Shi Sien Woon - Candidature for IFMSA Regional Director for Asia-Pacific 2022-2023

SHI SIEN WOON Candidature Plan IFMSA Regional Director for Asia-Pacific 2022-2023

SHI SIEN WOON | CANDIDATURE PLAN FOR IFMSA REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR ASIA-PACIFIC 2022-2023

Contents

Motivation Letter

3

Plan of Action

5

Curriculum Vitae

10

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SHI SIEN WOON | CANDIDATURE PLAN FOR IFMSA REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR ASIA-PACIFIC 2022-2023

Motivation Letter Dear IFMSA and the Asia-Pacific Family, My name is Shi Sien Woon, a medical student from Malaysia and it is with great honour that I present to you my candidature for IFMSA Regional Director for Asia-Pacific 2022-2023.

It was by chance when I saw the call for delegation by my NMO and joined the August Meeting 2019. Without any knowledge of IFMSA at the time, I just took the chance to explore something new. As a first-year student then, I was awe-struck by the scope of the meeting. IFMSA has opened my eyes to the possibilities and opportunities for likeminded youths around the world.

Designed by Titaya Punyaratabandhu, IFMSA-Thailand

I was particularly enthralled by how youth empowerment was placed at the core of the sessions and the passion of so many people around the world brought together for a common goal. This is in addition to the hospitality that I witnessed from international team and sessions team members, who gave it their all to include all members regardless of their experience level. It really did feel like a place of belonging that I wish to commit myself to.

Armed with a renewed sense of purpose and motivation, I returned to serve in various capacities in my Local Committee and NMO, with the aim of capacitating medical students and making the voices of the youth heard. After witnessing IFMSA’s strong advocacy and external affairs, I was inspired to run for Vice President for External Affairs in my LC. I utilised my experience gained through soft skills and advocacy training in GAs and IFMSA delegations to serve as the representative of medical students in my LC to ensure student involvement in the faculty. At the Asia-Pacific Medical Education Conference 2022, I was able to share our local advocacy efforts in a fully student-led symposium.

At the same time, I also committed myself to my NMO’s development from a fledgling candidate member in AM19 to eventually gaining full membership in Online General Assembly 2020. Following the blue love from SCORE sessions in AM19, I joined my NMO as a NORE and kickstarted my NMO’s exchanges activation process, which eventually led to us being SCORE and SCOPE active at the end of the term. I also took on the role of Activities Director in the middle of the term, which allowed me to use my experiences from organising awareness campaigns and various activities in my LC to standardise and fine tune processes within my NMO.

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SHI SIEN WOON | CANDIDATURE PLAN FOR IFMSA REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR ASIA-PACIFIC 2022-2023

Every IFMSA meeting and opportunity I was able to attend was a unique privilege.

Attendance in all General Assemblies since AM19 made me more experienced in navigating through IFMSA’s processes and familiarized with the work of the Federation. It has allowed me to forge connections and friendships with people from all walks of life, broadening my horizons with the many different practices from around the world. I was also able to witness first-hand and participate in IFMSA’s external processes as part of the IFMSA delegation to the 71st WHO Western Pacific Regional Committee Meeting and the 75th World Health Assembly. All of these opportunities allowed me to explore myself and further motivated me to run for NMO President.

As the General Assistant for Asia-Pacific, I work closely with the current Regional Director and the Regional Team. This granted me a better understanding and familiarity into the inner workings of our region as well as how to work effectively with other International Team members. As a part of the Membership Review Committee in March Meeting 2022, it let me put a magnifying glass on the membership processes in IFMSA, assisting potential NMOs by navigating the intricacies and avoiding common application pitfalls. This term also marked the creation of a new regional strategy that will guide the direction of the region for the next few years. Being a part of the evaluation, consultation and drafting process have undoubtedly granted me further insights into the development of the region.

My time with the regional team has been nothing short of amazing. It has shown me how a group of passionate individuals can impact those around them while striving constantly to give our AP family the very best. I was deeply inspired by everyone’s energy, dedication and passion to make our region a better place. With all that I have gained so far, I believe that it is time to step up and contribute back to the home that has changed and made me a better person. It would be my pleasure and privilege to be able to serve as your Regional Director, so that we may bring the region to greater heights, together.

