UNAIR NEWS – A student from the Faculty of Medicine at Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) has made another impressive achievement. Maxwell Salvador Surya secured second place in the Outstanding Student Selection (Pilmapres) competition for the undergraduate program at LLDIKTI VII East Java.

“I never imagined representing UNAIR in such a prestigious event, and I am grateful to have secured second place against tough competitors,” Surya told the UNAIR NEWS team on Wednesday, July 24, 2024.

Long selection process
Surya explained that his journey to this achievement was arduous. He had to go through a lengthy selection process, starting from the faculty level, progressing to the university level, and finally representing UNAIR at the provincial level. Various achievements were considered in the evaluation for this competition.

“Initially, I wanted to step out of my comfort zone by bravely registering for Pilmapres this time. In the initial selection stages, applicants are chosen to represent their faculty at the university level and then proceed to the national level,” Surya explained.

It was not as simple as it sounds. Surya had to compete against many peers from different faculties, all of whom had impressive accomplishments. However, these challenges did not dampen his spirit to bring honor to UNAIR.

“Each selection stage had its own challenges, especially since other students from various UNAIR faculties also had impressive track records. At the university level, I managed to outperform candidates from the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Advanced Technology and Multidiscipline,” Surya said.

Highlighting mental health issues
In the competition, the student from Surabaya presented the idea of mindfulness meditation therapy based on the Internet of Things (IoT) as a holistic solution to mental health issues. Surya proposed this concept because he sees mental health problems as a complex issue in society.

“This idea stemmed from my concern about mental health in Indonesia. Each year, the prevalence of mental health issues in Indonesia increases significantly. This is partly because many survivors are reluctant to be open about their mental health problems due to the negative stigma in society,” Surya explained.

Surya hopes his proposed innovation can be implemented as a solution to mental health issues in society. He also hopes that mental health survivors can receive more support from their environment and the broader community.

Parental blessings
Surya is known for his impressive achievements. He attributes his success to the support of his parents. He feels fortunate to have parents who support him in every step he takes.

“Whenever I participate in any competition or event, I always seek my parents’ prayers and blessings. Their support has undoubtedly played a significant role in my accomplishments,” he said.

He also expressed gratitude to FK UNAIR for their constant support and assistance during every stage of the selection process. This support enabled him to represent UNAIR at the LLDIKTI Provincial level. “I hope my journey does not stop here, and I can secure the top prize at the national level in this year’s Pilmapres,” he concluded.

Author: Satrio Dwi Naryo

Editor: Edwin Fatahuddin 

Source : https://unair.ac.id/en/unair-medical-student-wins-2nd-place-in-pilmapres-lldikti-vii-east-java-2024/