The new amended Medical Act 2012 has been approved by Parliament end of last year. As such, effective from now,MMC has the authority to accreditate and register specialists in this country. MMC recently adopted the latest registration procedures for foreign doctors applying for work, do research or postgraduate education in Malaysia. I get asked a lot of questions from foreigners who wanted to work in Malaysia or do the local Master’s program. The standard rule still applies, that your basic degree MUST be recognised in Malaysia. If not, you need to sit and pass the MQE exams. Exemption can be given if you have more than 10 years experience working as a doctor or you have a recognised specialist qualification (for teaching and research). Those who are given registration to do postgraduate education must leave back to their home country upon completing the course unless you can show prove of any employment offered locally.
As for specialist returning from overseas claiming to be a specialist, a new Specialist Evaluation Committee has been formed to look into their qualification. Either you must be a well renowned specialist, have qualification recognised by MMC/NSR or have unrecognised qualification that have equal number of years of training as in Malaysia with 5 years of experience ( 4 years in public hospital of adequate size). They may even ask the specialist to undergo certain amount of supervised attachment before registering as a specialist.
You can read the procedures in this document. This is a good move to prevent anyone from calling themselves a specialist. Finally, something is in place to monitor this.
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Good post. Highlighted in Dobbs
This is still not good enough especially for the primary medical degree. MMC still do not have the power to accredit or disqualify any medical schools. They still have to accept registration with MMC even that those recognized schools are with dubious quality.
MMC do have the power to disqualify any medical schools but it is the political influence that prevents them!
does an amended law needs to be gazetted before it can be implemented?
Yes but it is simple procedure. It is done by the cabinet once out of parliament.
is the law being gazetted? if not i think MOH/MMC has jump the gun
i thought the law needs approval from the head of state ie the agung before
being gazetted
I am sure it has! It doesn’t take long to gazet
absolutely correct the law was gazetted in september 2012
you say ” The standard rule still applies, that your basic degree MUST be recognised in Malaysia—- Exemption can be given if you have more than 10 years experience working as a doctor ”
Full Registration (with conditions) ( Section 14(3));
According to MMC ” If the basic medical degree was awarded by a NON-recognized institution, applications from Malaysian and NON-Malaysian MAY be considered IF he/she HAS POSGRADUATE medical degrees with not less than THREE years of clinical experience;
http://mmc.gov.my/v1/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=95&Itemid=139#Q4
What is your comment ?
The first one is for non-specialist. The second issue is for those with a postgraduate degree. Even this has been changed now, if you look at the latest criteria.
I think MMC follows what Singapore Med Council does
You basic medical degree must be recognized; if NOT, you can register if you HAVE recognised postgraduate degree. basically, you can work as a doctor ( with conditions attached if you have either recognised BASIC/undergraduate or recognised POSTGRADUATE degree. Postgraduate degree from India ( DNB ) i not recognised in Singapore unless he also passed MRC/MRCS exam
I wouldn’t say MMC “follows what Singapore Med Council does”. That is also the practice of medical registration bodies in UK, Australia, New Zealand.
if you are coming as a junior doctor, then your undergraduate degree must be recognised. If you are coming as a specialist, then your specialist qualification must be recognised.
SMC used to recognised only 20 medical schools worldwide up to 2002, and has since gradually increased this to about 100 now and formed 2 new local med schools. I suspect they will close shop again once they have the numbers they need. MMC on the other hand has recognised 300+ for a long time now, despite a glut in doctors and massive increase in medical schools in Malaysia from about 10 to 35 in a period of 15 years.
Is there good medical bookshop/ bookstore in Kuala Lumpur and/or Penang for better future doctors ?
Thanks
Kamal’s bookstore, UM and UKM bookstore
Dear Sir,
I have read up the document you’ve attached to this post. Does this mean that foreigners who have graduated in a Malaysian medical school can now apply for housemanship here? From what I have gathered through phone calls and online (yes, not a good source of solid information..) registering with MMC and being able to work as houseman is a two different thing..?
The thing I am just waiting for is for the newly amended medical act 2012 to be gazetted but it seems to take very long, still on stand by since last september.. any idea on this as well?
Thank you
NO, registration with MMC DO NOT give you a job! Getting a job is totally a different story all together. In malaysia, all housemen are government servants. Thus only malaysian citizens are given the post. Foreigners are given horsemanship post if you are married to a Malaysian.
What kind of registration does a foreign doctor have to apply to MMC for postgraduate training ? Temporary or full registration with “conditions” ?
Pls ask MMC
Is the intake for postgraduate training twice a year ?
Some foreign doctors have to do clinical attachment, why and how much is this ?
once a year
YES, some foreign doctors will have to do attachment before they are absorbed into Master’s program.
If would-be specialists fail the entrance exam ( of postgraduate training ) or miss the deadline to submit requested documents, they have to wait at least 12 months. Moreover, they can apply 1 program at one time ( 1 program per year ). Is there ongoing enrollment ?
NO
Do these foreign doctors get paid ( by Malaysia government ) while doing postgraduate training ?
Thanks
The university will pay you a MO salary
Dr, what is your comments of the amendment to medical act? What are its advantages and disadvantages to the doctors in Malaysia?
at the moment looks fine
hi
im a forigner doctor did the post grad course for six years and it was unpaid despite i was working so hard and seeing almost 100 patients aday in university malaya.
please if you are a forigner ,do not think to come over as it very anti forigner and they descriminate .e.g your local colleague can see 20-30 pts and come to clinic late and leaves early ,in other hand,you need to clear up the crowd and go home with no salary or allawance.
