Ahmad Fadly Md Yassin arrived in Halifax in 2009 from Malaysia with expectations of winter cold and hard work as he started clerkship. Two years later, he expressed gratitude to Dalhousie, the Faculty of Medicine and the Global Health Office for their support to ensuring his success. This year, three students from Malaysia and two International Medical Graduates were part of the 2011 graduating class in Medicine.

“I’ve learned an awful lot here. People are very helpful. The faculty is very helpful. The students are awesome and very supportive,” says Fadly. “I learned a lot from Dr. Cathy Cervin such as the culture here and what the faculty expects us to do.”

The IMU program stems from a partnership established in 1992 between Dalhousie University and the International Medical University in Malaysia. Students complete 2.5 years of training before coming to Dalhousie for two years of clerkship and graduate with a Medical Degree from Dalhousie University.

In 2008, another unique partnership between the Faculty of Medicine and the Province of Nova Scotia was started to keep valuable immigrant physicians in Nova Scotia. The program allows two International Medical Graduates (IMGs) to study in Med III and IV. Upon graduation, they complete a residency program and will work in Nova Scotia. Amna Kremed is one of these students who graduated in May 2011.

“I consider myself lucky that I got accepted into the program,” says Amna. “The chances for IMGs are very limited and restricted, and it is not easy to get licensed as they had different background training. The IMG program has overcome these differences.”

Following graduation, Amna will complete a Family Medicine residency in Edmonton and Fadly will return to Malaysia for his residency.