Shimran Kishore (right) with her friend Christila Chetty at FNU’s Tamavua Campus.

Despite her demure nature, the pride and joy of receiving her graduation certificate from the Fiji National University (FNU) was evident on Shimran Sylvia Kishore’s face as she took pictures in her graduation attire.

Kishore and 1640 other students who were to have graduated last year could not have a traditional ceremony due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, these students can now pick up their certificates from FNU’s Tamavua Campus until the end of this week.

Kishore, 21, graduated with a Bachelor of Medical Imaging Science from the University’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences (CMNHS).

“I am so proud of this day. Even though it is not the ceremony we prepared for, I am still honoured to receive this certificate as a physical representation of completing my studies,” she said.

“Three years of studies and sacrifices and today I get to celebrate and reflect on what I have achieved.”

An alumna of Rishikul Primary School and Rishikul Sanatan College, Kishore said she developed an interest in the field of medical imaging in high school.

“I would learn about this field through what I watched in movies or read on the internet and I decided to do more research as my passion grew.”

“I was quite excited to find out that FNU’s CMNHS offered this programme and had no second thoughts about enrolling in this course after secondary school.”

Kishore said having a nurturing and enhancing environment on campus made her University experience both educational and exciting.

“I had great lecturers and good friends,” she recalled.

“The lecturers were very accommodating and still made time for our questions outside of the classroom. They were always willing to answer all our queries.”

“It’s one thing to enjoy your programme but when you have classmates, friends and lecturers who are ready to help and want everyone to excel in school then your learning experience becomes more impactful and cherished.”

Having to undergo practical attachments as part of FNU’s core learning component was an added advantage to her learning, Kishore said.

“I did practical at CWM Hospital and at health centres such as at Valelevu and Nausori. We were rotated during our attachments, so I got to work at different places and learnt a lot.”

“Medical Imaging deals with x-rays, ultrasounds and CT (computerised tomography) scans and these are very useful applications used to diagnose disorders and diseases people experience so I’m glad to play a crucial role when concerned with people’s health.”

Kishore said she hopes to work as a radiographer at one of Fiji’s hospitals and plans to pursue further studies in a few years.

The Bachelor of Medical Imaging Science is one of about 300 programmes offered at FNU, a dual-sector university that provides vocational education and training and higher education programmes in Fiji and the Pacific region. Enrolment for Semester 1, 2021 is now underway.