June 6, 2023, by Mei Kee Lee

Alumni Testimonial – Lee Yin Teng (2016)

Lee Yin Teng (MPharm 2+2 class of 2016) is currently a Multi-Social media Account Manager
Describe your career path and experience after graduating from the University of Nottingham.
After graduating from the University of Nottingham….. Oh great, here starts my fascinating working life! I’ve done all sorts of things as a pharmacist: listening to all sorts of morning after pill stories, experienced the thrill of facing dilemmas you’ve only heard from case studies, met one of the most combative patients, caught people stealing medicines and goods, ‘First Aid’ing a bleeding ear, helping and calming a patient going through a severe allergic reaction, receiving Christmas card from patients who’d been aggressive to everyone, having patient rely and entrust you for help while going through physical abuse, felt the cold hands of a helpless mother thanking you for your reassurance…
My journey and roles?
Collingham Pharmacy, UK Pre-registration Pharmacist,2016
Boots Pharmacy, UK Relief Pharmacist,2017
Lloyds Pharmacy, UK Store-based Pharmacist,2019
Lincolnshire Co-op Pharmacy, UK Pharmacist Manager,2020
Joltic Ecommerce Sdn Bhd, Malaysia Multi-social media Account Manager,2022
Oh no! How did I went from a Pharmacist to an E-commerce marketing account manager???!!!! What happened? Why?? (Keep reading ^.^)
What made you choose to pursue your degree at University of Nottingham?
Of course, it’s because the campus has such a beautiful landscape creating the feel that I can just have fun, enjoy the facilities, relax with the greenery around me, focus on having a fruitful university life and get my entrance ticket to be a healthcare professional!
The School of Pharmacy at University of Nottingham is consistently ranked as one of the top pharmacy schools in the United Kingdom as well as the world! As I am writing this, I proudly say that I graduated from one of the best School of Pharmacies in the world!
Besides appealing to me in terms of the campus and ranking, I realised that the University of Nottingham pays much attention to alumni career progression and supports are forever available for alumni if you choose to reach out. They organised activities to connect with the alumni, aiming to continuously widen alumni possibilities and opportunities even after they physically left the school. Over time, one would appreciate the power of network and the convenience it adds to our lives.
What did you love most about your student life? May we have a recount of your fondest memory of it?
During my time at the university, I remember the abundance of flyers on activities taking place every week. There were numerous local and international events to participate in, which kept me from ever feeling bored. The sports centre was one of my favourite facilities in the uni, as it provided full access to all available sports. I enjoyed exploring a variety of sports and staying active. Eventually, I settled on playing volleyball and nearly made it to the tri-campus tournament, where students from all three campuses (UK, Malaysia, Ningbo) compete in friendly matches.
Taking part in the AISEC Taiwan organic farming project, I gained knowledge on soils and vegetables, and experienced farming and chasing after chickens. While I was there, I also joined an END POLIO NOW biking project and cycled around the Taiwan island to raise funds for Polio treatments worldwide. What has it got to do with my MPharm degree? These experiences taught me that the most crucial life skills are the willingness to explore and the eagerness to learn. The university’s open atmosphere provides us with continuous encouragement to pursue opportunities, gain valuable life experiences, and become individuals who are not only ready for work but also successful in life.
Another precious experience I had was joining Prof. Ting’s Water4Life project based at an aboriginal Penan Village in a deep Borneo rainforest of Sarawak. We were a group of students from the School of Pharmacy and the School of Engineering, motivated to improve the quality of life of the Penans, in terms of hygiene, health and facilities. This cross collaboration made me realised that small actions and efforts we contribute can lead to a meaningful and positive impact on the lives of others.
These are not experiences you can get by attending lectures, labs or conferences. These are the sort of valuable life experiences that shape us bit by bit, preparing us for life and the society.
How did your degree at University of Nottingham prepared you for your career?
I appreciate the fact that UoN has broaden my vision – to see the society and the world in a multi perspective; guided me carefully – to achieve being successful in our career; and provided opportunities for me to explore, and not just studies.
Graduating from the School of Pharmacy, UoN was a great challenge but definitely worthwhile! As I received my degree certificate, a pre-reg offer awaited me, and upon passing my pre-registration exam, I was presented with a job offer. As I progressed from being a pharmacy student to a pharmacist manager, I felt confident in my ability to fulfil my duties, complete tasks and meet my responsibilities. I am excited about making positive changes to the pharmacy, delivering esteemed services and care to patients, and, of course, enjoying the perks of receiving bonus and salaries, which allows me travel around Europe and buy my first home.
What are the most rewarding and challenging aspects of your career?
During this wonderful journey, I have encountered situations where my professional judgement has been challenged by others, patients who have directed blame and verbal abuse towards me, feeling helpless with work politics. There are also times where I have felt pressured to make decisions. I am very lucky to have friends to share all these with, and then we realised that most of us encountered similar experiences – these are typical in the working life matey! Overcome it and we will continue to flourish.
After fulfilling my achievements as a pharmacist and having lived in the UK for 7 years, I realised that I missed out lots of memorable times with my parents. Hence, I decided to come back to Malaysia and start a completely new yet interesting career. I came back to learn about social media marketing and am now an Account Manager for an E-commerce company. Achieving a family-work-life balance.
What is your advice to current or prospective students?
If you have strong interest in pursuing a career as a pharmacist or desire to excel in the pharmaceutical industry, the University of Nottingham is the perfect choice. If you are still unsure what you want to do, go ahead and explore before making any decision.
However, trust me. Being a university student is definitely not just about acquiring a degree certificate that grants a job. Enjoy your life as a university student, and work on your problem-solving skills through different activities. All employers seek candidates who has the ability to learn actively and tackle problem effectively, as having a degree has become quite common nowadays.
Be open-minded, trust your heart and gut as it will guide you to where you truly want to be. Believe in yourself, BELIEVE in yourself, BELIEVE in YOURSELF!
P/S: Life is not about finding a stable job and raising a family tirelessly, it is to achieve financial freedom and realizing the purest childhood dreams we have always harboured.
Posted in AlumniExperience SharingMPharm