The efforts of students and their advisors from the Faculty of Medicine Universitas Brawijaya FKUB) again resulted in superb achievements in an international forum. The FKUB delegates brought home the trophy for 2nd Runner Up, as well as Silver and Bronze Medals from the Siriraj International Microbiology, Parasitology, and Immunology Competition (SIMPIC) 2023, which was held on March 2nd – 5th, 2023 by the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok Thailand.
SIMPIC 2023 this year was the first time this auspicious competition held offline, after being organized online for the past three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, SIMPIC 2023 was attended by 50 teams from 9 countries di Asia, including Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, Taiwan, China, and Bangladesh. The competition consisted of the Qualifying Round, Second Round, Solar System (Semifinal Round), and Final Round.
In this year’s competition, FKUB sent 12 delegates which was divided into 3 teams. These delegates included:
Grup A:
- Sebastian Emmanuel Willyanto
- Yohanes Audric Alimsjah
- Ni Nyoman Triana Widhiastuti
- Sarah Ann Boswell
Grup B:
- Athalia Celine Tjendra
- Michelle Antonia Herryanto
- Syayida Roisatus Zahiro
- Qanitha Ailsya Rayhanna
Grup C:
- Gustav Dasa Sitompul
- Qonita Qurani
- Jeremy Alvaro Christabel
- Krisanto Tanjaya
The preparation for this competition had begun in early of December 2022, initiated by the student selection, which was facilitated and supported by the Asian Medical Student Asscociation (AMSA) FKUB. Next, the chosen students who passed the selection underwent intensive training with the support and guidance of the advisors from the fields of Microbiology (dr. Siwipeni Irmawanti Rahayu, M.Biomed, Sp.MK, dr. Yuanita Mulyastuti, M.Si., and dr. Andrew William Tulle, M.Sc.), Parasitology (dr. Aulia Rahmi Pawestri, Ph.D. and Dr. Nuning Winaris, M.Sc.), and Immunology (dr. Perdana Aditya Rahman, Sp.PD-KR, dr. Mirza Zaka Pratama, M.Biomed., Sp.PD, and Dr. dr. Cesarius Singgih Wahono, SpPD-KR). To get the students accustomed to answer the SIMPIC-type questions, the process of training was topped with a simulation, by arranging rounds and questions similar to the real SIMPIC.
The hard works were fruitful since all three delegate teams from FKUB made it into the semifinal round after beating the other 30 teams. After four rounds of semifinals, one FKUB team manned by Gustav, Krisanto, Jeremy, and Qonita, advanced to the final round to fight against 4 other teams from Thailand (Khon Khaen University and Chiang Mai University) and Indonesia (Universitas Airlangga and Universitas Lambung Mangkurat).
After enduring an electrifying final round, Gustav et al managed to secure the 2nd Runner Up in this competition, while the winner and 2nd runner up was held by the teams from Khon Khaen University, Thailand, and Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia, respectively. Moreover, in this occasion, two FKUB delegates also brought home the medals for individual achievements as the highest scores during the Qualifying Round, as the Silver Medal by Gustav Dasa Sitompul and the Bronze Medal by Syadida Roisatus Zahiro.
When interviewed by the Public Relation of FKUB, dr. Aulia Rahmi Pawestri, Ph.D., as one of the advisors that accompanied the FKUB delegates in Thailand, expressed her biggest gratitude to all the advisors who wholeheartedly guided and trained the students, the delegates who gave their best and maximum efforts, as well as the student committee from AMSA FKUB who facilitated the selection and training in FKUB. These accomplishments also materialized from the continuous support of the leaders in FKUB, particularly dr. Eriko Prawestiningtyas, Sp.F as the Vice Dean for Student Affairs, and dr. Triwahju Astuti,M.Kes., Sp.P(K) as the Head of the Bachelor Study Program of Medicine, for their assistance regarding the departure of the delegates and advisors.
When asked about the impression, tips, and preparations of the delegates, dr Aulia mentioned that this event can be attended by all students who have special interests in tropical medicine and immunology. “We are extremely proud of all the FKUB delegates who gave their best efforts, and we hope they all gained a precious experience and had lots of fun during this whole event. We also hope that the achievements this year will motivate other students in FKUB, especially those with a special interest in Tropical Infections, to improve their abilities, and at the same time motivate the advisors to improve the advisory and training programs to achieve even higher accomplishments in the coming years.”
