Thorough Preparation for Salwa Sabrina to Achieve Achievements in the 13th SIMPIC 2024

Salwa Sabrina, a student from the Faculty of Medicine, Lambung Mangkurat University (FK ULM), won an individual bronze medal at the 13rd Siriraj International Medical Microbiology, Parasitology, and Immunology Competition (SIMPIC) 2024, becoming ULM’s first international achievement in 2024. In the competition held by Mahidol University , Thailand which took place from 18 to 21 January, Salwa together with Raudha Rizkiafillah, and Chedira Clairine also received the Honorable Mentions award.

Salwa Sabrina, who is familiarly called Salwa, is happy to win and be able to make her alma mater proud. “Thank God, we were still able to bring individual medals,” he said. This event, which brings together students from all over the world, certainly brought concerns to Salwa’s mind at the start of her preparations. She admitted that the journey in preparation for this competition was very complicated for her, especially since Salwa, who was a final student, was busy with her final college assignment. “With limited time in preparation and I am faced with a final assignment (thesis), I try to allocate time to discuss with my friends.” However, with the support of those closest to her, including parents, colleagues who were also part of the competition or not, and lecturers who always provided various materials, Salwa departed with high confidence to be able to pass this international event well and obtain maximum results.  Moreover, lessons in the fields of microbiology, parasitology and immunology have been obtained during lectures.

The opportunity to participate in this competition is a valuable experience that not everyone can experience. The students from husband and wife team Jaka Waluya and Dewi Shanti learned many things in the process, from preparation to the final results obtained. A solid team is the key to success in team competitions. Apart from that, meeting various kinds of personalities from all over the country is also an interesting thing for him. “It feels very fun, because we can meet many people from various other countries. Apart from that, we can find out about the education system of other campuses, as well as simple things such as discussing regional food.”

It is hoped that the achievements obtained by Salwa and her friends will provide motivation to younger students who can become the successors to achievers, especially in the SIMPIC event. According to Salwa, this will always happen if there is the will and consistency in preparing oneself. Apart from that, the importance of togetherness in the team is also the main point in participating in this competition. In the future, he plans to continue taking part in other competitions that he can still participate in and continue to help future delegations who will participate in SIMPIC events in the following years.