Update on CBBP

It's already 2nd July 2017.

But, we're still waiting. Dr Zul the coordinator said that our names will be forwarded to our Secretary General for clearance to get the CBBP. He said it's tentatively in July.

Still praying and hoping for the best but preparing for whatever eventualities. InshaAllah everything is in Allah's hands.

“Say: ‘Nothing shall ever happen to us except what Allâh has ordained for us.” 

(Qur'an, 9:51)

“And for those who fear Allah, He (ever) prepares a way out, And He provides for him from (sources) he never could imagine. And if any one puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is (Allah) for him. For Allah will surely accomplish his purpose: verily, for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion."

(Qur’an, 65:2-3)

"And they plotted and planned, and Allah too planned, and the best of planners is Allah." 

(Qur'an, 3:54)

“Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: “We believe,” and will not be tested?” 
(Qur’an, 29:2)

“Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear…” 

(Qur’an, 2:286)

A Summary Timeline of Some Sort (for now)

June 2016: Was uncertain about applying HLP (a scholarship given by JPA to post-graduate candidates) because of the issue of my unpaid maternity leave. Did my Istikharah and applied anyways. It was along the lines of "It if was meant for me, nothing can stop me from getting it".

August 2016: Enrolled with the so called TGP group for MPH/DrPH candidates of Headquarters (Putrajaya). I'm the last one in. I heard about it quite late and called the person in charge. I suppose it has already been written by God that I was suppose to get in. A candidate was kicked out of the group because of some attitude problem I'm not purview to.

November 2016: The results for the "Saringan Pertama" HLP came out and I made the first cut, Alhamdulillah. It was some what a surprise and it increased my resolve to continue pursuing this.

Around November to December 2016: We had a few attachments with different PKDs. Had an experience of going to Pejabat Kesihatan KLIA and saw how international screening was done at the entrance gate of a country. Went for an attachment at PKD Petaling and went through various experience on the ground. Subhanallah such an eye-opener. Will write in detail about this some time later, InshaAllah.

January 2017: Flew to HUSM, Kelantan for our entrance exam and interview. Will write on this later also in a different post. 

2nd May 2017: HLP results came out. I did not make the cut. Was ambivalent initially.

3rd May 2017: Whatsapp-ed Dr Zul (our TGP coordinator). Was at first told I did not make the reserve list. Slightly disappointed at the beginning but then decided to try again for next year. Got a call in the evening from UPM HOD - I was offered a place at UPM because I'm actually on the reserved list! Allahuakbar! Apparently Dr Zul mistakenly missed my name on the list. So, I was eligible to try out for Cuti Belajar Bergaji Penuh (CBBP).

5th May 2017: Send in the forms. Was told not to keep my hopes to high and prepare for the worst.

Today (22nd May 2017): Still waiting for the CBBP results....

Introductions

A little bit about my past working stint.

I'm a medical doctor by profession. I graduated from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in the year 2010. From there, I started my Housemanship in Pusat Perubatan Universiti Malaya (PPUM) from 2011 to 2013, after which I moved to a district posting in Rembau, Negeri Sembilan as a medical officer in Klinik Kesihatan Rembau. After slightly more than 1 year, towards the end of 2014, I asked for a transfer and was send to National Health Financing (NHF) unit in the Planning Division (Bahagian Peracangan) at the Ministry of Health headquarters in Putrajaya. At the point of writing this post, I have been in NHF for more than 2 years plus from 2015 to present year 2017.

Why Public Health?

When asked this question time and time again, I realized my answers are ever evolving. I never had my eyes fixed on a particular specialty during my Housemanship years. But I did realize one thing about myself that I often openly admit to others - I'm a big picture kind of person. Hence the case, I could not imagine myself being "stuck" in a specialty that is focused on one particular system. 

During the transition to become a medical officer, although at that time I was still unsure whether I wanted to pursue a specialty or not, I narrowed them down to two choices which is either Emergency Medicine or Public Health. For obvious reasons, you can see why I chose these 2 options (or maybe not so obvious but I don't feel like explaining haha).

So it is, that when I was posted to a health clinic and from then was send to an administrative/policy-making post in NHF, I took it that God was ushering me to where my career path should go.

Moving Forward

In the course of the journey moving towards getting to where I envisioned myself to be one day as a Public Health Specialist, I found out one thing - there are not many public reviews or experience sharing on the net of how it is to get there. 

And so, the idea of writing this blog took place to fill that void. Killing two birds with one stone, I also get to document and chronicle my academic life for my own personal life synthesis. 

So, lets begin.