For 3 weeks I am battling with a virus. Started with an Upper Respiratory Tract Infection just after CNY which subsequently led to severe pharyngo-laryngitis causing me to almost lose my voice a week ago. While I am still recovering from this massive viral assault, with my voice still not back to normal, it has been work as usual. Being a private practitioner with own business to run, you have to work no matter what happens. It is a one man show. Appointments had been given and on-calls has been arranged. As long as you can walk and talk, work goes on. That’s the life as a doctor.
As per the years before, there will always be a surge in the number of visitors to my blog after the SPM/STPM results are announced. As expected thousands of students have scored straight As, close to 11 300 students. Despite being less than last year, it is still a huge number. I can’t imagine the number of students who would have scored at least 5Bs to be eligible to enter medical school. I was made to understand that MMC is in the middle of revising the minimum entry requirement and should be announcing it anytime soon , hopefully.
Again, I will be asked the same questions again and again by these budding doctors. Despite this blog having full of information written over the last 5 years, somehow the current generation of students do not READ. As per our education system, they prefer to be spoon-fed all the way. For those who are interested to do medicine, please spend a couple of days READING ALL the information written under ” For Future Doctors” page.
My advise for budding doctors has always been the same: NEVER DO MEDICINE FOR WRONG REASONS! Life as a doctor is never easy. Even in UK, doctors are struggling with work load. Many of their own doctors are migrating to other countries especially Australia. I had written enough about this in all my previous posts.
I had also proven many times in this blog, even before the Minister confirmed it last year, that we are heading towards surplus of doctors. The 5 years moratorium for new medical schools which was imposed in 2010 is coming to an end this year. I heard the moratorium will be extended. I also heard from reliable sources that MMC has asked some of the universities to slowly terminate some of their twinning programmes to cut down the intake of students. We also know that AUCMS has closed shop last year, reducing the number of medical programmes by 5. I also heard that UniKL’s Vinayaka Mission University twinning program may also be terminated by the college. We heard the withdrawal of John Hopkins collaboration with Perdana University last year. However, they manage to get a new collaboration with University of California, San Diego. Hopefully it won’t end up with the same problem. Our healthcare system is completely different than the US. Even their “suppose” to be ready private teaching hospital has not taken of the ground yet. Almost all other private universities which wanted to build their own teaching hospital have abandoned their plans (Monash, UCSI, MMMC, AUCMS). The career pathway is also not the same as in the US which is clearly shown on their website. PUGSOM is a graduate medical school which is the way forward in many developed countries. The students are more matured and know what they are getting themselves into. However, you will end up doing housemanship at an older age(roughly at the age of 30) and will have to compete for post graduate post at the same level as your juniors, by age. By the time you become a specialist, you will be in your 40s. The only advantage of PUGSOM for time being is the full JPA scholarship!
Public universities were also asked to reduce their intake last year. Remember the magic number 418 which turn out to be a “moronic” statement by a deputy minister? The total intake for public medical schools last year was about 1100 students. However, personally I feel that the government should not limit the intake of public medical schools. Unfortunately, the selection process to public universities are never fair! MMC on the other hand should concentrate in reducing the intake into many of the dubious local and overseas private medical schools. How can we allow “shop-lot” colleges to run medical schools? Only in Malaysia! The truly Malaysia Boleh style.
Once again, I would advise those who intend to migrate that doing medicine is the worst decision you will make! I had written enough regarding this over the last 1-2 years. However, I still get emails and blog comments on intention to migrate with an unrecognised degree obtained locally. Please spend some time reading THIS and THIS blog entry. All the answers are there. I just received the following email from an Indian citizen:
“Sir I am an indian citizen , did my medicine in china graduated in 2011 and ever since I have been on constant run from exams after exams I cleared my USMLE with 247 in part 1 and 258 in part 2 applied to more than 400 surgical programmes and got turned down…“
With Australia and UK almost shutting their doors to foreigners, even after passing their entrance exams (AMC/PLAB), getting into US is also not easy. I know many who spent huge amount of money sitting for exams (USMLE etc) and never got any residency post. Only very few lucky ones manage to get it. Your chances of getting a job overseas is better if you graduate from one of their own medical schools. With the current political climate in this country, almost every non-Bumis that I talk to have intention to migrate, especially for their children. Unfortunately choosing medicine is the worst thing you can do. As my Ophthalmologist friend said “doing medicine is a trap, you can’t move anywhere!”. I just met a couple who are succesfull GPs and has 3 clinics. They are NOT sending any of their 2 children to do medicine. Of course, their intention is also to let their children migrate.
