The Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology (AIMST) was officially approved on the 15th March, 2001. The School of Medical and Health Sciences (FMHS) was the first faculty to be set up at the AIMST University in the temporary campus at Amanjaya, Sungai Petani, Kedah state, Malaysia. The School of Medicine (SOM) launched the MBBS programme in 2002 and registered 32 students on the 25th and 26th January, 2002 as the first intake. The provisional accreditation of the MBBS programme was confirmed by LAN on 14th November, 2002. Later, in the year 2004, LAN approved the increase of intake for MBBS course to 120 students.
- 2007: The school of Medicine shifted to the new campus, Semeling on 1st April, 2007 and the first batch appeared for their final MBBS examination in August 2007 with 19 graduates.
- 2007: The Joint panel of MQA-KPT-MMC visit for full accreditation was scheduled during April, 2007 and the MBBS programme was approved for 3 years, till August, 2010.
- 2007: The School of Medicine was upgraded as Faculty of Medicine in November, 2007.
- 2008: Based on the review by MQA-MMC in July 2008, the intake for MBBS was further increased to 200 per year and 60 JPA scholars were nominated per annum to join MBBS.
- 2008: The state-of-the-art, ‘Clinical Skills Centre’ organized an international workshop on “High Fidelity Simulation in Medical Education” in November, 2008.
- 2009: The MBBS programme of AIMST University was officially recognized by ECFMG (Educational Council for Foreign Medical Graduates) of USA to take the medical licensing examination (USMLE) conducted by them on January, 2009.
- 2009: The MBBS programme of AIMST University was recognized by the Avicenna directory of world medical schools in September, 2009.
- 2010: After a major earthquake in Padang, Indonesia, 40 students registered for MBBS in UNANAD, were transferred to AIMST University on compassionate grounds in October, 2010.
- 2010: The MQA-MMC-KPT joint panel revisited for re-accreditation of the MBBS course in November, 2010 and approved the programme till December, 2013.
- 2011: FoM The preclinical quiz which tested the cognitive, psychomotor and affective domains was organized by FOM, AIMST University and was held on 8th and 9th April, 2011. Ten universities from all over Malaysia and NUS Singapore participated in the quiz.
- 2011: RED (Reach out, Embrace and Deliver) an association to care for the needs of the less fortunate hospital patients was launched by the medical students of FOM on April, 2011.
- 2012: FoM organized and conducted the ‘TB and HPV workshops’ with MMA CME points in July and August, 2012.
- 2011: M.Sc. courses in Human Anatomy, Medical Physiology, Medical Biochemistry and Medical Microbiology were provisionally approved by KPT and MQA with the first intake in August, 2011.
- 2012: AIMST University won third prize in the International Microbiology, Parasitology and Immunology medical quiz at Sri Mahidol University, Thailand in March, 2012.
- 2012: The poster winners of both the ‘TB and HPV’ CME’s presented their paper at Cambodia on world TB day in March, 2012.
- 2012: The medical students from AIMST University, University of Malaya and Universiti Sains Malaysia collaborated to create history by organizing the inaugural ‘National Medical Student’s Convention 2012’ at AIMST University on the 7th and 8th of April, 2012. Over 300 students from 12 universities participated in this convention. PALs was conducted involving all the delegates in the great hall.
- 2012: The Cadaveric workshop on ‘Disc Nucleoplasty’ was conducted by Dato Dr. Vasan Sinadurai and his team of orthopaedic surgeons at AIMST in April, 2012.
- 2012: The 4th Malaysian International Medical Students Conference was organized and conducted at AIMST University. Over 250 SMMAMS (Society of MMA Medical Students) and IMFS (International Medical Students Federation) participated in this conference in May, 2012.
- 2013: AIMST University was categorized Tier 4 for Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry for the D-SETARA ratings in January, 2013.
- 2013: The Masters programs in Microbiology and Biochemistry have been fully accredited by MQA on March, 2013.
- 2013: AIMST University won second prize in the International Microbiology, Parasitology and Immunology medical quiz held at Sri Mahidol University, Thailand in March, 2013. The success was dedicated to the ‘Peer Assisted Learning Strategies’ and PALs club was officially registered as a University club.
- 2013: FoM acquired a FRGS grant for RM 142400 (FRGS/1/2013/SSK01/AIMST/02/1).
- 2013: FoM conducted a curriculum review workshop with Hospital Sultan Abdul Halim, SP doctors, alumni students and faculty staff on March, 2013 and subsequently with Hospital Sultana Bahiya, Alor Setar doctors on April, 2013.
- 2013: The Cadaveric workshop on ‘Total Knee Replacement’ was organized by Dato Dr. Vasan Sinadurai and Dr. Rami Sorial from Australia on May, 2013.
