Details of the Applicants

Name Assoc. Prof. Dr. Harlina Halizah Hj. Siraj

Address Head of PPD Unit, Department of Medical
Education, Faculty of Medicine, UKM
Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar
Tun Razak, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.

Telephone +603 – 91456293/6239

Mobile Number -
Email harlina.siraj@gmail.com
Details of the Head of the Organisation
Name of the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan
Organisation Malaysia, Malaysia
Address Faculty of Medicine, UKM Medical Centre,
Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak,
56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Name of the Head of Profesor Dato’ Dr. Raymond Azman Ali,

the Organisation Dean Faculty of Medicine & Director of UKM
Medical Centre
Telephone 03-91455000
Mobile -
Email dpppukm@ppukm.ukm.my
Web www.ppukm.ukm.my
Details of the Programme/Project/Initiative
Brief description of the Personal and Professional module is one of
programme the modules in the Integrated Curriculum of
/project /initiative the Medical Programme in the Faculty of
Medicine, UKM. One of its teaching–
learning activity is the PPD Camp which is
conducted in three phases namely Camp I,
Camp II and III, each with specific
objectives. These 4-days camps are
attended by Year 1, Year 3 and Year 5
medical students at the beginning of the
respective academic session.

During the camp which is held a distance

away from the campus, the students are
 taught using various methods such as role-
play, telematches and jungle trekking. The
facilitators comprise lecturers from the
various academic departments.

Why was the project The Camp was initiated to address the
started needs of improving the generic skills of the
students as feedback from various quarters
showed that the graduates lacked soft skills
especially in the first few years of their
career. It was noted that the knowledge and
skills component has been adequately
taught and mastered. Since ethics and
professionalism are modules which cannot
be delivered entirely through didactic
lectures.

Camp was introduced to enhance team

building, leadership and communication
skills. As the activities are held away from
the campus, students and lecturers have
ample opportunity to interact and discuss.

Objective Students should be able to : (Camp I)

• identify learning styles, new strategies
and techniques.
• demonstrate ability to set realistic
goals and prioritize activities.
• illustrate qualities of a good medical
student and a good doctor.
• demonstrate ability to work in a team
as a member and a leader.
• identify own personality characteristics
and areas of improvement.
• develop strong sense of belonging and
patriotism as citizens of Malaysia.

Students should be able to : (Camp II)

• demonstrate intrapersonal
professionalism (within self).
• demonstrate interpersonal
 professionalism (among colleagues,
teachers and other health
professionals).
• demonstrate public professionalism
(doctor-patient relationship).
• develop strong sense of belonging and
patriotism as citizens of Malaysia .

Students should be able to : (Camp III)

• demonstrate self confidence.
• demonstrate good communication
skills.
• demonstrate leadership qualities.
• demonstrate skills in proper medical
documentation.
• differentiate proper and improper
medical conducts.
• discuss the coping strategies in the
life of a junior doctor.
• develop strong sense of belonging and
patriotism as citizens of Malaysia.

Target Group Year 1, Year 3 and Year 5 medical

students(between 220 – 250 students per
year excluding facilitators).