Thus, I would advise budding doctors to open your eyes and READ…………….. Don’t get glorified with statement like, doctors are needed everywhere and you can work anywhere in this world. There is NO such thing! There are so many information in this blog. Please spend some time READING it. There is NO short cut to life. The more you read , the more successful you will become. Knowledge is key to success and the only way you are going to achieve it is by reading. Enough of spoon feeding in your schooling days! It is time to wake up and face the reality out there!
Please READ…………….
Pagalavan's Avatar 
“There is NO short cut to life.” that is a very powerful advice
Totally agree……. guys never do medicine if u aim for money or title……. if u want title do PHD, if u want money do buisness……. dont become like me already an MO want to do something else or migrate else where is difficult……… nowadays ppl never apreciate we doctors on what we do for them especially in urban places……. “You doctor? So what?”
“Dont become like me”…..cannot make money!…my children are doctors and they are doing fine.
“Want to do something else ..is difficult !…Have you heard of the saying …..where there is a will, there is a way?.
“Want to migrate elsewhere is difficult”…..Ummm….Think you did medicine for all the wrong reasons.
I know of many doctors who enjoy been a doctor. And people definitely look up (appreciate) to doctors for the knowledge & dedication…ie those who did medicine with a pasion. Its doctors like you who give a bad name to the profession. I bet u will probably be moaning & groaning to every Dick, Tom & Harry…everyday…on how useless being a doctor is. Sad..I hope you will leave the doctor’s profession quickly.
Well said Dr Paga,but I think MMC does not have the “political”will to carry forward new sets of policies that are not “profitable”to certain key “players”in the industry.
I totally agree with you Dr.
Reading and no shortcut.
In the same time, I am interested and have passion in medical line, did you have some info on the specific courses in medical fields, ( rehab,Physio, PPP,etc) that are really as shortage nowadays and 4 years from now? Any fields that can continue study until higher levels?
Thanks Dr, have a nice day
For physio, there are too many diploma holders. Rehab is very wide. There are doctors, degree holders as well as diploma holders. Most hospitals would just hire diploma holders as it is cheaper.
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From:”Pagalavan’s Avatar” Date:Tue, 10 Mar, 2015 at 10:09 PM Subject:[New post] For Future Doctors: WAKE UP ……. and READ……………
Pagalavan Letchumanan posted: “For 3 weeks I am battling with a virus. Started with an Upper Respiratory Tract Infection just after CNY which subsequently led to severe pharyngo-laryngitis causing me to almost lose my voice a week ago. While I am still recovering from this massive vira”
Dr. Paga, may i suggest you save the tile For Future Doctors for entries related to future doctors such as this only. I am saying this because sometimes your entries are regarding the MOH system and master programs, so it is rather confusing and difficult to searchcertain entries in your archives. May i also suggest you place a specific title for entries regarding housemanship itself, since a big chunk of your posts are discussions regarding it. Thank you.
As a future doctor, you need to know everything about the system that you are going to face. Thus it is important that you are aware of evrything.
I disagree with lisa…we want to know everything!
Dr Dr Paga,
I am a fellow malaysian who has recently been accepted into GPVTS program in the UK. I am at a crossroad as to whether to stay in the uk for 3 more years to finish MRCGP, or to come home just to start from completing the compulsory HO rotations in malaysia. i have to admit that being a female who wants a partner with similar cultural background, I am hesitant to stay on in the UK as I will be 30 by the time i complete my training!
Are you able to enlighten me on a few questions please?
1) Am i considered a family medicine specialist after obtaining MRCGP?
