Over the last few months I received a couple of info and concerns regarding Occupational Health specialist training. Previously, in order for you to become a Occuptional Health Specialist, you need to do the 4 year Master in Public Health ( Occupational Medicine) in UM, UKM or USM. However, I was informed that beginning last year or 2009 intake, this programme has been removed and another programme known as DrPh ( Doctor of Public Health) has been introduced. This is a 3 year programme where you need to publish at least 2 papers in international journals to graduate. Before entering this programme, you need to do 1 year of Master’s in Public Health. If you do not complete DrPh, you will not be known as Public Health Specialist and not eligible to receive specialist allowance.
Previously, there use to be Master’s in Public Health: MPH ( occupational Medicine), MPH ( epidemiology) MPH ( Hospital Management) etc etc but all these has been removed and everyone will just be known as Public Health Specialist with DrPh. I find this rather backwards in planning. Most of these Public Health Specialist will just end up doing administrative work in Ministry of Health as they will be lumped together. How will MOH decide who will function as Occupational Health specialist and who will function as epidemiologist? I am not sure what actually happened and why did they make these changes. Who are the people involved in the discussion and was everyone consulted? Oops, forgot, we are in Malaysia.
NIOSH do offer courses to become Occupational Health Doctors but NOT a specialist. Many GPs and Medical Officers are doing this 1 week course and calling themselves Occupational Health Doctor!! The government does not seem to be paying much attention to the importance of Occupational Health Specialist. Probably, that’s the reason why we are seeing so many industrial accidents in our country. In most industrialised countries, occupational health specialist plays an important role in preventing any accidents. The laws are also very strict in occupational safety. As usual in bolehland, something major has to happen before the politicians start to act. Probably they are not bothered as most of our factory workers are foreigners from 3rd world countries! Talking about developed and high income nation by 2020? Poooodah…………………
Below, I have attached the 2 emails that I had received over the last 2 months concerning the frustration that has occurred among the budding Occupational Health Specialists:
Email 1:
THANKS for taking time to blog.
Ur experience and sharing are both invaluable and interesting.
I am interested to take up Occupational Medicine as part of the specialized field under Public Health. However, the feedback I got from seniors are very shocking.
For the benefits of other students and readers.. I shall share this:
1) There is no more route to become Occupational Physician in Malaysia besides the OHD course by NIOSH as the MPH(Occ Health) has been removed and replaced by DrPH.
Our most established Uni Malaya is no exception.
DrPH is a license to be a PUBLIC HEALTH Specialist NOT a Occupational Physician.
2) Since MOH has upgraded MPH (OH) to DrPH…the standard is totally different from those days. It is NO LONGER attachment at work site….factory, DOSH, SOCSO….etc…
but GUESS WHAT??? Need to do Public Health Research work in the span of 3 years including publishing papers in International Journals. Uni Malaya is pushing the candidates to the max….even the supervisors are helpless having to meet the KPI. Quite a number of candidates are unable to get approval from their supervisors for research grant given that the failure to publish the papers by the DrPH candidate would further reduce their subsequent research grant of the lecturers.
3) Was told that only 3 local uni have Occupational Health Unit: UM, UKM, USM. However, regardless which Uni you go, DrPH will NOT qualify you as Occ Health Physician.
OHD offered by NIOSH remains the ONLY way to be a Occupational Health Doctor in Malaysia. It is a short course preferred by GP looking for panels from Multinational companies….
4) Whether this field can progress in Malaysia is another issue. Many if NOT all companies in Malaysia engage Occ Health service merely to adhere to the law…not so much to safeguard the safety and health of the employees.
5) It is high time to rebrand public health services beyond health promotion and health education. Who is going to advocate that? Besides CDC, Epid, Outbreak control…..can public health doctors do more? Besides Needlestick injury…can Unit Keselamatan Pekerjaan do something more…?
Whether it is in clinical or public health….it really takes someone to make a CHANGE to the old system in order to serve the public better…
THANK YOU !
Comment 2:
Hi Dr P,
Firstly I am really happy and ‘lucky’ to come across your web page. It is really informative and rich in substance. Thank you so much Dr P.
I am currently pursuing my doctorate in public health (by default) in one of our local unis. I wish to stress at this point that my area of interest was and will always be Occupational Medicine. Unfortunately our country doesn’t recognize this field as a sub-specialty nor occupational physicians in the clinical aspect. Most of them end up in some state/district health office as public health doctors confined to administrative duties. To make matters worse certificate courses being conferred by NIOSH (9 day courses!!) to GP’s have subsequently resulted in ‘questionable’ credibility of occupational health doctors out in the field. Initially there was a MPH(occupational Health)-4 yr programme offered by UM and USM, unfortunately now they have so called ‘upgraded’ it to a doctorate programme in general public health. Most of us were aghast with the MOH’s abrupt overnight decision to transform the MPH(OH) into a Public Health Doctorate programme. End of the day we get conferred a Public Health Specialist status which sounds good on paper but prospect of becoming credible a OH physician becomes hampered. I am keeping my options open in Australia and New Zealand on practicing OH in their setup. If you have any info on my taking another accredited OH degree or practicing OH in another country who may really appreciate my services pls be free to let me know.
Thank so much Dr P
Ex-paulian- DR B
