I became actively involved in the Malaysian Medical Association in the year 2000 eventhough I have been an ordinary member since 1998. In the year 2000, I was appointed as a committee member of Johor branch and subsequently in 2003, I took up the post of Johor SCHOMOS chairman. I held this post till 2005. I was also elected as the National SCHOMOS Treasurer from 2004 till 2006. SCHOMOS is the government wing of MMA.
From 2004, I started to write regularly in the MMA magazine known as Berita MMA. I wrote my thoughts on the health service of the country, the issues surrounding government doctors and many other issues about the medical fraternity. I must say that many of my prediction became a reality soon after.
Here, I will reproduce all my articles that I published since September 2004
This page has the following sub pages.
- September 2004:Foreign Doctors in Ministry Of Health: What is the impact on our health system?
- January 2005:Fees Are Up ?Any Extra Benefit ?
- June 2005:Year 2004 : Year of Resignation ! Year 2005 : Will The Force Be With Us ?
- August 2005:Fees Are Up ?Any Extra Benefit? Part II, The Saga continues…………
- October 2005:U48 DILEMA, “From the back and to the Front”
- November 2005:CURRENT QUALITY OF MEDICAL DOCTORS, ARE WE GOING DOWN THE DRAINS ?
- December 2005:Year 2005 :“Revenge of the Sith” to “Goblet of Fire” The Dark Lord Rules………………?
- February 2006:Restructuring and Rebranding of MMA, The urgent need for a Revolution?
- March 2006:MELIOIDOSIS : THE ENEMY WITHIN
- April 2006:U41 DILEMMA: THE AGONY CONTINUES…………………..
- May 2006:Public Health Specialists: The Forgotten Heroes …………………..
- June 2006:Research and Publications in MOH: Worth the Effort?
- July 2006:Future of government doctors: Die Another Day ?
- November 2006:Government Service: Past, Present and ………………… Future?
- December 2006:Malaysian Health Care System: Are we really up to the mark?
- March 2007:ACADEMICIANS VS SERVICE PROVIDERS: CLASH OF THE TITANS ?
- December 2008:Back from the Future: From First World to Third World!
- March 2009:QUALITIES OF HOUSEOOFICERS: THE BLAME GAME CONTINUES……………………
- October 2009:2009: The Day the MOH Stood Still!, 2012: The Day After Tomorrow?
- March 2010:Didn’t I say so…………..?And, Here……. We…….. Go………..!
- June 2010: The Place That Shall Not Be Named; Wellcome to the World of Wizardry!
- March 2011: The Great Transformation: Revenge of the Fallen to the Dark of the Moon
- April 2012: Madness is like gravity,What you need is just a little push……………..!
hello doc i guess you should stop posting articles about upcoming doctors.. why you think they are threat for your business is it? you can post more useful stuffs such as how can new doctors upgrade themselves instead posting all negative things. act matured bit..
Ha ha, I think the person who is not matured is yourself. Please go through what I have written in all my blog postings , especially regarding housemanship, district posting and postgraduate training. I have given enough advise about future training in medicine in this country!Is whether you want to belive or not. Most of my MMA articles were written 4-5 years ago but what I predicted then has become a reality. It was people like yourself who told me that I will be wrong on my prediction but here you are, everything has become a reality!!
There is no way a doctor can upgrade him/herself without proper guidance for the senior doctors and that’s where we are lacking at the moment. Too many housemen but too few senior consultants. Medicine cannot be learned fom the textbook! What will you do when doctors become jobless in the future? Mark my word, it will happen!!
BTW I don’t need to worry about my business because for these doctors to reach my status, it will take another 15 years! So, why should I worry?
Again, please go back and read my postings on ” For Future Doctors series” under the education page and be more matured in what you think!
Hello , Dr. Pagalavan…
I really like your article..! It so reality.
Please sharing more ~ ^_^
regarding you reply..
i guess its not students fault to go to overseas to study..they tried their level best to get results and pursue their dreams unfortunately not all are lucky as you to study in local uni.. so they find alternative ways..even you are topscorer in spm or stpm and if you dont get a place in top universities in malaysia you also might go abroad and study..you have to adapt to their way of teaching and pass exams.. so once they come and work in malaysia they will try to blend together what they studied there and those they learn here and be a good doctor as well.. just it takes bit time..so you can tell you are super good and you know all in medicine is it to tell others need 15 years to reach your level..trust me once in your life time you will realise medicine is a great ocean and you got to explore more as well..medicine is not gone cheap as you said, it gives opportunity for those who have passion for it to enter the wonderful world..
please give respect for those graduates from overseas and support them dont demoralise them..they also might know something that you dont know..as you said your prediction become reality right..take my word my prediction also wont go wrong..
