My name is Dhea Fany Rahayuningtyas Verdean. I study veterinary medicine at Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia, and have just finished the 3rd year out of a total of 4 years of my degree programme. I participated in an outbound programme organised by my university, to do an internship at UPM Veterinary Hospital for a period of three months. I luckily have company from my home university, my senior, Naura Nydya.

The first two months of my internship was divided into working with two departments. In the first month, I was assigned to the  small animal department. In the department, I did my practical rotation in a small animal clinic for one week, where I got the chance to assist the veterinary officers while they were doing examination up to the point they gave a diagnosis. I learnt and practised how to collect each animal’s history from the owner, how to conduct a physical examination, how to handle and restrain the animal, and how to conclude all the findings into a diagnosis and plan for treatment. In the second week, I was doing small animal ward practical rotation, where I really learnt and experienced how to draw blood, install fluid therapy, do bandaging, give medication, do laser therapy, take animal imaging including X-Ray and CT Scan, and do other treatments.  In the last week with the small animal department, I worked with the surgery department.  It was here that I got my very first  experience assisting a veterinary officer, Dr. Stephanie, who had to do tail-docking in a cat that had been hit by a car. That was a really special day for me, because I did my first surgery in such a great animal hospital, with the best high technology facilities and equipment in the whole of Malaysia.  I was able to experience various types of surgery in just that one week.

The second department I was attached to was the large animal department. Here, I spent my first practical rotation week in the ruminant department. I went out to the farm for some cases and treated the animals in the large animal ward too. I also experienced limb amputation on a baby goat and mammectomy on a doe. In the second week, I did equine practical rotation. That week was the best for me, because I really like horses. Here, I made new friends from DVM 4. They are: Chai Bubu, Chin Chelly, Phoebe Simon, and Hui Min. We went to several stables for vaccination and deworming, checked the lameness of a horse, and participated in an eye surgery.  We did enucleation of the right eyeball of a horse because it had a malignant tumor. In the last few days here, I made another friend, Ph'ng. He was the only man in the group and the only vegetarian among us. 

In the last week, I did aves and exotic animal practical rotation. I learnt how to do various physical examinations, including drawing blood and taking faecal and other samples from exotic animals such as rabbits, hedgehogs, turtles, iguanas and tortoises. I also had the opportunity to do some X-Ray photo taking on exotic animals and for a turtle shell repair. Naura and I also had clinical discussions with our advisor from Veterinary Medicine Faculty, Dr. Mark Hiew.

I totally enjoyed learning and living in Selangor, Malaysia, which is, in my view, very close to a perfect place for studying. The opportunities offered to students here are huge indeed. I had everything I needed, thus enabling me to be a productive, enthusiastic, motivated and active learner.   I had access to a big library, access to a great variety of databases, a stimulating environment, and much more! Through this  mobility programme, I gained not only veterinary medicine  knowledge, but new acquaintances who later became my very good friends, and who are as close to me as family.  I also learnt a lot about the social life and cultural norms of Malaysia.

I was able to do this by visiting several tourist destinations and historical places in Malaysia during the weekends. Among others, I had the opportunity to attend one of the dance shows in Kuang, and had a fun visit to Malacca where I made many beautiful memories.

After my mobility programme was completed, I went to Penang island for a five-day holiday. It was a truly unforgettable holiday. I went to many tourist destinations with my Penang friend.  It is true that Penang food is the best!

All things considered, I was enormously happy during my stay in Malaysia. I learnt may things from my mobility programme. Studying abroad means exploring and discovering a new culture, exploring new places, and making friends from all over the world. Choosing to study abroad allows for personal development in a way that would not have been possible by staying at home. Living and traveling on my own has given me a greater sense of independence and has expanded my world view tremendously. Traveling has given me the opportunity to learn new languages, making it an opportunity not to be missed. I will never forget the great academic learning that I did while abroad, from experiencing new topics to alternative methods of teaching and learning. Every country has a different system, and being abroad means continuously learning and adapting.  Also, I believe that studying abroad means better job prospects. I am feeling so grateful and blessed for the experience. I am most thankful to the Almighty Allah, and I wish to thank everyone who has helped make this a most enjoyable and fulfilling experience in my life journey. 

Date of Input: 07/08/2019 | Updated: 06/07/2020 | sitiafiqah