- 2013: FOM team started their official training in pursuit for ISO Accreditation in June, 2013.
- 2013: FOM signed a MoA with ‘Hygiea innovations’ a stem cell centre based at Putrajaya on December, 2013.
- 2014: Faculty of Medicine partnered and signed a MoU with Queen Mary College, University of London in February, 2014.
- 2014: Faculty of Medicine signed a MoU with FoM, Prince of Songhkla University, Thailand on February, 2014.
- 2014: Dr Kishor, Psychiatrist from JSS Medical College and Hospital, India came as visiting faculty to AIMST University under staff mobility program in February, 2014.
- 2014: Dr. Sam Annie Jayachristy, from FoM secured a FRGS grant for RM 200,000 in June, 2014.
- 2014: The MMC MQA panel re-accredited FoM for a period of 3 years starting February, 2014.
- 2014: The Deputy DG of Health, Y.Bhg Datuk Dr Jeyaindran Tan Sri Sinnadurai visited FOM on April, 2014.
- 2014: AIMST along with HSAH, SP jointly conducted the MRCP (UK) mock exams on April, 2014.
- 2014: Dr. John Brecknell from Queen Mary University, London visited AIMST as overall external examiner in September, 2014.
- 2014: Interactive research session on developing collaboration between FOM, AIMST University & QMUL with Prof. Olwyn Westwood, Associate Dean of Medical Education, Queen Mary University, London was held at AIMST in October, 2014.
- 2015: Faculty of Medicine progressed to Level 8 of the Academic rung. PhD Microbiology was provisionally accredited by MQA (MQA/ PA 6185) on January, 2015.
- 2015: Faculty of Medicine organized the ‘OMR workshop’ to enhance evaluation/validity of MCQ/EMI on March, 2015.
- 2015: Faculty of Medicine organized ‘Train the Trainers’ workshop to enhance assessment skills of the examiner, to reduce inter-examiner variability and to comply with the directives of Malaysian Medical Council by Dato’ Dr. Raymond Azman Ali, Dean, UKM Medical faculty and Director, UKM Medical Center on the 13th of March, 2015.
- 2015: The Faculty organized the ‘National ECG conference’ with the participation of delegates from ten different universities in Malaysia on 25th April, 2015.
- 2015: RED association organized the charity show at AIMST University’s Great Hall ‘Music of Hope—IV Metamorphosis, Travel through time’ on April, 2015.
- 2015: A workshop on ‘Standard Setting’ was organized with the support of expert panel from Royal College of Medicine Perak, Ipoh. on July, 2015.
- 2015: Faculty of Medicine signed MoU with International Medical College, Bangladesh on August, 2015.
- 2015: A Memorandum of understanding was reached between AIMST University and University of Dhaka on August, 2015.
- 2015: Dr. Heera Rajandas from FoM obtained a FRGS grant for RM 155,500 on October, 2015.
- 2015: FoM staff and students participated in the ‘World Alzheimer’s day and World Heart Day’ awareness campaigns organized by the RED association on 21st and 29th September, 2015.
- 2015: The Faculty of Medicine organized an ‘Antibiotic Awareness Program’ as advocated by the Ministry of Health, on 20th November, 2015.
- 2015: Medical Students Association of AIMST University (MedSA) in collaboration with Society of Malaysian Medical Association’s Medical Students (SMMAMS) organized a mini marathon of 10 km walk with about 400 participants on 12th December, 2015.
- 2016: Prof. M. Ravi, Pediatrician from JSS Medical College and Hospital, India came as visiting faculty to AIMST University under staff mobility program in March, 2016.
- 2016: RED association organized its annual charity show ‘Music of Hope-V’ in March, 2016 at AIMST University’s Great Hall which was attended by over 2000 guests. RED has helped around 300 patients to a tune of RM 200,000 locally and internationally.
- 2016: National Medical Conference (NMC) 2016 with the theme of “Bridging Medical Education into Clinical Practices” was organized by Medical Students’ Association (MedSA) of AIMST University in collaboration with Society of Malaysian Medical Associations’ Medical Students (SMMAMS) on 6th – 8th May, 2016.
- 2016: The Medical Education Unit of FoM organized the PBL workshop on facilitation in two phases on 24th and 29th June, 2016.
- 2016: Prof. Dr. Basavanna Gowda, Dean, JSS Medical College, Mysore, India visited AIMST as external examiner in August, 2016.
- 2016: The FoM curriculum review process in November, 2015 was concluded with Dr Gowda’s inputs in September, 2016.
Contributed by: Dr. P. K. Rajesh, Dr. Gokul Shankar and Dr. T. Pandurangan, AIMST University, Malaysia.
Source: AIMST E-Bulletin Volume II Issue III (October 2016)
