I just received an info today that the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetist(ANZCA), after more than 50 years, will no longer offer its training program to new trainees in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore http://www.anzca.edu.au/communications/Other%20publications/front-page-announcements/front-page-news/anzca-training-in-south-east-asia. Previously, training in HKL, UMMC, HUKM, IJN and Penang GH was recognised as part of the training programme http://www.anzca.edu.au/trainees/supervisory-roles/supervisor-of-training/anzca-representatives/malaysia. Those who are already in the programme will not be affected.
It is rather sad to hear this. With this, the only way to become an anaesthetist in Malaysia will be via the local Master’s programme. Many Master’s student from UM and HUKM use to sit for FANZCA exams before. I must admit that many do this to get a well recognised postgraduate degree and to migrate to Australia/N Zealand.
So, as the saying goes…………… life is only going to get tougher……………………
Withdrawal of training in Asia – update
After more than 50 years, ANZCA will no longer offer its training program to new trainees in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.
To commence work on future support for trainees and Fellows in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, and a new partnership with our sister colleges in the region, ANZCA President, Professor Kate Leslie, and President-elect, Dr Lindy Roberts, met with ANZCA Fellows and trainees, and leaders from the Hong Kong College of Anaesthesiologists in Hong Kong on Friday April 27.
Three areas of support and collaboration were discussed:
1. Support for trainees Trainees were concerned about provisions for those who chose to complete ANZCA training. The areas of concern were noted and will inform discussions about the package to be provided. Trainees and their supervisors will be consulted during this process and these provisions will be finalised by the ANZCA Council at its June 2012 meeting.
2. Support for Fellows Fellows were reassured that the decision to withdraw from training does not affect the privileges and opportunities available to ANZCA Fellows resident in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.
3. Inter-collegiate collaboration The Hong Kong College leaders joined with ANZCA in supporting a new partnership among colleges in the region that includes collaboration in education, training and assessment; continuing medical education; quality and safety; research and international aid. Work will commence on this initiative shortly.
On behalf of ANZCA Council, Professor Leslie and Dr Roberts expressed their gratitude to the Fellows, trainees and supervisors who participated in these meetings. The findings from the visit will be discussed by the Executive Committee at their next meeting and this message will be updated as progress is made.
Pagalavan's Avatar 
Thanks for all your updates..your blog is becoming a very important source of information for healthcare in Msia.
Could you please help on furnishing more information for post-graduate studies in family medicine and orthopedics in M’sia? (Whether local masters or any overseas programmes)
P/S: May i suggest a series on the various specialties in Msia, detailing on the various pathways or master’s programmes to become a specialist in each field.
For Ortho: Master’s is the only way
For Family PHysician: FRACGP by Academy of Family Physician and Master’s.
the FRACGP/Dip Fam Med is a very very demanding and difficult course. Take your time and plan out how you are going to tackle it. Some ppl are even saying its not worth doing. Try doing a Diploma in Dermatology; the Bangkok paper is recognized internationally. Then chuck the country.
Diploma is not equivalent to a postgraduate degree.
Besides fanzca, other option for anaesthetist wannabe is mmed anaes singapore. Not as expensive as fanzca and recognized in malaysia and singapore,of course. Not recognized in aus/nz but u are exempted from part 1 if u pass the part 2 singapore.
With mmed anaes spore qualification, they usually may offer u specialist post in spore hosp. But for mmed malaysia qualification, they usually only offer u senior registrar post. U can sit for part 2 mmed spore if u already have mmed anaes malaysia (exempted from part 1). The Irish Primary MCQ exam (Primary Fellowship College of Anaesthetists of Ireland FCAI) will be held in Perdana University-RCSI on 13th June 2012. We have yet to get more news on this (they did not mention OSCE exams which is part of the Primary exam paper and training is still yet to be recognised here in Malaysia). But do find out more on this if you are interested to sit a foreign exam as it appears to be more available to us.
dont be despair,the royal colleges in UK and Ireland are only too happy to continue their millenium ties with their ex colonies .however,if your bascic degree is not recognised,your ffa/frcr//mrcxxx/frcs/ qualification from any royal colleges counts for nothing outside malaysia.of course, most countries will allow limited practice after obtaining a waiver or special permission from their medical council either in universities or ‘desolate’rural provinces which are shunned by locals
the crux of the issue-special permission and never allowed to be in private practice unless you pass their cqe and complete their intern programme even if you are a consultant/professor in the university
another not infrequent mistaken notion/error mentioned in this blog is about MASTERS DEGREE.A masters/phd degree in any discipline of medicine literally means a pg degree awared by the uni. after attending a course-its not a specialist qualification outside malaysia.in sing- a masters degree in medicine/xxx discipline is NOT A SPECIALIST QUALIFICATION.one get exemption from part one of the old MRCP exam.i do not know of the status now .