Date from which the July 2005 (begin in Semester 1, Session

project become 2005/2006)
operational

Is the project still Yes

operational

10 points that make

the programme/project • The camp is an important teaching
innovative: learning method for the Personal and
Professional Development (PPD)
module in the integrated curriculum
for UKM Medical Doctor Program. The
module itself is an educational
 innovation - a bold attempt by the
UKM Medical Faculty to make the
hidden curriculum or generic
competencies to be explicit and
thoroughly assessed among the
undergraduates.
• The design and planning of the camps
were organized by a special
committee which comprised of
representatives from numerous
disciplines within the medical faculty.
The effort was an innovative step into
integration between disciplines which
were previously working in silos.
• Learning activities in the camps are
facilitated by medical faculty
members who received prior training,
and not by a special outdoor
adventure team.
• Contents of camp activities are
creatively designed to simulate and
assimilate medical curriculum aspects,
adapted to the conducive learning
outdoor environment, emphasizes the
importance of balance between
indoors and outdoor activities.
• The camps are have a specific timing -
Camp 1 in the beginning of Year 1,
Camp 2 at the start of the clinical
postings in Year 3 and Camp 3 in the
beginning of final Year 5 : mainly to
initiate and orientate students to the
challenges facing them.
• Organization of the camps are made
possible through a joint effort with
another governmental agency, the
Malaysian National Civics Bureau
which is responsible in instilling sense
of patriotism.
• Activities in the outdoor camps
focused on leadership skills,
teamwork, interpersonal and
 communication skills, through various
methods such as jungle trekking, role-
play and sketches, aerobics exercises,
debate sessions and group projects.
• Interaction between students and
faculty facilitators enable a strong
bond and sense of belonging to be
developed, besides mutual friendship
that facilitates appropriate and long-
lasting connection.
• Participation of various stakeholders
such as the Malaysian Medical Council,
Financial Management Agency,
National Bank of Malaysia and Medical
Protection Association in the camps
are garnered through several large
group sessions whereby the above
organizations are involved.
• Assessment of leadership skills,
teamwork, interpersonal and
communication skills is made possible
through direct observation during the
camp activities.
• Close interaction during the camp
enables faculty to screen and identify
students with difficulties early for
remediation and intervention.

List 5 achievements of • Article on PPD camps entitled Outdoor

the programme/project Camps Experiential Learning Activities
for Teamwork and Leadership Among
Medical Students has been accepted
for publication in The Procedia – Social
and Behavioral Sciences 2011.

• First prize winner for educational

innovation category in UKM Quality
Award competition in 2010

• Accepted for a free oral paper

presentation in AMEE Congress 2009
 in Malaga Spain, entitled `Outdoor
camps as a teaching learning method
for personal and professional
development for medical students.'

• Reported in an educational column of

a major daily national newspaper
under the title - Doctors in the making
( The STAR, July 19, 2009)

Voted as the most popular PPD

learning activity by UKM Medical
students from 2005 – 201.’

List the 5 key • Financial commitment to organize

challenges faced while three camps per year -
implementing the accommodating large numbers of
programme/project/init
participants.
iative and how they
were overcome • Faculty involvement to be facilitators
in the camps - high resistance
especially from clinicians.

• Logistic issues - camp location,

accommodation, safety and
transportation of more than 200
participants per camp, three camps a
year.

• Support system by means of

manpower to assist in organizing such
camps.

• Sharing of camp facilities with

another governmental agency, raises
issues and conflicts especially when
priority is given to the host
organization.

Strategies to overcome :
 • Strong support by the leadership of
UKM Medical Faculty in terms of
financial commitment, directives for
faculty members and provision of
resources.

• Promotional incentives for faculty

involved in facilitating the camps

• Building up a dedicated UKM outdoor

camping site to accommodate for
camp activities.

List the 5 points how • Sharing sessions in workshops

the dedicated to improve teaching and
programme/project/init learning, organized by the UKM Centre
iative serve as a model
of Academic Development.
that can be replicated
or adapted by others? • Presentation as free oral papers in
congresses related to experiential
teaching and learning methods in
higher education.

• Sharing of materials and planning with

interested medical schools which have
enquired about the PPD camps

• Articles and reports in educational

journals

• Adaptation of programme through

faculty who have relocated to other
medical schools
List 5 points to
elaborate on the • Contents of camp activities can be
scalability of the expanded and varied according to the
programme/project/init
iative current development in medicine

• Long standing ethical principles of

medicine could be elaborated in so
many different and creative ways to
suit the new learners

• Needs to provide skills in organizing

such camps in other medical and non-
medical faculty in the country could
be harnessed as an important
promotional step for the university

• Being the pioneer in such innovative

educational delivery method, UKM
could determine the direction of
medical experiential learning in the
country

Research-based educational activities

focusing on experiential learning could
be initiated and expanded in this
camp programme.