Alumna: Dheeya Rizmie
Dheeya Rizmie
BSc Biomedical Science
Dheeya is from Malaysia and graduated in 2014
Dheeya’s background and a bit about why she chose Warwick
“I was originally born in Malaysia (my mother is Malaysian and my father is Sri Lankan). I started my schooling in Japan, until my father was transferred to Hong Kong where I went to an International school for my (I)GCSEs. After completing my A-levels in Brighton, I opted to continue my higher education in the UK. At the time, I wanted to pursue a career in medicine and, as with other applicants, I chose Biomedical Sciences as a back-up degree. I was fortunate to have been advised that "you need to be 100% sure you wanted to study medicine, being 95% sure is not enough". Although I had secured places to study medicine, I decided not to pursue them until I was absolutely sure. This proved to be a very good decision, as I subsequently discovered my reasons for pursuing medicine were more appropriately aligned with Global Public Health. I chose Warwick as there was something about the campus-university feel that I admired. I don't have any concrete or logical reasons to why I opted for Warwick - it was a general feeling/pull towards the University. I remember sitting in on a university talk in year 9 in Hong Kong and knew I was completely sold!”
Dheeya’s first impressions of Warwick
“How pretty!! A campus university is a great way to step into the real world with just a little bit of a safety net!”
What did Dheeya like most about the University and her degree?
“It broadened by understanding of what is out there in the world, and that exposure put me on my current career trajectory.”
What does Dheeya feel she gained from her degree?
“The biggest part and impact of my degree was discovering a world beyond medicine and a hospital. It exposed me to a field that aligned with my interests that I did not know about to start with and set me on a path that works very well for me.”
What is Dheeya doing now?
“After completing my degree at Warwick, I pursued my Master's in Public Health (Global Health) at Imperial College London (completed in Sept 2015). I further geared towards working to bridge human health and climate change and, as a result, worked in Communications at the Carbon Trust to gain a more in-depth understanding of the environmental sector. I was subsequently offered a 3-month internship at the World Health Organisation in Geneva to support planning functions across the global response to the Zika virus emergency and yellow fever outbreak. Following this successful internship, I was hired to serve as a Technical Officer supporting the Incident Manager at HQ for the Emergency Yellow Fever Response. I am now in my second year (April 2019) of a PhD at Imperial College Business School.”
What else did Dheeya do during her time at Warwick?
“Warwick RAG, Warwick International Development Summit 2012, TEDx Warwick 2014, Co- founder of Warwick Women for Women International (started in 2012/13).”
What advice would Dheeya give to prospective students?
“Go in with no expectations and come out with a ton of experiences! Anything and everything you do will help you and contribute to your personal and professional future; so always look for opportunities. Opportunities are plentiful at Warwick.”