub of Iskandar Puteri, Johor.

Positioned for greater success

NUMed Malaysia presents students with a full-fledged campus right in the education hub of Iskandar Puteri, Johor.

It provides a perfect choice for those aspiring to be doctors to earn a complete international MB BS degree, without the stress of contending with the high living costs, expensive tuition fees and wayward distractions of studying overseas.

In addition, it keeps students in perspective within the grounds of other world-class institutions and a well-equipped student village, which provides a conducive environment that helps its student population focus on attaining their medical degrees.

As its curriculum is identical to the one instructed in the main campus in the UK, NUMed students receive an equal quality of education, despite studying in a Malaysian campus and paying a local price.

This means that at the end of the day, when they graduate, they are awarded the same degrees as those conferred by Newcastle University, UK itself. In fact, students are entitled for both accreditations from the General Medical Council of the UK and the Malaysian Medical Council.

NUMed Malaysia is now accepting applications for its September intake for the Foundation in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences (BMS) and Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MB BS).