I did not realise that MMC has come up with a minimum criteria and qualifications for entry into medical schools last month. I came across the criteria over here
Well, even though it is commendable but I wonder how are they going to monitor this for the 33 medical schools in Malaysia and hundreds overseas. In many countries, it is compulsory for the medical schools to give the details of their student’s entry qualifications to their respective medical council. We are just too late but better late than never!
One of the main reason why the government came up with “No Objection Certificate(NOC)” many years ago was because the Ministry of Education realised that there were many unqualified students being accepted into medical schools in countries like India, Russia and Indonesia. But now we know that the NOC is a big joke! I have seen many with poor SPM results being given the NOC, usually done by the agents. Some even falsify their SPM results to cheat the Ministry.
I noticed that under this circular by MMC, it is stated that the students need to fulfill both the SPM and the Pre-U qualifications criteria in order to be accepted into medical schools ( the word ” IN ADDITION” is highlighted”). Foundation in science courses are still being recognised even though I feel that a lot of hanky-panky things are happening in these colleges with no proper standardisation. I feel that MMC should have just limited their Pre-U courses to a few internationally recognised courses. What about MARA sending their students to Egypt without the need for Pre-U courses? Will MMC take any action or practise double standards as usual?
I wonder how are they going to monitor almost 4000 students who will be recruited by these medical colleges annually. If NOC can be faked, what more in this case! But this will definitely put a lot of stress to the medical schools.
Pagalavan's Avatar 
greetings doctor.P
hello doctor. i’m currently doing my 5th year of medicine now. i wish to become a cardiologist in future. can u tell me the pathway to achieve my dream doctor?
how to become a cardiologist after completing my mbbs??? how many years it would take? the cost?
Another one of the medical students who hasn’t finish med school but already want to be a subspecialist. You want to be a cardiologist because everyone tells you that cardiologists earn big fat sum of money, don’t you ? Do you know what a cardiologist’s job involves ? If you claim that you want to be a cardiologist because of interest, have you done any project as part of your undergrad training in cardiology ? Do you have any audits, researches, publications in cardiology ?
If you are interested in cardiology, sure you will be able to write an essay to explain why MRI is inferior to echo in determining cardiac function, can you do that ? In fact, do you even know how to read an ECG properly ? It is the very existence of people like you that is making healthcare dangerous in Malaysia.
Before you even think of becoming a cardiologist, be able to read ECSs properly and accurately first, then be a competent doctor. After that, then you can start thinking of cardiology. I can foresee that you are one of those people who will do PCI for every single patient who presents with heartburn. Therefore, I promise you that you will never ever get a referral from me if one day you indeed become a cardiologist.
So he or she – “ariesha”, most likely a “she” – says that she wants to be a cardiologist someday. By your reply I thought that she spewed out something really sinful, like “I want to be a cardiologist someday because I think the cardiologists nowadays know nothing and I can study ECG on the internet yada yada…”. Instead I read something innocent with a spirit of inquiry.
You, Anaes SHO, by your reply reek of a disease that plagues the Malaysian Medical System. The very disease that was mentioned in one of Dr Paga’s articles a few days ago. The disease that lies in many a sadist specialist, MO or senior medical staff. The very disease you hated when you were a junior HO, but have now been infected with when you were presented with someone more junior than you.
How do you know if ariesha knows how to read an ECG or not? Did she say that she didn’t? Do you know her? Maybe she does? Or maybe your ego says that a 5th year student can’t? So a person has to know everything there is to know about a profession before expressing INTEREST in it? Say your child says he wants to be an astrophysicist – you ask him to write an essay on the nuclear fission of the sun or the structure of quantum foam, or he should just shut up. I’m sure you would – you’re a sadist.
Go take out your anger on something else. Get yourself more satisfied with life. I’m sure your day sucked after you just couldn’t find that central vein. Go get examined for hemarrhoids too, I’m sure you have a few. See, I’m just assuming about you. How do you like it?
First of all, I think you should wait till you complete your housemanship before thinking of what speciality to do. A lot of things can change. Firstly either you need to do MRCP or Master’s in Medicine for 4 years. After completing your gazettement and waiting for a year, you will need 3 years of training in cardiology. Please read my article on ” Step by Step approach to subspeciality in medicine “under For Future Doctors page
Anaes SHO,
I guess i asked that question to Dr. Pagalavan..
i dowana be rude to you..please mind your own business..
don’t piss me off..
irritating frog!