Again, I think you are acting very immature here. Please READ…………… what I have written in my blogs before jumping to conclusions. Is ther ANYWHERE in my articles that I said don’t become a doctor? In almost all my articles, I have said that unless you have passion in medicine, please do not do medicine for glory and money. That’s what I have been saying in all my blog postings. And of course, I am also talking about reality in the ground which people like you do not want to accept.
And did I say that you should not do medicine overseas? NO, please read my articles again!!!
I only said that if you were to do medicine overseas, please choose a degree which is internationally recognised for own future propect!! do you get it this time around?
When I said that medicine has gone cheap(again please read my posting carefully!!), i am talking about underqualified people doing medicine. In most countries, only the top 10% of the students in Pre-U courses are given a place to do medicine and that’s how you maintain the quality of the graduates. In fact, it is compulsory for the medical schools to reveal these facts to their respective medical councils before they can be accreditated. Here, if you can’t even get a good result to enter STPM, A Levels, IB or matriculation but yet can do medicine, why don’t you ask a lorry driver to do medicine? You simply don’t seem to understand what I am trying to say.
Again, when I said it will take 15 years to reach my level, I am talking about becoming a subspecialist! To become a subspecialist, it will take 10-15 years after graduation. NO ONE can master medicine as the knowledge is infinite. You learn till you go 6 feet underground!!
I just got 1 question for you: What if by the time you graduate, there is no job in Malaysia for doctors? what would you do when your degree is also not recognised in Singapore or anywhere else? Whichever country that you want to apply for a job, you still need to sit for their qualification exams! So, what are you going to do? At that time, you will remember what I have said.
Please read and analyse before you make your own conclusions. A good doctor is a person who can investigate, analyse and be critical and at the same time be very patient.
With the gluttony of junior house officers in the hospital these days, I too agree that in the very near future there will be shortage of jobs. I feel that it would be due time that doctors will need to apply for jobs (contract basis) rather than having a secured job at hand with fairly good pay. One would need to have a good CV, publications, referee and attend an interview prior to selection (of course best of the best). This has been going on in the UK for years.
Hence, the current practice of ‘appealing’ from being posted out to the district would be unheard of because if one does not take up the offer than there will be no job nor pay.
Question is, are the junior doctors aware of these? My guess would be NO.
I am waiting for the time that this will happen and prove that I was right. Many still think that I am talking non-sense.
Malaysia gov. should try an alternative that is to send the local or overseas , self sponsored or gov. sponsored medical graduates to overseas to train as HO and work there to reduce the over-population of medical doctors in Malaysia. After they become general practitioner or specialists , they are welcomed to come back to Malaysia. Since Malaysia boleh, we must try to really boleh to let the quality of medical doctors to boleh in the medical local land and foreign land if that’s possible. There might be hope to not be jobless for the future doctors. God bless.
It is easier said then done when it comes to medical field. First of all, your degree need to be recognised in another country for you to do housemanship. Secondly, their locals and PRs will be given priority before they recruit foreigners. Do you know that as a foreigner, you cannot do housemanship in Malaysia? This is because, in order to do housemanship in Malaysia, you need to join the civil service which is only for citizens! So, same type of rules do apply in other countries as well depending on the type of health system they have. Even in the state of Victoria in Australia, I heard there is no more vacancy for internship!
Yes, there is a genuine lack of internship places in VIctoria, Australia (where melbourne is located) at the moment. The ratio of non-local applicants to places available is roughly 4-5 to 1.
i am wondering only citizen can join civil service. there are loopholes. i do see foreigner spouse can joint housemanship. Malaysia boleh?
Yes, those who are married to Malaysian can do housemanship in Malaysia on contract basis. Their degree must be recognized in Malaysia.
reality bites… my sister take accountancy..
it’s better for her now
hello doc pag..can u post clinical cases rather thn political issues?
Firstly, these are NOT political issues but the future of our country! Secondly, I did think of creating a page for clinical cases but however, the litigation rate is going up gradually. You can be sued for putting up a patient’s case without the patient’s consent!! Patient’s can also sue the a doctor for negligence if the case you put up mentions anything about mismanagement.
Same like some people who make comments here with different pseudonyms but same email!! Because they don’t want to mention their real names to avoid any backlash!
you can put in general..your experience and all..how u did your HO and all..government need to worry bout the future sir you as a senior doctor please guide other junior docs..
