I saw a sudden surge in the number of people visiting my blog lately and I realised that SPM results were just released on 23/03/2011. On 26th March, I had the highest number of people visiting my blog in a day for this year, a total of 1300 people. Since the 2010 SPM result is the best in 5 years( it seem to be getting better every year!!), I am sure almost all the top scorers wants to become a doctor, without realising what is in store for them. Probably in another 10 years, we will have the smartest students in the world with everyone scoring 10As!! What a joke! It use to be only 2-10 students scoring 8/9As in each state those days . Either our students are getting smarter day by day or our standards are dropping drastically? I think it is the latter.
In order to make it easier for the students to read my articles on “For Future Doctors” , I have copied all the links below. Please also read all the comments in each of the postings. You can also read all my articles under my education page.
https://pagalavan.com/2010/09/07/for-future-doctors-general-misconception-of-being-a-doctor-part-1/
https://pagalavan.com/2010/09/08/for-future-doctors-general-misconception-of-being-a-doctor-part-2/
https://pagalavan.com/2010/12/12/for-future-doctors-housemanship-glut/
https://pagalavan.com/2011/01/02/for-future-doctors-what-if/
https://pagalavan.com/2011/01/09/for-future-doctors-quality-first-not-quantity/
https://pagalavan.com/2011/01/10/for-future-doctors-medical-licensing-exam/
Pagalavan's Avatar 
Dr Pagalavan,
I admire the frankness and honesty in your articles. “Reality Hurts”, I guess this phrase suits the medical profession very well. You did a great job in informing future doc-wannabes about the pros and cons of the profession, mostly about the misconception that the public has regarding the medical doctor.
Our life is not glamorous. The general public does not respect the doctor as much compared to the old days. Many are struggling to earn a decent living, much less a luxurious one. The private sector is flooded with doctors, patients are more demanding and legal suits are on the rising trend. Every single step that the medical doctor takes is like waddling in a pond full of crocs.
Looking at the government sector, empty promises, some has yet to be fulfilled. Salary does not keep in tandem with the forever rising costs of living. Most of our colleagues have their own family to feed, while taking care of the elderly in their family, and they themselves being slapped with rising medical costs. Doctors are still working hazarduous long hours, being on call with an exhausted mind, this is definitely dangerous for the medical doctor and the patient in reality. In our country government doctors work around the clock for 36 hours in a stretch. Lack of will power from organisations and policy makers means that we probably will not see any improvements soon- Probably forever? ( abit pessimistic here)
To add salt to the wound, you have a disorganised post graduate education system. Graduates flocked to the private sector almost immediately upon gazettement. Who would blame them after realising the amount of insult and hardship forced upon them over the years?
I was one of the few who embarked on this journey with a passion, with great interest in the subject, but like I said, “Reality Hurts”. In the end I find myself sitting at crossroads, often questioning my own decision and what would have been. Even the strongest of all and the fittest of all may find this journey too much to bear. Remember you are holding a human’s life in your hands, not a plastic mannequin.
Reality really hurts.
Dear DRC and Dr. Pagalavan,
starting from today all those who applied for masters could check their results. don’t be surprised if some of you find the message ‘Dukacita dimaklumkan anda tidak berjaya…’ unless u’re a local grad or from a certain race.though its my 2nd time applying and being denied of it…i must think it’s a blessing in disguise. god doesn’t want me to do master’s in Malaysia. just like in your articles…u’ve mentioned where masters in malaysia is not recognized. so what should i do? just stay in the govt and maintain a mediocre life mentioned by DRC or do a private and recognized paper? unfortunately i was interested in public health, so after being disappointed twice..i do think i should choose another field..could anyone suggest to me a recognized paper on Occupational Medicine, perhaps.maybe rehabilitation medicine..10q
it might be a little too late…but oh why did i become a doctor?
Why don’t you try the Master’s in Occupational Medicine from NUS singapore? They do offer part time course but not sure about the recognition. Check their website.
Hi Dr Pagalavan,
Just thought you’d be interested in seeing this article:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/04/05/poor-healthcare-indonesia-boosts-medical-tourism.html
Could this be the future Malaysia is heading towards, considering the number of Indonesian graduates we have in the system now?
regarding the article posted by huskies,
I dont think its fair for the indonesian graduates. some of them are top scorers sent by the government to pursue their medical degree in indonesia and they have no choice but to accept since the government covers all their tuition fees and living costs. some students dare not gamble for places in local unis (because you need to go through stpm or matriculation for that so places are not confirmed yet) if they have been offered earlier on to study overseas, despite the consequences of getting poor-quality education. after all, many of them probably began with the end in mind – they wanted to become doctors.
obviously, something has to be done about this – the government should stop sending students to do medical degrees in worse universities and start focusing on improving the quality of local unis and teaching hospitals.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/4/9/nation/8450088&sec=nation
after reading so much… i am really lost… can some one tell me, should i do medicine or engineering? the intakes’ deadlines are closing soon.. :S
the pay for a housemen is only around RM2200-2400? what for spending so much for a medical course, study for 5-6 years, and you get a pay which is just the same as many other graduates from different fields??
passion and interest is not everything.. you still need money in this world..