To ariesha, you’ve only expressed interest in going somewhere. You’ve not gotten there yet, no shame in that. Most useless medical students don’t even like medicine to begin with.
Dr Paga have already written on the issue in the past. Check out the article about postgraduate education.
For cardiology you can also try the US by the way. Cardiology is within internal medicine, so it’s easier for the foreign medical graduate to get in rather than surgery.
To Sparks, Cardiology in America is easier for IMG?Are you sure about that piece of info?
All depends on what do you mean by “easier”.
It’s relatively easier for the IMG to get a residency in internal medicine as compared to other fields that are surgery related – the stats for residency matching show it.
Every time i read the articles and comments here, I’m glad that I left the Malaysian healthcare system for good. It’s rotten to the core beyond repair, sadly the civil service has gone to the dogs and now with 1care fiasco it just bring the major screw up to another level.
I tried changing the system when I was there but the problem is you cant change idiots and nincompoops. The saying goes if you can’t beat them, join them which what many of my colleagues did. I applaud them but I guess they have their reasons. Family Etc
I think PSD or Mara or any other scholarship awarding bodies should stop giving scholarship for Medicine because it is bloody waste of resources. The government spend almost a million dollar for a student only for them to go to prestigous medical school only to return to a completely different system where you are treated like slaves. It doesn’t matter if you go to Oxford, Cambridge had excellent A-levels, did international research, graduated top of the class because in Malaysia it is all about who is the most diligent apple polisher and brown-noser. No wonder there is a lot of PSD and MARA-funded doctors abroad.
What PSD or MARA should have done is to have a clinical staff from the ministry or prestigious local medical schools who oversee these students, make sure they clinical ambitions are met via appropriate placements and mentoring. During summer holidays PSD can initiate programme to make it compulsory for these students to do their clinical electives or research at prestigious hospitals in Malaysia. I’m sure those who had Khazanah scholarship can relate to this.
But there’s no such staff in PSD or MARA, it is just too much work for them. Spending a million ringgit on student is way easier. In fact why bother sending just one, use that money to send student to some dodgy medical schools and get it to recognize later. Don’t bother if the quality of education in these schools is bad because in the end these doctors serve the poor and immigrants. The top civil servants go to private hospital or semi private like IJN.
Maybe common qualifying exam would be a good idea but what if some anak dato’s or anak HOD can’t pass it because they went to some university belakang rumah.But what if certain group of people or group of graduates can’t pass it? What would that reflect the quality of training they had? Again it is just too much work and too complicated.
Amalgamation of medical schools is a brilliant idea but would the share holders agree, too much interest at stake. Too many hands..too much money.
I don’t think the government is very serious about the quality of healthcare in Malaysia. They just the best bang for their bucks and whether they can make money out of it..read 1Care.
Too many civil servants, too many doctors, too many teachers…it is just high time when this country will suffer similar fate like the greeks and brazilians.
I’m worried about the new generation of post-glut MOs. I personally feel at best they are just functioning as SHOs but already some of them is acting like they have been there for ages and practice cow-boy medicine. Unfortunately in Malaysia, even if you paid your way out in Medical school, failed your SPM, gave your professor some Vodka Money, cheated your way with your logbooks, absconded work while locuming elsewhere, you are still a UD41 under system and treated like one. Nobody cares about your ethics and degree..you still get paid minimum of 3500, enjoy civil servants perks and now you only have to do shift jobs..even better.
It is a dream job..no wonder there’s so much dissatisfaction among nurses and MAs. No wonder MAs also are starting to go to medical school..the dodgy ones. The pie is just too tempting and in 24 months you will be UD44 ..”like a boss!”
hey sparks..
thanks a lot for supporting me..that’s a very good nose-cut for Anaes SHO..haha..and thanks for ur information regarding cardiology..:)
Hi sir,im saestre a houseman currently in my 2nd postng.i was interested in tis profession throught my life. Bt due to the wrk pressure n emotional torture..i start nt to enjoy tis profession..slowly decreasing my passion..im nt interested to continue my housemanship..im findng ny other way to go. Im interested to wrk in medical settng. Bt Dnt wan housemanship. Need ur advice sir .wht cn i do.tq
Wonder why I started this blog? Many do not know what they are getting themselves into when they decide to do medicine.
If you do not complete housemanship, you will never be able to work as a doctor. So, I don’t understand what you mean by “medical setting”?