I have said many times in my blog that Master’s degree from Malaysia is NOT recognised elsewhere as a specialist degree. At the most you can get a registra post in singapore etc. Even in Malaysia, Master’s do not make you a specialist automatically unless you are gazetted after 6 months of supervision.
if I have a basic medical degree from the UK but does not have the GMC registration because i’ll be doing my housemanship in malaysia, will my qualification from the royal colleges count? i hv an interest in anaesthetics and when i heard this news from your blog, im a bit devastated as i would prefer to have my an internationally recognised qualification.
times have change -having a british/irish degree is no more an automatic gaurantee to unlimited registration in most commonwealth countries except sing/malaysia.australia/canada/hk runs their own CQE to protect local graduates
if your name is not on the GMC register you are deem not qualified to practise in UK despite graduating from a uk medical school and in possession of a pg qualification from the royal colleges.anyway there are too many doctors in UK,who in his right mind would want to work in UK with her punitive tax rates and half yearly/yearly job contracts.
Since we are in this topic,it was really an unexpected decision and unusual phenomenon by the singapore medical council to rerecognise MU and adding UKM to their list after removing MU from the list in 1984-1985 following the footstep of GMC-my guess is that they needed foot soldiers for their hospital services and thats perhaps the reason they ‘expanded’ the list to include few more universties from china/india.you can find china trained doctors working in singapore hospitals now.most of them are from the premier unis like beijing uni or fudan.
Without housemanship in UK, you will not be able to get GMC registration which means you will not be able to work in UK.
In my opinion, Malaysian master exams should upgrade to international level. Till now, Malaysia is closely following Australian standard as there is a recent change in final MSc Anes exam where candidates are allowed to proceed for viva and clinical papers only if they pass MCQ +SAQ paper. Malaysian trained masters have a good clinical reputation but it is not enough. It will be best if we incorporate either FRCA, ANZCA or American Anes Board exam format and recognition into our exam system.
Yup
After struggling with the local Masters and throe gazettement we are now facing application to subspecialty only after 2 years post gazettement .. this means an additional 3 years wait after Masters , followed by 3 years training where YOU HAVE TO go overseas for 1 year and be bonded for 4 to 7 years . For the JPA scholars , inclusive of the masters bond and the university bond this would amount to you definitely finishing your career in government service as you can only come out at the age of 55 .. With the current promotion exercise , its only a matter of time before promotion beyond U54 becomes very difficult as posts as filled up very fast and so you will retire with a paycheck of 12-15k .. For the first time in our countries history perhaps we are more educated however far poorer than our parents were are the same crossroads … What a pity…. PArents.. please don;t spoil your childrens lives like this and be unfair to them … What you could not achieve and social status for the family should not translate to your children having a life sentence at your expense….
yup, that is what I am trying to say!
i would like to ask if i graduate from imu mbbs local degree,i still have a chance to continue my postgraduate programme in oversea university?
IMU local degree is NOT recognised elsewhere and thus you can’t go overseas for training unless you sit and pass the entrance exam. However, you can sit for MRCP, MRCS or MRCOG.
Dear Dr,
Does it mean that once a dr gets his MRCP, IRCS or MRCOG, he can apply for postgraduate programme in overseas without sitting for any entrance exams of that country (Ireland/UK/Aus/NZ) like those trained overseas in that particular country?
Thanks.
Depends! For Australia and NZ, definately NO as they do not recognise these Uk degrees unless you complete your specialist training in UK. For UK, sometimes they may give you a job on contract basis but not necessary to give you a training post!
Dear Dr,
Isn’t the same that if you are trained overseas, they may give you a job on contract basis but not necessary a training post?
You mean in UK? The chances are better if you are trained there.
Dr,
After I sit for MRCP,MRCS or MRCOG,is it possible for me to work in singapore?
Yes
Looks like MOH has inked an MOU with AMM and AMM in turn has inked an MOU with RCS England.. Either we will see the FRCS reemerge on our shores again or AMM will run their very own Surgical Program in KKM hospitals with the candidate earning FRCS (Eng) in the end .. either way … it’s a positive way forward .. At least candidates have more options now rather than stick with the MASTERS alone
what is your comment regarding new PG programme by KPJ University?
I have not heard the details yet. So, need to wait and see.
Well, for those who are really interested to do ANZCA training, there comes the last opportunity. ANZCA increased the new trainee application deadline to August 2012. You must be in the system ( one of the 5 recognised training center in Malaysia) and your application and payment must reach to them before the deadline. Good luck!
Hi Doctor
I have a friend who graduated from flinders university south Australia and she is interested in anesthesiology and would like to try to take ANZCA training program in Malaysia. Is that training program still available now?
I heard no more but please check with FANZCA