2) After completing the program I will need to be gazzette by the government for 1.5 years. In this case, am I getting specialist pay? (on the FMS website, doctors who completed local Masters for FamMed gets specialist pay)
3) In the case where I decide to come back here, how soon am I allowed to apply for the AFPM program? Is it after completing compulsory HO rotations or after completing 2 years of compulsory MO service?
4) As for Masters in FamMed (UM, UKM), do you know how competitive is it to get into the program? Is it dependent on your results/performances, or on how strong your CABLE is ?!
5) You have stated repeatedly on your blog that the future prospect of GPs in malaysia is bleak. Is it any better when one is a family medicine specialist?
I appreciate your time on answering my queries, and I hope you get well soon! I myself just contracted glandular fever from one of my ENT patients.. and no it did not involve me being naughty (insider joke)
How much is the specialist pay in malaysia? Thanks..rm 10k?15k?
Please read my topic on doctor’s salary
LL, i would recommend you to stay and finish your mrcgp. i wish you can find a partner in the uk as there are many malaysians there working/ studying.. it is either 3 years in UK or another 7 years min in malaysia for you to complete your fms training.
MRCGP is recognised in Malaysia after 18 months gazettement period. You will only receive specialist allowance after you are gazetted.
I would suggest you complete your training in UK before returning.
If you intend to open a clinic, it does matter whether you have MRCGP or not. Your charges will be the same as a normal GP.
Anyone can apply for AFPM program after housemanship.
No one knows for sure how Masters selection is done.
Hi, Doctor~~ I’ve been reading your posts about future prospects in the fields of Medicine, esp in Malaysia. Thank you, your posts are very informative and enlightening. I’m currently a Matriculation student. I wish to pursue my studies in Chinese Medicine after completed my MD program and housemanship. After that, I hope I can join the research team in IMR. Is this idea feasible in Malaysia? I’ve been studying about various recent breakthroughs in Medical Research and it’s so amazing!! I know it wont be easy but I really wish to be part of the research team. 🙂
Research is underdeveloped in Malaysia. Most of these so called breakthroughs are not done by doctors.
Spot on, Dr P ! The progress in medical research in our country is so slow that none can be considered as a genuine medical breakthrough. One of the problems that has really made the research endeavor completely rotten is most of the people involved in this area is completely arrogant and failed to diversify the research talent and recognize the importance of close collaboration between the clinicians and other experts from various scientific disciplines. Besides, the root of this problem lies in the management of the university per se with an example below.
By the way, the government has poured so much money in our universities to ensure that the quality of our medical research will reach world standard in no time. The largess mostly goes to the top research university and one of them is APEX university, USM. Unfortunately most of the money given has been wasted by conducting research that are not par excellence. As we have already observed numerous times, the APEX university’s ranking has become worse and worse from year to year. According to what I have read in the archive of our national papers, one of the objectives of granting an APEX status to USM is to assist it to be one of the top 200 universities by the end of five years and one of the top 100 (or even better top 50) by the year 2020 (a press statement from Dato Khalid Nordin, the previous minister of higher education, in 2008). However, USM hasn’t been in the list of top 300 universities in the world according to QS ranking last year (rank 309, don’t ask about how did fare with other more prestigious ranking systems like the TIMES, Shanghai Jiao Tong (also known as ARWU) etc since USM APEX university is not even in the top 400 or 500 universities in the world!). To make things worse, USM used to be one of the “big threes” in Malaysia (the other ones are UKM and UM) which is something that is anticipated from this APEX university since it is the second oldest university in our country. But, according to the QS ranking system 2014/2015, it has now dropped to the fourth best university in Malaysia with UTM overtaking it (rank 294). I don’t really understand what has happened to this so called APEX university. Perhaps the only modus operandi that is acceptable to them is to deny and strongly negate whatever the facts coming out of our concerned the STAR editors (who kept on highlighting the problems suffered by USM since the last few years – the scandal over the building process of the engineering research centre in Nibong Tebal campus, rat infestation in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (I have seen the rats even in the onco ward ! So please can you imagine how unhygenic the hospital is), the exodus of many clinical lecturers from the university due to lack of promotions, the perennial food poisoning cases among the medical students in Murni and Nurni hostels/desasiswa, the subpar quality of non clinical lecturers – there were many students who are now lecturers in the medical school who easily received the SLAB/RLKA scholarship (fellowship scheme for trainee lecturers in non clinical fields) even though their CGPAs are under three (I even personally know a few of them whose CGPAs is below 2.80 , one of them 2.70! and these people are easily sent to overseas to complete their phds despite being undeserved to receive all these perks and allowances for themselves and family members. I guess this is because they are just Kelantanese who have strong connections with the top echelons), the flawed research ethics in publishing (for instance a wife will unethically include her husband’s name as one of the co-authors of the research paper even though he does not involve in the research at all, this is to ensure that both will be fast-tracked to professorship in 5 to 10 years time). As you can clearly see now, our supposed APEX university is now plagued by so many scandals that will even embarrass the notorious Bernard Madoff.