Hi doctor, i really need your advice. I have read the minimum entrance requirement by MMC and looking at my results i don’t qualify because i have one D which was my Chemistry and my other two science subjects are B’s but the rest are A’s. So,what i would like to ask is if i still am eager to do medical, should i go ahead and do A levels? or there’s no hope and i should look into other courses?
Only STPM, A level, IB and few other international Pre-U courses can supersede SPM results.
Is MUFY included doctor?
Check the MMC website
I’ve checked,and in the table theres STPM,A levels,IB,Matriculation,UEC,MUFY,ATAR etc. So, to confirm again, i can apply to a medical school as long as i excel in any of the pre-u courses above right? Sorry doctor for asking so many questions.
Not Matriculation or local Foundation studies.
Hi doctor, i would like to ask if its possible for me to do medical after i finish my degree in medical bioscience? Do i still have to fulfill MMC’S requirement for SPM?
Yes, you can but you need certain level of CGPA in your first degree to qualify.
hi do u success to enter med school? Get placement for HO?
I am very very interested in medical Dr. Even after reading all you post under Future Doctors. I am more than willing to work hard for my pre-u course to make sure i qualify to enter a medical school. I am not doing medical for the money but more because i want to treat patients and live my life knowing that i can go to work everyday and help people with their sickness and pain. If its possible later i would want to specialise in psychiatry. Due to my SPM results which i got a D for my chemistry and B’s for the other two, many peeple are telling me that i can’t do medical and there’s no hope for me. Is it true Dr? Is there no solution at all? what if i retake my Chemistry next year? If i get a good result is it possible for me to enter a medical school? I tried applying A levels in Taylor’s but they won’t let me take Chemistry due to my SPM.
You can resit your SPM Chemistry paper. IF you do get a B than you can apply for Pre U course to enter medicine. I know many who said exactly what you said but regretted later. Most doctors, after some time would not even want to go to hospital!THis is because at the moment, you do not have any other commitments. BUT if you think you have great passion for medicine after reading everything in this blog, than you should work hard to achieve it.
Hello doctor…if I resit spm and get at least b in my chemistry, can I take local foundation courses fr medicine? I know u think it’s inappropriate fr students who wanna take medicine to take local foundation course…but is it possible if I resit spm and get B in my chemistry and take local foundation course fr medicine? Will thr be any problems later like mmc doesn’t approve me etc?
Possible
Doctor u mean I might face prob later like mmc doesn’t approve me etc?
When you apply to enter a medical school, the university must get approval from MMC for all their recruitments.
Hello Dr, I overcome ur very interesting blog where i actually read quite a lot…haha
Anyway, i just finished my stpm and i have interest in persuing medicine…in fact, i always wanted to become a gynae back in high school but after reading ur blog and knowing the medical issues that is all over the papers made me think twice…thrice….1000 times…haha…..my question is….MMC has stated in the papers that if anyone failed to meet the min requirements set by them…they will not be called for HO….that means u basically will be jobless after investing so much time n money n effort studying mbbs….i obtained 3 B- in my bio,chem and maths for stpm but MMC wanted 3B for the subjects (i fulfill all requirements for spm)….so does that mean i cant do medicine anymore? As in ..i won’t be called for HO after completing my mbbs…i know with my current results i cant do medicine in local unis cause im not good enuf in terms of grades but i can do it privately but whats the point if i wont be called for HO right? I always see myself as a Dr in the future and not doing it for the money even tho my parents think that Dr earns like crazy which is nottt true now…maybe its passion but im really not sure and all these medical issues are giving me tons of doubts.
Also…may i know whether vets are required to do houseman as well in malaysia? Or they can just practice after obtaining their degree?
Help. Thanks.
I am not sure whether B- is the same as B as far as MMC is concerned. You can contact MMC for further information. IF it is the same than you do qualify.
As for vet, I am not sure but I don’t think they have housemanship.
How do i contact mmc? Cause they only allow us to download their min requirements pdf file and im 99 percent sure they meant B cause they wanted B as well for A levels and stpm is the same level as A leves even tho stpm is a bit harder……….but A levels doesnt have B minus or B pluses..haizz
call them. Check their website
I see…i understand….thank you Dr !
hi dr, does vet need noc and complete housemanship in Malaysia?
– farwizah
I am not sure about that BUT NOC is compulsory for any field if I am not mistaken