Sincerely,

Shi Sien Woon 温士贤)

Shi Sien Woon (

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SHI SIEN WOON | CANDIDATURE PLAN FOR IFMSA REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR ASIA-PACIFIC 2022-2023

Plan of Action Pillar 1: Members Membership Approach countries and regions without existing NMOs The Asia-Pacific region covers the largest land mass geographically. There are more countries and regions that are yet to join our family. Focus will be placed on the rest of Southeast Asia through existing contacts through the ASEAN Medical Schools’ Network as well as reinitiating contact with the Pacific Islands.

Previously established contacts or lost contacts should be followed up on.

Facilitate development and upgrade of potential candidate members The Asia-Pacific region is always expanding and growing. As a continuation to my work as General Assistant, I will facilitate the upgrade of any new candidate NMOs. A needs assessment will be done at the start of the term to assess the development and any challenges new NMOs to IFMSA might face. OLMs will be done based on the needs assessment to identify and troubleshoot any potential issues early on.

Support and assist suspended NMOs such as TJMSA Tajikistan There is currently one suspended NMO in our region. Regular OLMs will be done to assess the progress of resolving existing issues and sharing of best practices to serve as a reference for effective NMO management. Lessons can also be learned from the reasons for the suspension to prevent similar circumstances from occurring in other NMOs.

Members Engagement Understand NMO priorities A baseline needs assessment will be sent at the beginning of the term to assess the needs and areas of focus of Asia-Pacific NMOs. This will be used to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each NMO. Our regional priorities, regional sessions and regional meeting will be tailored accordingly to the needs of our region.

Provide support and assistance to NMOs Offer and be available for consultations on request of NMOs. Work with the relevant Regional Assistants or International Teams to provide advice on any matters. Attend NMOs’ National General Assemblies.

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SHI SIEN WOON | CANDIDATURE PLAN FOR IFMSA REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR ASIA-PACIFIC 2022-2023

Maintain transparency and promote involvement in IFMSA initiatives Continue the call for observers to Regional Team Meetings so that members may get to know more about the work of the team and any initiatives of the region. This will promote the participation of AP members in IFMSA initiatives and ensure sustainability of the region when interest is triggered.

Continue NMO Buddy system for deadline reminders and voting rights tasks Work closely with the Core Regional Team to establish points of contact for Asia-Pacific NMOs. Build capacity on activities management and promote activities enrollment The Asia-Pacific region has always been strong in the activities department.

Given the gradual shift back to physical/hybrid activities, NMOs would benefit from sharing of best practices in consultation OLMs or regional sessions so that high quality activities can be enrolled and remain competitive in Activities Fairs and Rex Crossley Awards.

Pillar 2: Internal Matters Asia-Pacific Regional Team Ensure proper handover by constantly updating the handover manual It is essential that the AP RT receives a comprehensive handover at the start of the term so that they can hit the ground running and plan their goals for the term.

Ensure creation of Annual Working Plan (AWP) The AWP is the guiding document for the work of the AP RT. With the creation of the new AP Regional Strategy, the AWP will be aligned with its goals and indicators, updated periodically throughout the term. The AWP will be aligned with the newly adopted regional strategy.

Review RT composition and structure Being in the current AP RT, I was able to observe the work of my fellow RT members. A review of the RT structure will be done after consultations with relevant parties to ensure that there is better distribution of workload and that each position may perform to their full potential.

Establish good Regional Team dynamics A good working environment is essential for a team to function well. Regular team building activities or work parties will be done to foster strong bonds between team members.

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SHI SIEN WOON | CANDIDATURE PLAN FOR IFMSA REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR ASIA-PACIFIC 2022-2023

Team of Officials Represent Asia-Pacific NMOs Ensure that the opinions and concerns of AP NMOs are adequately heard and serve as a bridge for contact between the EB/TO and AP NMOs. Ensure adequate communications with other International Teams (IT) such as Public Relations and Communications and External Affairs IT. A lot of the work of the AP RT requires support and approval from relevant Officials. I will ensure that deadlines and needs are communicated adequately between parties for effective work.

Participate in EB/TO discussions and TOMs Maintain amicable relations with other EB and TO members to work on initiatives and processes in the wider IFMSA. Ensure that AP NMOs’ and general members’ interests are looked after in matters concerning the Federation.