I hope you (lonely boy) will understand that being a medical researcher in Malaysia is not all bright and sunny (actually the prospect is more like dark and gloomy). Have a think about it before treading into this very treacherous water since there will be no escape once you are in this system.
Malaysia always believe that pouring money can solve problems. It isn’t the case. You need to invest in human resource and get best brains but it is politically not correct!
Well said. I’m a doctor working in the UK and I couldn’t agree more. However there is one statement I do disagree – that is medicine is a trap and that you can’t move anywhere. A medical degree (from the UK that is) opens doors to many different opportunities even if its outside medicine.
Doctors are highly trained professionals and I believe more than capable in excelling in other careers as well.
Yes, only if you graduate from count:ries like UK or Australia. But how many can afford to do that?
Is there any country that completely prohibits foreign doctors who want to work in their country??? As far as I know, most countries have their own entry requirements & qualifying exams for foreign qualified doctors…Malaysia included.
So how can anyone say medicine is a trap that you can’t move anywhere??
If you are strong willed, have the passion, smart & hardworking & good in your medical degree & clinical experience, you too can definitely sit for their exams AND PASS. Thousands have done so and still doing so. If you are no confidence in yourself ….that simply means YOU ARE NO GOOD and you rate yourself BELOW PAR.
Its as simple as that…so dont blame your local or any other degree you have.
YES, of course there are countries who prohibit foreign doctors to work in their country . A good example is MALAYSIA!! MOH has stopped recruiting foreign doctors and even PRs and for foreign spouses, need to sit and pass SPM BM paper!. Private hospitals and clinics are not allowed to recruit foreign doctors except for specialist. Even then, their degree must be recognised in Malaysia and there are NO locals who wanted to join despite 3 advertisements.
AS for other countries, I am talking about migration. Which countries do Malaysian migrate: UK, US, Australia, NZ. Are you going to migrate to Middle east or african countries or even non-English speaking countries? in UK, the chances for a non-Eu citizen to get a post is almost NIL. In US, I know countless number of students who spent thousands of dollars and PASSED the USMLE with flying colours BUT never got a residency post despite applying everywhere!!And of course they have clinical experience!
Australia has also stopped recruiting foreigners despite passing AMC exams. They do not even have enough internship post to give to their own graduates.
Most Malaysians who you see working overseas are those who graduated there and those who went there almost 10 years ago when it was much easier.
NOW, do you see other professionals having the same problem in terms of expensive licensing exams etc?
many countries have their own licensing exam requirement in order to practice medicine, including malaysia (but with passing BM paper in SPM it is almost impossible for foreigners to get job in msian goverment hospital) . it’s just that one has to be competitive and motivated enough to try. i’ve seen many malaysian expat couples with md/mbbs outside malaysia end up staying at home, because of many personal reasons, yada yada yada.. truth is some of them didnt even want to try, well when their partner is making more than enough why bother… my wife with mbbs from uitm, cleared usmle which is one of the requirement to join residency in one of middle east medical corporations and happily practicing here.. you just need to make sure the medical school is listed in IMED and work hard..