Postgraduate training in Malaysia is usually 4 years. How can you do it for 6 years ? what specialty training are in now ? if you regret it, why didn’t you leave/abandon the postgraduate course in the early first months of course ? why did not you drop out the course 5 years ago ?
I think first few months is too early to think of dropping out.
usually, foreigners will be asked to do about 1-2 years of pre-Masters service before being absorbed into master’s program.
A well known fact.
Why local master students see 20-30 patients, come to hospital later and go home earlier and foreigner students see 100 and come earlier and go home later ? is it exploitation ?
welcome to Malaysia
Probably. We have a long history of exploiting foreign workers in this country, unless you are a gwailo of course – then you get treated like a king
Dear Dr. Pagalavan Letchumanan…I am requesting for your help,as I am confused in between. I want registration as Specialist Dermatologist in Malaysia.
I am a certified Dermatologist , Licensed by registration with PMDC (Pakistan Medical & Dental Council ) , as a specialist to practice as a Dermatologist in Pakistan . I have M.Sc in Dermatology from United Kingdom(UK) . MBBS from WHO recognized College in Pakistan. I have training in Dermatology as well as , over Three years of outpatient and inpatient experience of Dermatologist in Pakistan . I have over Twenty years of clinical experience as a General Practitioner / Medical officer / Physician in Pakistan . I got a Diploma in Laser and Microdermabrasion from Canada . I t I have M.Sc. In Community Health / Medicine from Long Island University, New York, USA .I am a Canadian and Pakistani citizen . Currently doing Dermatology practice in Pakistan.
Please advise me how can I get to work as Dermatologist in Malaysia ,please
None of your qualifications is registrable as a specialist qualification in Malaysia. If you basic qualification is recognised in Malaysia, you may be able to get registration as a doctor, but you cannot practice as a Dermatologist.
I am afraid that your degrees are not considered as a recognised postgraduate degree in Malaysia. Furthermore, I am not sure whether even your basic degree is recognised MMC.
if you have canadian citizenship ( as you say ) why you want to work in Malaysia. Why don’t you work in Canada ? dermatologist salary is s $379,192 / year or around 1 million Malaysian “dollar”.
Don’t you understand that it isextremely hard to earn 1 million Malaysian “dollar” here for a very senior dermatologist working in Malaysia.
Click to access Dermatology_en.pdf
because Dr Malik knows how difficult it is to get into the canadian medical system. i am sure he can elaborate more on this.
Dr Paga, how Malaysian can actually get into Canadian system?
it seems like nobody ever think of canada.
thanks.
I think they need to sit an exam similar to USMLE.
Thank you very much for explanation.
You wrote ,above that “”” The new amended Medical Act 2012 has been approved by Parliament end of last year. As such, effective from now,MMC has the authority to accreditate and register specialists in this country”””.
Can I take advantage of this new amended medical act 2012.
Dr. Malik
What I told you is from the amended medical act
I am a Pakistani medical graduate with one year internship and one and half year clinical experience,total of two and half. My college is recognized. Do I need more experience to apply for registration or I can apply right now???
Malaysia do not hire any more foreigners as medical officers.
Dear Dr. Pagalavan
i am currently working as medical officer in government hospital in Malaysia. I am Indonesian and my husband is Malaysian. Can i apply for local master program? Thank you
Yes, you can. Thee are some quota for foreigners as well.
dear Dr.Pagalavan,
im malaysian currently work in malaysia as houseman. my husband is foreigner. is it possible for him to work as a doctor here in our government?if can, how can he apply?how many years of experience do he need to make him acceptable here?thanks you
If his primary degree is recognised by MMC, he cam apply to MOH for a job.
Hi,
I just moved to Malaysia from Pakistan, and I want to specialize in Peadiatric medicine. I looked up programmes here and it turns out that you need to do the Master’s in peadiatrics programme but you have to pay to do it. Is that the case here because back in my country we were paid to do our residency programmes? isn’t there any other option?
Also, my degree is not recognized by the MMC and I called to inquire for registration for the malaysian medical council exam and they told me to get permission from the ministry of health malaysia first?
I am very confused as to how to pursue my career here. I also thought of giving MRCPCH part 1 but I don’t think they accept that here either as an alternative to giving the MMC exam(gathering from your blogs only).
can you please help me out here
Since your basic degree is not recognised by MMC, you will not be able to get a job in Malaysia. However, if you get a place for the Master’s program, temporary registration can be given for the duration of Master’s program after which you need to leave the country.
And if i give and clear the medical qualifying exam what then? Can i get a job or join a master’s programme?
you can try especially to university hospitals
Hello doctor.sorry if this has been asked before.im a mbbs graduate from jawarhalal nehru medical college.im a malaysian.im getting engaged to a local girl from india,who completed her mbbs in the same college.what are the prospects of her working in malaysia as a doctor and is there any chance of her doing a postgraduate course when we are married and she migrates here?thank you dr.
Previously, your spouse would be eligible for housemanship if she is married to a Malaysian. However, since september 2014, MOH has stopped doing that with an added restrictions of a need to sit and pass SPM BM paper. Please read some of my latest post!
So what happens when she sits and passes a spm bm paper?can i get a link to the post doctor?thanks a lot
With the limited number of post now, unlikely she will get a job! Please go to my homepage and read my last few articles