Every weekend when I flip through the newspaper (The Star), I just can’t ignore the small adverts that appears at some corners of the newspaper, for those who wants to do medicine! I am so embarrassed and disgusted to see how low medicine has gone. From a well-respected and noble profession to something that goes along with a motto “ Now, everyone can become a doctor………………….” Medicine which use to be done by the creams of the country, has now gone down so low that anyone with a low qualification and money, can become one.
These adverts sometimes make me wonder whether parents have become so stupid in order to make their child a doctor at whatever expense? If you look at the adverts below, some even guarantees a seat despite not being able to get a seat for A-Levels, STPM and Matriculation!! What does this mean? That the students are so stupid not being able to get a place in these pre-U courses but can still do medicine with a guaranteed seat ,100K total and no selection test? Sounds ridiculous to me!
In most countries, there are only few selected Pre-U courses that are recognised to enter universities. Unfortunately in this Bolehland, anyone can come up with a Pre-U programme to make money. The famous Pre-U programme now is ” Foundation in Science“!. Almost every private college in Malaysia seem to be offering this course with guaranteed seat in their medical course. Please go to some of the private medical schools websites and you will see this. It is really disheartening to know that the Ministry of Higher Education does not monitor this courses and allows so many such courses to appear. So, why struggle to do A-Levels or STPM? Just do a Foundation programme in a private college where you know your medical seat is guaranteed! BTW, who monitors these foundation programme curriculum and exam standards?
Whenever someone ask me about this, I always tell them that it is the safest to do STPM, A-Levels or IB. These are the safest Pre-U courses and internationally recognised. The other options will be SAM(South Australian Matriculation) or AUSMAT, which is a 1 year programme and also recognised in many universities especially Australian Universities. If you do the so-called “ Foundation Programme” in some of the local private universities, please be aware that it is not recognised by any other universities either locally or internationally. Thus, if you want to change course etc, you will not be able to get a place elsewhere.
Another Malaysia Boleh mah……………….., now you know why we are going down the drains………………… I just can’t wait to see jobless doctors soon and make some parents to realise what mass they have created for their child!!
Pagalavan's Avatar 
Hi Dr,
So happen that I’m highlighting this up in The Star. Can you provide me with a contact so I may interview you and have your concerns raised?
joshuafoong@thestar.com.my
you can email me at pagal72@gmail.com
please also see some of the comments in my main “home” page on this posting.
This is so true as I had fallen into the trap of this agent!
Wanted to pursue my bachelor of dentistry after my A levels but because it was too pricey in Malaysia, I have decided to do it in Indonesia. Yes, the price offered by these agent seems really tempting therefore I have decided to try.
Upon finishing my first week of studies there, I was horrified and angry by the lies told by the agents. They told me that all lectures will be conducted in English but these weren’t the case when I went over. I asked my senior whether was the medium of teaching always in Bahasa Indon(BI) and they said yes! This is really bad for us as students because a lot of the important medical terms are different whether in BI or English. Some of the doctors there are also quite irresponsible as they are allowed to cancel class as and when they lik. One of our lecturer even forgotten that we had an exam on that day and asked us to come back next week for the test!
Furthermore, I was really unsatisfied with the students being ‘chosen’ to go over to study bds as I had worked really hard to score a perfect mark for A levels while a few of the students that went over were only 18years old (which means that they did not even finished their one year foundation programme with these agents). I had asked few of my classmates and they said that their foundation programme with these agents was only 3 months! Therefore, can you imagine the kind and quality of students that Malaysia is sending over due to those irresponsible agents who only want to earn fast money without caring about the students.
Therefore I strongly urge everyone not to fall into the trap f these agents because after all a good education will determine the outcome of our future and you do not want to jeopardise your future as you would like to save just that little amount of money.(After all, our school fees as international students are paid in USD! Hence I feel that there is really no difference now since MYR is getting weaker each day)
Agents are there to make money out of our ignorance