College Life ft. Amanya Jagodaarachchi 

By Amana Iflal

For this issue of College Life, we sat down with Amanya Jagodaarachchi, a vibrant 24-year-old who is currently working as a junior doctor in Sydney. She’s a past pupil of Lyceum International School and at the age of 17 moved to Malaysia to complete her Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery. In 2021, she graduated from the Western Sydney University, Australia. When asked about how she likes to spend her time, she replied saying that she loves to check cafes out! She considers herself to be a big foodie and loves to travel, shop, and spend time with family and friends. 

Excerpts of our conversation as follows:

1. What are the expected results to get into the International Medical University Malaysia and what were your results? 

The entry requirements at the time I was applying to International Medical University Malaysia (IMU) were a minimum of one A pass and two B passes in A/Ls, and 7As for O/Ls, along with doing IELTS and passing an interview.

2. How did it feel like to leave your family and country at the age of 17 to study abroad? 

It was a rollercoaster of emotions at the time. I was excited to live with my friends and have the freedom to try out new things. I was also excited to learn about medicine. On the other hand, I was definitely thinking about how much I’d miss my family, friends, and home-cooked food! 

I did have moments where I felt homesick, and when I first moved to Malaysia I didn’t know how to cook anything except scrambled eggs! Fortunately, Malaysia is only 3.5 hours away from Sri Lanka so I would frequently fly back home. My parents would also come visit me regularly so that helped with the homesickness. Luckily, I also had some amazing friends who became family, and since I was also occupied with university and studying I eventually got used to it. Overall, I had a really great experience; I believe living away from home helped me learn so many new things that I never would have if I didn’t, in particular learning how to balance my chores and studies. 

3. Did you do any extracurriculars? If so, did that affect your application (and later acceptance) into the university? 

While I was schooling I did a few extra-curricular activities and I was a senior prefect. I took part in lambda, Toastmasters, and also swimming while I was younger.

Personally, I do believe that taking part in extracurricular activities helped with my university application! While I was at IMU, I was an event manager and secretary for various clubs, and I took part in charity work. I made it a point to take part in activities while at IMU as we were told that doing extracurriculars would help us get a spot in the university we would want to transfer to as well! 

4. Tell us about the transfer from the International Medical University Malaysia to the Western Sydney University School of Medicine? 

The transfer process was not very complicated. The main aspects were that we had to pass all our IMU exams and do IELTS once again and get a minimum of 7.0 for each band. However, the process works as a ranking system, where we would rank our University preferences and the universities would rank us accordingly. My first preference was Western Sydney University (WSU) because I wanted to move to Australia to complete my degree. 

There are only limited spots in each University. So ideally having a good GPA and extracurriculars would help you stand out and get a higher ranking by the University. 

5. What advice do you have for kids who are planning on going abroad to study? 

Don’t stress, you’ll have an amazing time! University is a wonderful experience and honestly, you’ll get to experience different cultures, meet people from all around the world and make friends for life! It was one of the most exciting times of my life. There are definitely ups and downs, but of course that’s just how life is. I made it a point to call home every single day to update my family cause I personally didn’t feel complete if I didn’t do so. Just make sure to surround yourself with a great circle of friends and not forget what you came abroad for, which is to get that degree! 

6. How is the student life in both universities? 

Overall, I’ve had a great experience in both universities. I’d have to say the most fun year was probably my first year because that was the most happening and most exciting. There was definitely a lot of studying involved as well. 

Since I did my first two years in Malaysia, it was mainly theory and clinical skills where we would learn medicine based on each human system such as cardiology, neurology, etc. We would have exams every six weeks after each system and two more major exams at the end of the year. Additionally, we would also have labs, problem-based learning sessions (PBLs) and clinical skills where we would practice skills we would need in hospital. 

We had an exam called OSCE each year where we would be tested on our clinical skills as well. We did have a few clinical and hospital visits during those two years too. One interesting visit was staying in a rural town in Malaysia for an entire month! 

However, when I moved to Australia, for the next three years, we were based in hospitals learning in the wards and from doctors 90% of the time. There were a few weeks of lectures included as well. Most of the learning after transferring to WSU was self-learning and clinic-based so we were expected to resource medical notes online and in textbooks. 

I also had the opportunity to work as an assistant in medicine during my final year of university. This was where some of us were selected and recruited to work in hospitals due to COVID-19. This was definitely a great learning experience and it definitely prepared me to start working as a doctor the following year! 

7. As a medical student, and now a junior doctor, what are some tips and tricks that you could give aspiring healthcare workers? 

I would definitely say time management; also, having good peers around you is super important while studying in university. Keep up to date with your studies and don’t procrastinate – at least try not to! Working in healthcare is a very rewarding experience, but it’s not always exciting as Grays Anatomy makes it out to be. However, seeing a positive impact on a patient can make your entire day. You will also learn as you go and you will be constantly learning even 10 years from now. There might, of course, be moments where you feel overwhelmed or experience imposter syndrome, but these feelings are normal. I would always recommend you have a life outside of medicine and enjoy little things such as spending time with your loved ones whenever you get the chance.

8. As a junior doctor, what is your opinion on overstimulation of STEM careers compared to other career pathways, especially in Sri Lanka? 

There’s nothing wrong with choosing a career pathway apart from being a doctor, lawyer, or an engineer. There are so many opportunities in the world today. Besides, if you’re talented and you have the skills to do what it takes, go for it! Always do what you love and believe in yourself, that will take you a long way!

9. If you could go back in time and change anything about your student journey, what would it be? 

I wouldn’t change a single thing! I’m really glad I chose the path that I did. Especially starting off in Malaysia and moving to Australia, which I initially did because I needed a guardian if I was going to study in Australia under the age of 18. Regardless, it turned out to be one of the best decisions I made and I am really grateful to have such an amazing family who supported me through my journey and have been there for me.