Interview with AVMS Vice President, Fatihah Abdussalam:

The AVMS Skill Up program, organized by the Vice President of AVMS, is approaching its final day on Saturday, October 28, 2023. We had the opportunity to interview the Vice President after the second day of the event to discuss their thoughts on how the program has been progressing.

VNO: Please introduce yourself.

VP: I am Fatihah Abdussalam, a DVM IV student at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, and the Vice President of the Association of Veterinary Medical Students, UI.

VNO: How has the process of organizing the AVMS Skill UP program been, and what are your feelings about it?

VP: Organizing the Skill UP program has been a long-cherished endeavour. I was initially uncertain about how our association's members would respond to this new initiative. Our primary goal was to provide our members with skills they could benefit from in the long term, empowering them. I'm pleased to see that members have enthusiastically engaged and participated on the first and second days of the program. I'm delighted that the program is finally being executed.

VNO: Can you comment on whether the Tech Skill Up Program held today met your expectations?

VP: Yes, the Tech Skill Up Program not only met but exceeded my expectations. The facilitators from GDSC were outstanding. They covered the basics comprehensively and shared valuable tools for data analysis. Additionally, they informed us about opportunities for furthering our knowledge in this area. It was a highly productive session.

VNO: What led to the selection of data analysis among various tech topics?

VP: The choice of data analysis for the Skill UP program was not solely my decision. It was selected through a majority vote among the association's members in a conducted poll.

VNO: Considering today's Tech Skill Up program and the one scheduled for next week, how do you envision these data analysis sessions benefiting veterinary medical students?

VP: I believe data analysis is a skill with broad applications. Veterinary students can easily pick up this skill and build a career with it if they wish. Data analysis is particularly relevant in veterinary medicine, especially in the field of public health. Additionally, veterinary students often undertake projects that require data analysis skills to draw meaningful conclusions.

VNO: Did you possess any data analysis skills before participating in this program?

VP: I had some prior knowledge about data analysis, but this program has significantly enhanced my skills in this area.

VNO: Thank you for your time.

VP: Thank you for having me.