It is all up to you to decide. We can only advise about the reality on the ground. From the way you have written above, it sounds like you are more interested in having a better quality of life and money. If so, medicine is not for you. As I said in my article, the money that you spend in doing medicine will take many many years to get the return, if at all you do get a return. Also don’t forget postgraduate studies which also need money.
Dr Pagalavan,
Have you heard of MAHSA’s mbbs program? Is it as bad as all the local MBBS program of private colleges in M’sia?
I heard their dean/ CEO is some kind of big shot, and is able to pull some cables. Their senior students are doing their practical practice in HKL, i think it’s pretty impressive~ And their head of anatomy department was previously at MU, and has a vivid impression. However, it’s still a new program for the college.
this post really made my mind thinks endlessly about career as a doctor..but whatever happened, i’m still love to be a doctor..once decice, no more steps back even a step..instead of thinking about this, I love to have a thought how to improve myself..hihihi..just a view from me who too passionate..
I can’t stop laughing! Call me crazy! The reasons wannabe doctors, med students, and even parents give for wanting to become a doctor is just so amusing.
1) Love being a doctor? What does it even mean? Being a doctor is a job, and the purpose of a job is to earn money for a living. You will only love doing something when you don’t seek something in return. Love being a doctor just means you love the money that supposedly comes with that job, which is not a guarantee anymore with the current situation of the medical field.
2) saving lifes and curing patients? It might sound all noble trying to contribute to mankind, however, is the reality the same as what you envisage? Reality hurts and what many future doctors don’t realize is in most cases, there is nothing they can do to save a patient’s life. Death is a common thing that a doctor has to face, and how many future wannabe doctors can actually face the reality of death and sufferings daily. It is a very stressful fact of being a doctor but one that wannabes never even consider.
3) passion? Ambitions? Again…what does it mean? Can you actually say you are passionate about something until you have actually try it yourself? And talking about ambition, most adults have no idea what they want in life even after working for many years and you are telling me as a 18 YO you know for sure that being a doctor is your destiny? Cut the crap…..
4) prestige? LOL!!! Really? If you think that way, you are just born as an arrogant person. To begin, every job is equal. Every job is important in our society and should receive equal respect from members of the community. What makes you think being a doctor is more special than being butcher? Not to mention, the respect for doctors has been going down the drain in this modern society. Lawsuits is becoming very common. So good luck being prestigious!
5) money? Now we are getting to the truth of why people are eager to do medicine! You grew up living next to the skin specialist that drove a BMW and thought to yourself…man, I want to drive that car too! Unfortunately, as Dr pagalavan has mention before, it is less and less likely that you will become rich being a doctor. You can honestly earn more selling chicken rice if you are good at it! however, it is still a job and gives you decent earnings to live a comfortable life, and I respect you if this is the reason for you choosing medicine as a career.
There are other points that wannabes doctors don’t think about such as the very long working hours, constant oncall and the high pressure working environment. Being a doctor is not as fun as it seems and you will only come to realize it once you have spend some time in the field. That’s why most people who is in the medical field don’t encourage others to join the field.
And one last thing that most won’t know or heard of….if the rapid advancement in genetic and proteomic research is to look at, and if you have attended recent scientific conferences, the future of doctor is really bleak. Diagnostic medicine is going to enter into a new era where a doctor is going to play a limited role in. Biomarkers for nearly every disease and infection is being rapidly discovered and validated. In the future, a small drop of your blood or appropriate body tissue would be enough to determine your sickness. And no, doctors won’t be responsible for that, laboratories will be! It is a future that is not too far away!
My 2 cents!
Hi Doctor,
I was recommended to your blog by a senior who is now doing Medicine. I am extremely thankful for doctors like you who spend your time ‘educating’ us readers on what is in store for doctors-to-be. Thank you.
I also wanted to ask you a question, if I do MUFY and wish to enter Monash Malaysia to do Medicine, what subjects would you recommend me to do? (Apart from the compulsory English, Math and Chemistry) Would Biology be a better choice or will some other subject be fine?
Thank you!
better to do biology
I will have to go with Dr Pagalavan on this…
Trust me, you’re better off excelling in biology than being a nobody in medicine stuck in a dead-end system. Too bad the Malaysian mentality is too narrow to realise the importance of pure science students…
Thanks! (to doctor and to Huskies)
Um, what exactly do you mean by that? 🙂
And also, if I were to take up another unit (extra unit to make up 10 units), which subject would you recommend?
Thank you!
Physics? If you are interested and have intention to change field later on!
But I am definitely going to do Medicine, 100%. Does that mean that I can opt for something else, like Economics?
It is always better to keep your options open. I had many who insist on doing medicine but changed their field half way.
