Tunch Akmandor, Biomedical Scientist and Researcher in Histopathology and OncoPathology at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, shared on LinkedIn:
“My Clinical Oncology Experience at UMMC, Malaysia.
Some clinical experiences teach you medicine. Others quietly shape the kind of doctor you hope to become.
I recently had the privilege of undertaking a clinical experience with the Department of Clinical Oncology at Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), Kuala Lumpur, under the supervision of Prof. Dr Rozita Abdul Malik and her team.
Over the course of my clinical journey, I was able to experience oncology far beyond textbooks, observing the journey of patients from diagnosis and multidisciplinary decision-making through treatment planning, radiotherapy and supportive and palliative care.
I had the opportunity to learn through multidisciplinary team discussions, radiotherapy planning and CT simulation, brachytherapy, outpatient clinical encounters, treatment reviews and palliative care. Each part of the experience reinforced just how multidisciplinary modern cancer care truly is.
But some of the most important lessons were not about protocols or treatment modalities.
I saw the importance of listening carefully when patients are frightened, explaining complex decisions with clarity, recognising when the goals of treatment change, and understanding that good oncology is not simply about treating a tumour – it is about caring for the person living with cancer.
I am deeply grateful to Prof. Dr. Rozita Abdul Malik, and to the entire Clinical Oncology team at UMMC and Faculty of Medicine Universiti Malaya, for welcoming me, teaching me and allowing me to learn alongside them.
I leave Malaysia with much more than additional clinical knowledge. I leave with lessons, perspectives and memories that I believe I will carry with me throughout my medical career.
Thank you, UMMC Clinical Oncology.”
You can also read: Strengthening Connections Across Malaysia’s Hematology Community – The Max Foundation.