I think I have mentioned some in my “For Future Doctors” series regarding some of my experience. Pls visit my education page!
hello doc. i want to ask you, is it a good time to pursue medicine in russia regarding of negative publicity russian medical schools getting lately?
It all depends on which university and your entrance qualifications. University like Moscow Medical Academy etc is usually fine but same can’t be said about Kursk! Generally russian graduates have poor knowledge especially fron Kursk and Cremia.
can i get ur email id doc?need some real advice regarding a medical career going downhill.
pagal72@gmail.com
sir…i have a few friends who wish to study medic.but their result are not qualify enough for asasi hayat in um or other university.so they decide to further their study in medic at Egypt under pama foundation(papa mama).well this phenomenon is like a tradition in my school…n some of them choose to study medic upon parents request..well im not trying to evade them from studying medic in but i dont want them to regret this in the middle of study…im just pity my fren…they just dont reliese their real passion..i want to change their mind set ‘a student who choose scince stream after pmr will end up as a doctor’.but i have no ideas how to do this…i believe the one who do their job without passion is wasting their time…
Yes, you are right. Many people do not know what medicine is all about. They think that being a doctor is sitting in a clinic and see simple cases but that is not the truth!! It is much more than that!! Many parents think that having a doctor in a family is glamorous without looking at the prospect and difficulties that the child will have to go throu. People don;t seem to know any other profession other than medicine! You can probably guide all your friends to my blog and ask them to read what I have written under ” For Future Doctors ” series, under my education page/home page.
mr doc, i think some of ur articles are not too advisable since they are too much….u should be a good advisor in the sense that every single person who read ur posts will trust u and agree with ur statements.It seems that u’re declining our wishes to be a doctor.yes i’ll never deny dat u are good and educated enough i suppose.it just dat u need to be more polite.however,we should thanks for ur encourage advises actually.I’ll assimilate ur good thoughts in myself in heading to be a doctor.thanks again.:).no offence doctor.doesn’t mean to humiliate u.;)
Reality bites or shall I say, Reality hurts. My articles are about the reality on the ground. Many do not know this and when I talk about it, they feel that I do not want anyone to become a doctor!Remember, I never said “don’t become a doctor”. If you have the passion and willing to put up with all the frustration along the way then by all means go ahead! But don’t say that I did not tell you regarding the challenges that lies ahead!
“u should be a good advisor in the sense that every single person who read ur posts will trust u and agree with ur statements”
This is just about the most ignorant statement I have ever heard. If you disagree with any points, then do add to the discussion and provide your reasons as to why you disagree to them. If you feel bad/hurt/not-good but cant seem to find a reason then it’s likely you have encountered some “cognitive dissonance” (google it). Often, people choose to see/belive/like what makes them feel good, and discredit/put-down/get-angry-over (introspectively or outwardly) ideas that make them feel bad in order to try to disagree with them.
Dear Dr P,
I am a final year medical student at a private local university. I came across your blog by chance. I intend to be a physician and I must say that the articles on specialist training was written from a very practical perspective and really helped me in planning my career.
I am surprised that some people find your opinions about the healthcare system and the medical school glut issue too harsh. In fact, from my observations during my training so far, I have found your descriptions of the Malaysian healthcare very accurate and reflective of the situation on the ground.
In my honest opinion as a student, “wanting” to be a doctor is not enough, one must first attend the right schools to obtain enough skills be a safe doctor…Ultimately the patient is the one who suffers from if we are incompetent. In the words of one of my professors, “there are no brave doctors, only brave patients”….
We really need doctors like you to continue writing and educating students and junior doctors!
“Advisor, u should be a good advisor in the sense that every single person who read ur posts will trust u and agree with ur statements.”
Truth is for people who has eyes to see and ears to hear. Doc does not write this to be credited and agreed by every tom, dick and sally. Its for thinking society and wanting to change for tomorrow. Ill share with you this:
“The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.”
~ Malcolm X
Think before you post something because it shows your intellectuality. If your going to tell me everything you have ever done in your life has been accepted by ALL, you should not point fingers at others. Heck, even God is questioned and scrutinized by people!
hei, was looking for a reference for malaysia healthcare system for a report i have to do and came across ur blog, what i think all of the med students need…guidance and a booty call/ re-evaluating the true reason for them to be docs
anyway, just want to ask, do i need to write a CV after finishing my medical degree to apply for HO?? (haven been reading about those things) would it make a difference if i did more electives than other people? would they even access our competency level before accepting us as HOs?