Asia-Pacific Regional Strategy 2022-2025 Monitor the implementation of the new regional strategy Create a monitoring sheet with assigned persons-in-charge for each goal, action and indicator, with a progress report at the end of the term on the progress and/or indicators achieved.

Encourage and assist NMOs in achieving NMO goals of the regional strategy The new regional strategy was crafted with NMO involvement and ownership in mind, instead of just being Regional Team-focused. So awareness about the regional strategy and its goals will be raised among NMOs and actively followed up on to assess the implementation of the strategy.

Increase awareness on the contents and purpose of the regional strategy Promote the regional strategy after its adoption and incorporate it as an agenda in AP Academy and OLMs with NMO Presidents to serve as a point of reference for the direction of the region.

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SHI SIEN WOON | CANDIDATURE PLAN FOR IFMSA REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR ASIA-PACIFIC 2022-2023

Pillar 3: External Affairs Lead delegations to SEARO, WPRO and APMEC Coordinate

calls

for

delegations,

ensuring

gender

and

sub-regional

representation. Build the capacity of the delegation with the EA RA through preparatory OLMs and ensure equal opportunities to engage with externals through delivering statements or side events.

Ensure proper AP representation in external opportunities Work closely with VPE/LOs/EA IT to promote calls to external meetings to AP NMOs. Assess AP representation in delegations to external meetings and identify potential barriers to participation. This will produce more capacitated members to ensure sustainability of EA knowledge in the region.

Explore further partnerships and opportunities Consult with VPE, LOs and EA IT to assess potential partnerships and further opportunities such as internship, awareness and advocacy programs. Create Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) with partners to ensure sustainable and beneficial partnerships.

Maintain and strengthen ties with existing partner organizations Reach out to and work with organizations such as AMSA-I, IPSF, IVSA and APDSA. Cooperate with organizations with similar values to align advocacy efforts and curate side events in external meetings. Create, uphold and renew Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) with organizations.

Build capacity on policy making and encourage AP involvement in IFMSA policy processes Not all NMOs have an established policy process. Sessions can be done with EA RA and experienced NMOs to share their respective national NMO processes.

This will encourage NMOs to propose policies at the IFMSA level once they’re more confident.

Regional Priorities Reassess implementation of regional priorities Regional priorities highlight the focus areas or needs of the region. Given the poor engagement that we received in the past term’s Special Interest Groups, a reform is needed in the way we address the regional priorities. I believe that an output-focused event/activity can be done to produce resources that AP NMOs can utilize to further develop the priorities nationally.

Alignment with IFMSA Global Priorities and/or WHO Regional Offices’ focus areas While regional priorities should be tailored to fit the demographic it is serving, it would be beneficial to align them with the wider IFMSA priorities so that sessions or campaigns may be aligned. Overlap of regional priorities with WPRO or SEARO will create opportunities for partnerships or support from them for AP initiatives.

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SHI SIEN WOON | CANDIDATURE PLAN FOR IFMSA REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR ASIA-PACIFIC 2022-2023

Pillar 4: Activities Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting (APRM) Assist and work hand-in-hand with the OC and RT As part of the Organizing Committee of APRM 2022, I have gained valuable insight on the planning and execution of a regional meeting. I will work closely with the elected host NMO to offer my input and troubleshoot against any problems that might arise.

Maintain close communications with the elected APRM OC Communication is key when working with different parties to ensure an event runs smoothly. Good communication early on is essential to ensure that the various calls such as sessions teams, plenary teams and observers are coordinated adequately.

Continue to maintain a safe and inclusive environment The Code of Conduct Committee and COVID-19 Committee was established in APRM 2022 as a means to adapt to the new normal of regional meetings.

Coordinate with relevant Officials to open calls and guide the work of the committees.

General Assemblies Coordinate and facilitate regional sessions Curate agenda and sessions, taking into account the regional priorities. Give space for NMOs to showcase their strengths through sharing of best practices and open space discussions.

Promote participation and AP representation Send out surveys early on to assess the attendance of NMOs and any potential barriers of participation. Continue preparatory OLMs prior to GAs which have been effective in orientating NMO Presidents and heads of delegations, especially those who are new to IFMSA and its processes.

