Kadim (fifth right) exchanges documents with Dr Chin after a simple signing ceremony.
KUCHING: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) recently signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with Academy For Silent Mentor (AFSM) to set up a Silent Mentor Centre in Unimas Kota Samarahan campus.
The Silent Mentor Centre, according to a publicity release yesterday, located next to the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences will serve as a complementary training centre for medical and nursing programmes.
Silent Mentor is a project that encourages donors (referred to as ‘silent mentor’) to donate their bodies or organs voluntarily for the good of others, especially advancement in medical education, research and training.
During the MoA signing ceremony, Unimas was represented by vice-chancellor Professor Dato’ Dr Mohamad Kadim Suaidi and AFSM by chairman and founding director Professor Dr Chin Kin Fah.
“We believe that the centre will nurture good humanistic values and empathy among medical students in Unimas who will be inspired by the selfless acts of the donors,” Kadim said.
“It will also provide a resource centre for anatomy and basic surgical skills as well as soft skills module as the students will be volunteers at the centre,” he added.
AFSM and Silent Mentor programme, Kadim pointed out, will help Unimas students become better doctors and nurses who respect their future patients, similar to how students treat the silent mentors.
The centre, he elaborated, will also provide an avenue for postgraduate surgical skills training, advanced clinical development particularly for medical and health practitioners as well as a training centre for live cadaveric workshop for surgical residents and trainees.
Kadim believed the centre has the potential to develop in many aspects such as research, postgraduate training, development of tissue bank as well as collaborations with other medical training centres and industries.
“I am confident that our strong relationship will be a start of a significant milestone for both Unimas and the Academy of Silent Mentor in our strategies to expand the quality of our teaching, learning and research in Malaysia,” he commended.
Unimas hoped that this unique relationship will complement the strengths and experiences of both parties in providing opportunities for skill enhancement to other allied health professionals, including physiotherapy and complementary medicine such as traditional Chinese medicine.