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2012 was a year with a lot of surprises and sadness for the field of medicine. In my various articles published in this blog, I had mentioned the challenges that future and current doctors will and are facing. I had given a summary yesterday about the performance of this blog for 2012. It had almost 520 000 views last year with the highest views per day was 4 887 on 25th March. Every year, my peak is always in March. Anyone can guess why?  The answer: that’s when the SPM results are announced. Since I started this blog in January 2010, I always see a sudden increase of viewers to my blog about 2-3 days after the SPM results are announced. I hope I have given the budding doctors the true reality of the field of medicine. However, I always feel that many do not believe what I say. I still receive emails from many young doctors asking me how to quit medicine. They realised it too late! Anyway, I hope my total blog views will reach 1Billion mark by March/April this year (893 695 currently). Some of the articles that I wrote in September 2010 such as “General Misconception of being a doctor” and ” Housemanship, Medical officer and Postgraduate training” are still being viewed daily and has the highest number of comments.

It is not a public holiday in Johor for New Year. Thus, it is work as usual. Unfortunately, a death awaited me in the wards. A 63-year-old lady just died after a Massive Left MCA territory Cerebral Infarct. I use to say that doctors don’t save life’s all the time. It is ” to comfort always, to relive often and to cure sometimes”. Many at times we are just prolonging life. You do need a lot of luck to survive.

I wanted to write something about the screwed up education system of our country, initially but then I noticed that I had written enough about it before, like over here, here and here. I noticed that a lot of my friends have started to send their children to International schools this year. As like the mushrooming of the medical schools, there seem to be a sudden increase in the number of international schools since the government approved 100% local student intake since last year. Another money-making business. Our education system has gone to the dogs and it is creating a class and racial divide. The rich is going to International schools, private schools and across the causeway. The elites especially the Bumiputeras are going to MARA colleges, Boarding schools and agama schools.  The insignificant “poor” souls are going to the national schools. Why the public especially the non-Malays have complete distrust towards the national schools? The answer is very obvious when you ask anyone. Racial and religious discrimination is very obvious in these schools. My relative who is a teacher in a national secondary school in Malacca tells me that the top 2 classes in her school are only for the top Malay students. The Non-Malays will be sent to the 3rd and 4rd classes even though they are among the top students there. This is not something new. Many years ago, in early 2000, the then NUTP Sec-Gen Dato Siva Subramaniam did bring up the issue to the government. A special committee was formed and they quietly closed the case. This is an interesting letter to read. We seem to be producing the highest number of straight A students in the world with NO quality!

I just saw the pamphlet below that was given to Standard 2 Muslim students during a religious celebration in an all girls National school. I got NO issue regarding the fact that everyone should be properly dressed BUT the way it was done. Look at this sentence at the right lower end corner : “Ciri-ciri mengenal kera memakai tudung adalah seperti berikut: ” and ” Cuba perhati sekelling anda, Ramai tak “kera” ?  Is this what they are teaching a Standard 2 student  is a national school? Is the dressing issue so important to be thought in this way to a Standard 2 student?

GOD save this country………….. Happy New Year everyone. It is an election year for sure ……………