on the other hand, i have also heard many graduates meeting the requirement, with good clinical experience and research but didnot succeed in the matching process… and with ecfmg certified and high scores in steps having difficutly to secure a residency post in the states.. so it is a trap when one is living 5-10 hrs away from home and cant practice medicine. i guess this is the risk the students need to be aware once they sign up for medical school because they never know where they would be in 5-7 years ahead
Yes, exactly. It is a very risky job if your intention is to migrate! That is what I am saying. If your intention is to migrate, then medicine is a TRAP. I am sure no one from Malaysia is intending to migrate to Middle east!
maybe not medical students, but some msian doctors do want to work (i dont want to use the ‘migrate’ term because foreigners will never get passport here) in middle east. i know few doctors have been in this region for more than 10 years… mostly those who are in specialist/ consultant level. and recently the are few other msian consultants from the UK also moved here..
in certain specialties, consultant work only from 7-2, one operation a day then leave home, who can resist the work environment? i cant see why msians are so afraid of middle east.. while at the same time there are many british and american expats/ doctors working here 🙂
Yes, this is similar to nurses from Malaysia who goes to middle east to work. It is purely for money and good working life. Not for migration.
Actually, many people can afford to study medicine in UK or Australia. Their stumbling block is getting admitted.
Hello Doctor,im a medical student from AIMST university, i really agree with what u said. Hope u will recover soon!
Hi dr. Is it possible for me to continue for overseas specialists training after I’ve got my local MD program in local government uni and completed my housemanship? I heard that most local degrees are not recognised by other countries. Thank you.
all iptas that have produced graduates are listed in IMED, so it is not a matter or recognition. it is a matter of how competitive you are against other international medical graduates and the available position they have.
pakistanis, indians, nigerians, egyptians and other arab nations have done since looong time ago.
for residency in USA, you need to be ecfmg certified and apply for matching process. i know some people have tried many times, some were selected after 4th attempts, which means after 4 years of completing step exams. and to get matched. it is not only about passing USMLE, but you need to have good recommendation letter, research or publish paper and go through the interview process.
for UK, once you complete the PLAB or membership exam ie. mrcog, mrcp etc, with IELTS you are eligible to apply for training/advanced training, again, compete with other img from around the world.
Actually, the chances of getting a training post in UK is almost zero for a Non-EU citizen.
AS long as your degree is not recognised elsewhere, you can’t go anywhere to find a job/post graduate training. Of course you can sit and pass the entrance exams to work in another country but that does not guarantee you a job or a training post.
Hi dr, thanks for the informations in you provided in this blog. It’s really painful to see how the situation of malaysia’s medical field had worsen over the years. I myself is a Malaysian medical student in India. One of my professors, who knows about the current situation of medicine in Malaysia has advised me to do USMLE and apply to the US(he himself worked in the US before returning to India). What do you think of it? Should I go ahead with USMLE and try applying for residency in the US?
Anyone can sit for USMLE but NOT everyone who applies will get a residency post in US. Most don’t. Furthermore, it is also becoming more difficult to get a residency post in US with increasing number of their own graduates.
Hello again doctor, in the end, I had to choose IMU PMS medicine instead of monash australian pharmacy as my father is kind of unwilling to pay for monash pharmacy. He thinks medicine is still as respected and useful like last time and feels that pharmacy is an utterly useless degree. After reflecting and trying to convince myself that medicine will be okay, I went to your blog, which did the exact opposite of what I had been doing. I wish I can inform my parents about all these problems. I tried to, but all they got is that if you have the intelligence and hard work you can do anything. When I said something about it being difficult, I will be scorned as lazy and unmotivated. They are still stuck in the old ways of medicine and believe that medicine will guarantee you a job in the future. I don’t know what to do anymore, plus I already accepted the offer. Is it too late to turn back? I haven’t paid the payment fee and haven’t started my course yet.
Nothing new, i have heard this type of stories countless number of times. They will only realise later. IMU PMC is good if you plan to work in the country you are graduating.