College marks largest yet graduation

GEORGE TOWN: Penang Medical College (PMC) today conferred degrees to 150 of its undergraduate medicine and postgraduate health research students in the largest of such ceremonies for the college.
National University of Ireland chancellor Dr Maurice Manning presented the graduates with their scrolls.
Valedictorian Lee Wei Wen, 25, was awarded first place in the final examination of University College Dublin (UCD) and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), and also scored the highest in the medicine, family medicine and public health exams.
She said her mother was the one who influenced her to take up medicine and she was very grateful to her parents.
"I am really blessed with such a good family. I am who I am today is because of them," she added.
Lee said she wanted to be a specialist but had yet to decide on what branch of medicine she wanted to specialise in.
Also taking centre-stage was Maya Sakthi Vijayan, 25, who is president of the PMC Community Outreach Society.
She received the Penang Medical Practitioners' Society Tun Dr Lim Cheong Eu Book Prize for "Best All-Round Student".
During her time in the college, Maya took part in community projects, including doing community service for orang asli in Perak's Belum rainforest.
"Serving the community was the best experience, giving them healthcare, checkups and opening their minds. That's what I love to do," she said after the ceremony.
PMC is wholly-owned by the RCSI and UCD and provides medical students with a unique opportunity to pursue a globally-recognised medical education.
Since its establishment in 1996, over 1,500 doctors have graduated from the college.