At the moment there is no such thing as competency level before starting Housemanship. Thus, you don’t need a CV. However, things may change in another 3-5 years time when there will be overload of doctors. Then you may need CV and they may introduce a competency test. Electives does not change anything!
A competency test prior to starting housemanship has always existed! It’s called the MBBS!
Essentially, successful attainment of the MBBS is a test of safety. If one can’t get pass medical finals, then sorry, you’re not safe to proceed to housemanship.
It is a sad reflection of the hugely variable standards of medical degrees from different institutions/countries that the idea of potential competency assessment prior to housemanship was even proposed in the first place. This is what happens when the medical degree cash cow is put ahead of adequate standards.
its all about QUALITY of EDUCATION . If you can understand that parents and children will never have regrets . Bravo to Dr Pagala . Your Honesty is what is intriguing . Most parents are unhappy or unwilling to accept that our education system is going down the drain . this is an enmasse system . If you still cannot understand and cannot accept the truth I feel sorry for you . … our future is the child borne today … not your wealth !!
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Can i please know the prospects of dentistry in the future…?
At the moment, still OK
Doctor Paga, the UPU results are out and I didn’t qualify into IPTA for dentistry. I’m from UM Asasi and was offered multimedia in USIM. I was offered JPA with my 2010 SPM results. I decided to try dentistry either in AIMST or IMU, or even Psychology in Nottingham.. Can I get yr proffesional advice. Tq
If you want to do dentistry, go to IMU and transfer to Melbourne.
Dentistry in IMU is better. Psychology is also a good field but still new in Malaysia
Anxious parent
Dear Doctor… My son had an offer letter to study from MSMU Moscow, but however was enrolled in PFU Moscow (unrecognized by MMC) due to lack of seats in MSMU, and was informed by the Agency in Moscow that he will be transferred to MSMU for his second year. Will this transfer affect his enrollment in MMC upon his completion of studies? Or should he redo his first year in MSMU, as I was informed that a transfer from a non-recognized university to a recognized will not be accepted by MMC. Please advice. Thanks
It all depends on the final degree. If the final degree comes from MSMU and part of the training is done in MSMU, there should not any problem.
I wonder how the agency can promise you the seat but unable to get one!! That’s the reason why I keep saying that all these agencies are just here to make money at the expense of our society’s ignorance. They are still going around promising guaranteed job when everyone in medical field knows that there will be a glut in 2-3 years time.
Don’t worry about this…many of my friends who studied in Ukraine and Russia did the same thing…they start their medical programme initially from unrecognized university and transfer to a recognized university after few years…and they are doing their Housemen now in Malaysia…but it is more important to enroll in a internationally recognized university as Dr.Paga mentioned before…all the best.
Dr paga , what is your opinion of this person so called ‘Dr Winson Seow” is he another Doctor wannabee? Our local newspapers have written so much about him and also interviewed by NTV7 and AEC. he is 26yrs old and claim to be a trauma specialist, etc. However it was later found out to be not true, I am a bit confused as to why MMA and MMC kept quite on this issue? and also take no action. I feel that they hv a duty to protect the public from being cheated by bogus doctor.
He is a conman but I don’t think he is a registered doctor in Malaysia, thus MMC do not need to take any action.
BTW, I feel he has some mental disorder. The publisher of his book has agreed to refund the money! So, you know the answer. He has conned everyonehttp://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/8/11/nation/11838146&sec=nation
Hi Dr Paga,
To study medicine which university in Malaysia would you recommend.
Public: Um, USM, UKM, UPM, UNIMAS
Private: IMU, PMC, Monash
“Private: IMU, PMC, Monash” ~ that’s all?! What about Lincoln College! LOL!
Dr.how about UiTM & UNisza?
UiTM is OK but it is the only race based university in the world. Medicine suppose to colour blind!
Can’t say much about UNISZA as they are new.
Dr,how about UiTM & Unisza?
Hi dr, what u say about manipal graduates?
OK
My cousin interested to take up medicine..she scored 8As in SPM and currently doing her pre-U.. She would like to enrol in private Uni.. MMMC/ AIMST/ IMU.. Which one would u suggest? PMC: Perak/ Penang medical college? Pls share ur experience with above uni grads. Tq.
IMU is OK
Dr , what about AIMST? Is it ok ?
Hi Dr Paga,what about Mahsa University?.tq
Can’t say much as they have not produced any graduates yet