Promote and support Sub Regional Trainings (SRT) SRTs are the most accessible way, especially for members of the hosting NMO to become IFMSA-certified trainers, thus maintaining an active trainers pool within the AP region. Work closely with the CB RA to provide support and advice on the organization of the SRT. ACTION ACTION is a transnational capacity building activity in the AP region. Work closely with the SCORP RA and CB RA to ensure the sustainability of the activity and assess opportunities for further expansion. With an IOC and OC, it could serve as a learning experience for members of the IOC to host ACTION, or even RMs and GAs in the future.

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CANDIDATURE PLAN FOR IFMSA REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR ASIA-PACIFIC 2022-2023

Shi Sien Woon ( )

温士贤

Educational Experience Curriculum Vitae Personal Information NMO: SMMAMS-Malaysia University: University of Malaya Nationality: Malaysian

2018 - present University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)

2016 - 2017

Cambridge GCE A Level

Sunway College Johor Bahru, Malaysia

IFMSA Meetings August Meeting 2019, Taiwan SCORE Session

General Assemblies

Date of birth: 28th September 1998

March Meeting 2020, Rwanda SCOME Session, Activities Fair Presenter ERASE 2019

Contact number: +60177221888

August Meeting Online General Assembly 2020 NMO Management Session

E-mail: shisien.woon@gmail.com

March Meeting Online General Assembly 2021 Presidents’ Session

Facebook: facebook.com/shisien.woon

August Meeting Hybrid General Assembly 2021 Presidents’ Session, Head of Delegation

Languages: Mandarin (Native) English (Fluent) Malay (Fluent)

IFMSA in Numbers General Assemblies Regional Meetings External Meetings

March Meeting Hybrid General Assembly 2022 Presidents’ Session, Head of Delegation Regional Meetings

Asia-Pacific Week 2020 SCOME Session

Online Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting 2021 Presidents' Session Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting 2022 Presidents' Session Team External Meetings

71st WHO Western Pacific Regional Committee Meeting 2020 IFMSA Delegation

75th Youth Pre World Health Assembly and WHO World Health Assembly 2021 IFMSA Delegation, UHC Advocacy Working Group

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SHI SIEN WOON | CANDIDATURE PLAN FOR IFMSA REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR ASIA-PACIFIC 2022-2023

IFMSA Experience General Assistant for Asia-Pacific 2021-2022 Membership Review Committee, March Meeting 2022 Vice-Chairperson, Asia-Pacific Regional Plenary, March Meeting 2022 Coordinator, SWG on Evaluation of Asia-Pacific Regional Strategy 2018-2021 Coordinator, Asia-Pacific Special Interest Group on Gender Equity Code of Conduct Committee, Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting 2022

NMO Experience 2021 - 2022 Chairperson (NMO President) Advisor, APRM 2022 2020 - 2021 Activities Director NORE

Miscellaneous Petaling district health office student volunteering project (COVID-19 data management): Coordinator Op-Ed article on COVID-19 vaccination for medical students: Coordinator Planetary Health: Healthy Planet, Healthy Life: Head of Liaison APRM 2022 bidding committee: External Affairs & Logistics SMMAMS x InciSioN Malaysia Policy Writing Workshop: Facilitator Asia Pacific Meaningful Student Involvement (MSI) 4 All: Participant

University of Malaya Medical Society (UM MEDSOC) Experience 2020 - 2021 Vice President for External Affairs 2019 - 2020 Secretary

Miscellaneous 2022

2021

Asia-Pacific Medical Education Conference (APMEC): Organising Committee Student Liaison, Symposium Speaker UM MEDSOC delegation to the Asia Pacific Medical Education Conference (APMEC): Head of delegation UM MEDSOC Strategy Drafting Team

2020

An Insight into Medicine (AIM): Project Director UM Medical Curriculum Review Team

2019

Eradicate AIDS and Stigma for Equality: Project Director Organs for Love Jogathon: Treasurer KeepAble Cancer Walk: Treasurer A Dialysis Outreach Programme for 11 Transplantation (aDOPT): Emcee

SHI SIEN WOON | CANDIDATURE PLAN FOR IFMSA REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR ASIA-PACIFIC 2022-2023

THANK YOU, TERIMA KASIH,

SALAMAT, ขอบคุณ,

ありがとうございました, РАҚМЕТ, 謝謝你, ধন্যবাদ, ‫شکریہ‬, நன்றி,

RAHMAT, РАХМАТ, CẢM ƠN

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