Hi…
I am very lucky.. cos I got the JPA scholarship 2011 to do Medicine @ Monash Malaysia… My question is quite same to Jin on top.. I don’t really enjoy Physics.. so can I take a unit not really related to Medicine like Econs..
Thank you…
You can but since you are from science stream, doing something new might be difficult
Okay… Thank you very much… ^^
I wonder why SPM result is getting better. I am currently in united states and the scoring is totally diff here. 90 and above is A, 80-89 is B(whereelse in Malaysia it would still be an A), 70-79 would be C i think(in malaysia it WOULD STILL BE A if you get above 76) lol. It will be D below 70(which is fail)…I remembered my year heard that passing score for Additional math in Malaysia at score of…45?No one ever published average score for students over malaysia, and percentile of the score. Thats always a wonder to me when I was a student in Malaysia.
I am currently doing residency in united states. We still get enough experience, have enough patients and need enough procedures prior to promotion. We still have the 80 hour work hour limit but you can choose to stay on your own will. Its up to you how much experience you wanna get compare to how much time you are willing to spend.
It is very obvious that the standards has been brought down to satisfy the rulling government party. It is a political move to show that their education system is doing so well by producing the highest number of straight As students in the world.
hi doctor, i’m wondering would you recommend anyone to do m.b.b.s in management and science university (msu) like what medical student said, their preseident is kind of a big shot.
Every medical school has some big shot as their president or dean, if not they wil never get the license in the first place. MSU does twinning programme and I am yet to see any of their graduates. This difficult to comment on their quality.
Hey DR. Pagalavan, would u recommend people to read medicine in UCSI university??
I think they have just produced their 1st batch of graduates. The uni was issued a warning by MMC for only appointing expats as their lecturers. Not sure about their status now.
Any major complaints heard about UCSI university recently especially about their HO??
Between Mahsa University college and UCSI university which one of this med school is more preferably in u option to read medicine ??
MAHSA is yet to produce any graduates, so can’t comment. Usually, the first batch from any uni is OK as their intake will be very small, usually less than 50 students. It is when they increase the numbers , problem arises.
After completing the medical degree from UCSI university, will the graduate stand a chance to go for MRCP and MRCS sort of entrance exam?
Heard from one of u post that, UCSI university is not listed under the WHO list.
Is there any problem with not been listed under WHO?
Yes, you may have some problems. If it is not listed in WHO list, you may not even be able to sit for any entrance exams in other countries. As for MRCP/MRCS, similar problems may arise especially now where most exam centres are full. pls read http://www.mrcpuk.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/MRCP(UK)%202012%20Regulations_FINAL.pdf
Currently which private medical school in malaysia are listed under WHO ??
Monash malaysia and IMU local should have no problem been listed under WHO right?
For long term plan, will UCSI university be listed under WHO list in 5 years time from now?
You can check WHO directory online. Google it. It is up to the college to apply to be registered in the list.
What is IMED??
I heard graduates from university listed under IMED are eligible for USMLE exam. btw, not too sure about the truth and that’s why am asking u opinion about tis IMED thingy.
University listed under IMED: AIMST, IIUM, IMU, MMMC, RCMP, UCSI, UKM, UM, UMS, UNIMAS, UPM, USM &UiTM.
Yes, you may be eligible. Passing USMLE does not mean anything as it does not guarantee a placement in US
Hey, juz wish u could give some early tips for me to survive my future after i graduate from let said one of the private med school (ucsi etc.) in malaysia assuming by the time I graduated there will be lots of housemen in the health care system.
Would it be enough if we work hard during our clinical years and our housemanship years by learning all we can?
Of course you have to work hard but with oversupply of housemen I can’t say what will happen in the future.
hai doctor ,i am doing my diploma in medical labarotory technology in PTPL, this is my thrid year ,my recent pionter is 3.74.I would like to countinue my studys in MBBS but i am not a science student .may i no what are the possibilities / is my diploma certificate will help me to study mbbs . can you suggest me some university for my further studies in malaysia or eihter in oversea.
Please and please don’t ever think of study medicine if u are not a science student and if u think that medicine gonna earn u a tonnes of money forget about medicine then continue with u higher education in medical laboratory.
our corruption in medical profession in our country is enough already.
I am afraid you don’t qualify based on the minimum criteria by MMC http://mmc.gov.my/v1/docs/MINIMUM%20CRITERIA%20V2.pdf
Good day doctor!
What country is best for medical elective posting?
india/uk/aus?
thx.
India
Hey doctor. I want some opinion. If you are interest in Biology and you’re planning to take medic just like ‘doctor’, should you necessary take subs Account too? -spm-
Don’t understand what you want?
Perhaps yes :3 account is totally different with biology chemistry and physics. So i should drop account right… Need to focus on 9 other subjects. But people tell that “think about your future” is account is important too? im so in dilemma
i think human being by nature will always be better than the previous generation. It’s called ‘progress’.
And thus the exams should get tougher