I cannot emphasise how much IMU has shaped my life, future, and me as a person.
I began my Biomedical Science degree programme in 2018, with little to no knowledge on research. I did not even know how to use a micropipette properly. I remember struggling in the lab, until a dedicated lecturer stood there and taught me the basics, from holding the instrument to operating it.
Right from the start of my IMU journey to the end, I had a mentor, Dr Anil Philip Kunnath who not only checked in on me even during the pandemic, but he constantly expressed how proud he was of every minor achievement I had back then. Being surrounded by lecturers like Dr Anil, especially being a direct mentor, was very encouraging.
In IMU, we were always encouraged to join extra-curricular activities, and only at this point in my career now, I understand how important that was. I was exposed to several roles, from being the Fundraising Director for IMU Society of Biomedical Science (ISBS) to becoming the Chairperson of the 11th National Symposium of Biomedical Science 2021. I went from having the most minute role in a society to becoming the leader of a nationwide conference. Again, I knew nothing about leadership, being a 21-year-old undergraduate. The pandemic did not make it any easier in event planning, but the journey in IMU was all about learning.
Speaking of the pandemic, I was in Semester 4 when Covid-19 entered our lives and swept us right off our feet. Everything moved so quickly back then that the overwhelming feeling of transitioning from physical to online platforms took a toll on my mental health. There were too many uncertainties. I remember at that time the faculty did everything they could to hear us out, postponing examinations and providing leniency that helped me cope during that tough period. All the lecturers were also always available when we needed to reach them remotely. It was a tough phase for everyone, but their dedication in making sure they still give us the best they could was very admirable.
During my degree, I started getting an idea of the job scopes I might consider after graduation. Our modules were designed in a way that I was exposed to a bit of everything, and I roughly had an idea that research is something I see myself doing. I was curious and excited to learn but was also very easily demotivated by failed experiments during my Final Year Project. To this, I have my then supervisor, Dr Shamala Salvamani to thank as she sat me down and told me that learning to troubleshoot is a trait I should develop to be a successful scientist, and I reminded myself of her words even today when my experiments fail.