Kota Samarahan, 21 August 2025 – Postgraduate students from various medical and public health disciplines participated in a focused seminar titled “Structuring Your Thesis for Success”, held at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). The session was facilitated by Prof. Dr. Philip Robert Arthur Baker, Professor of Epidemiology at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia, and a long-standing mentor to the FMHS Research Clusters.
Organised by the Postgraduate Medical Education (PGMed) Committee, the seminar provided participants with practical tools and guidance for improving the structure, clarity, and coherence of their thesis. The content focused on aligning research questions with objectives, ensuring logical chapter flow, and avoiding common structural pitfalls. Prof. Baker guided the audience through key strategies, including the application of systematic review principles such as clearly defined inclusion criteria, transparent search strategies, and appropriate methods for synthesising and presenting findings. He also emphasised the importance of consistently following standardised guidelines—such as PRISMA for systematic reviews and STROBE for observational studies—to help uphold academic rigour and produce organised, examinable theses.
The seminar attracted a diverse group of attendees, including DrPH, MPH, and PhD candidates, academic staff, and health professionals with interests ranging from adolescent health and occupational safety to infectious diseases and forensic sciences. Their varied research backgrounds enriched the discussion and reflected the cross-disciplinary value of strong academic writing skills.
This seminar forms part of PGMed UNIMAS’s broader commitment to strengthening postgraduate research training. In addition to improving methodological rigour, the initiative underscores the importance of scientific communication in producing research that is examinable, publishable, and impactful. The focus on realignment, clarity, and narrative logic ensures that students are better equipped to navigate the final stages of thesis development with confidence.
📩 For future seminars or enquiries, contact: pgmedunimas@gmail.com
