Just when everyone is talking about the 5 year moratorium of medical colleges, here comes another advertisement in the Star:
Royal College of Medicine Perak has a long history. It started off as Sheffield University in 1998, the first branch campus of a foreign university. Unfortunately it failed due to financial reasons as well as the fact that Sheffield was unable to receive GMC accreditation. It was then taken over by the Perak state government and used UM’s curriculum and offered UM degree. Subsequently it was taken over by UniKL. As I have said earlier, the 5 year moratorium is of no use as the existing medical colleges will continue to expand and recruit more students. This advert just proves what I had said. By having another collaboration, the university can increase their student intake, which means that they will have 2 sets of students, one following the local UM degree and another using the twinning programme with Salem university!!
The below article also appeared in Star on the same day:
Second degree in medicine
By ALYCIA LIM
educate@thestar.com.my
STUDENTS who have completed their first degree in the science field can soon pursue a a graduate degree in medicine with Perdana University Graduate School of Medicine (Pugsom), which will open its doors for the first intake of students in September.
Adopting the full model of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Johns Hopkins) in Maryland, the United States (US), the institution will be using the “Genes to Society” curriculum, which encourages students to explore the biological properties of a patient’s health within a larger integrated system of social, cultural, psychological and environmental variables for its four-year doctor of medicine (MD) degree.
At an information session on the institution recently, Pugsom dean and chief executive officer Prof Dr Charles Wiener explained, “The benefits of going into medicine after the first degree is that students would have a greater sense of altruism, and they would be more prepared for the course.
“Because of their maturity and academic preparation, the curriculum can also be more demanding, and allows for more research to be done.”
Prof Wiener says that the university would only have an intake of about 100 students a year to ensure the quality of graduates.
He added that the graduate school, which would be the first in Malaysia to offer a US structured medical education, was a separate entity of its own.
“While we are working very closely as partners with Johns Hopkins, Pugsom is a Malaysian university, not a branch campus,” he said.
However, he said, half of the initial teaching staff at the institution would come from Johns Hopkins.
Despite its campus size of 130 acres (52.6ha), the institution would only have an intake of about 100 students a year to ensure the quality of graduates.
“If we have to, I think 125 students per intake is about as high as we go, because beyond that you cannot treat every student as an individual,” Prof Wiener said.
He added that anyone with a first degree in a science-related field could apply.
However, as a baseline, applicants are required to sit for the US Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).
“At the moment, we are quite flexible with the applications because we understand that this system is new in Malaysia.”
He added that the applicant’s background also played a big role in terms of gaining admission to the institution.
“We are not looking for someone who has all the A’s but has no experience and cannot relate to people. This is because as a doctor, you would be working with people all the time,” he said.
The institution’s main campus and teaching hospital are scheduled for completion in 2014.
In the meantime, students will be placed at the interim campus in Serdang.
The students will be doing their medical placements in 2013 in five hospitals allocated by the Health Ministry; namely Putrajaya Hospital, Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital (Seremban), Bentong Hospital (Pahang), Likas Women and Children’s Hospital and Beaufort Hospital, both in Sabah.
The Johns Hopkins University has campuses in China, Singapore and Italy. This is the first foray for the School of Medicine outside the US.
During her visit to Malaysia last year, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin witnessed the signing of collaboration, affiliation and licensing agreements between the Academic Medical Centre Sdn Bhd, Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medicine International.
It is interesting to note that the dean himself has officially announced that Perdana University is NOT a branch campus but merely a collaboration!! So, why is this university offering a local, non-recognised degree for RM 1 million? I must say that John Hopkins’ is NOT stupid. It is our PM who is making a fool out of himself!
Have anyone wondered where the money to support this university is going to come from? The tax payers! Just see the advert below which was just released by JPA:
PROGRAM PENAJAAN PELAJAR PERUBATAN KE UNIVERSITI PERDANA
” Saudara/ saudari adalah calon yang telah di senarai pendekkan oleh pihak Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA) untuk mengikuti Program Penajaan Pelajar Perubatan JPA Ke Universiti Perdana bagi program Universiti Perdana (UP) – Perdana University Graduate School of Medicine (PUGSOM) / Universiti Perdana (UP) – Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) bermula semester pengajian September 2011. Program UP-PUGSOM adalah bagi calon lepasan Ijazah Sarjana Muda Sains. Manakala program UP-RCSI adalah bagi calon lepasan STPM/ Matrikulasi/ Asasi/ A-Level /AUSMAT/ IB.
Sehubungan itu, sekiranya saudari berminat, saudara / saudari adalah dipohon untuk melayari laman sesawang http://www.perdanauniversity.edu.my/ bagi tujuan permohonan kemasukan ke Universiti Perdana terlebih dahulu sebelum memohon penajaan Biasiswa Kerajaan (JPA). Manakala bagi permohonan penajaan Biasiswa Kerajaan (JPA), saudara / saudari boleh melayari laman sesawang http://esilav2.jpa.gov.my/ untuk mengetahui garis panduan, syarat-syarat dan kriteria permohonan bagi Program Penajaan Pelajar Perubatan JPA Ke Universiti Perdana. Permohonan Biasiswa Kerajaan (JPA) adalah bermula dari 27 Jun 2011 sehingga 4 Julai 2011.
Ingin diingatkan bahawa hanya calon-calon yang layak dan memenuhi syarat-syarat serta kriteria permohonan sahaja akan dipertimbangkan untuk mendapat tajaan Biasiswa Kerajaan (JPA). Pertanyaan mengenai program tajaan boleh dibuat dengan menghubungi talian 03-8885 3704 (10 talian) pada setiap hari bekerja mulai jam 8:00 pagi hingga 5:00 petang atau e-mel di alamat lspamc@jpa.gov.my bermula 27 Jun 2011.”
Sekian, terima kasih
Hazwan Nizam Bin Fadil
Penolong Pengarah
Unit Penawaran Latihan Sebelum Perkhidmatan
Bahagian Pembangunan Modal Insan
Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam Malaysia
Basically, JPA or should I say, our PM’s department has come up with special scholarships for any students who are accepted to Perdana University!! So, what private initiative is our government talking about. It is still our tax payers money being pumped in via a different pathway! Remember, it is RM 1 million for 1 student and for a degree which is not even recognised anywhere!!
God bless this country. Will it end up like Royal College of Medicine Perak? Time will tell.
