Hmmm, I wonder how? This appeared like the first statement from our new DG since he took the office and I find it rather amusing. Year in and year out, there are thousands of Master’s applicants who are rejected. This year, I was informed that the number of seats for local Master’s programme will be increased to 800, all disciplines included. BUT at the same time, the number of graduates is increasing exponentially. In fact, he has rightfully said that the number of new doctors will be 4500 this year and will continue to increase as 50% of our 33 medical schools have yet to produce their graduates. So, what is 800 compared to 5-6 000 doctors finishing housemanship soon. I also heard that they are planning to increase the number to 1000 seats by 2015. At the same time, would this increase in the number of Master’s post maintain the quality? We can already see the quality of Master’s graduates declining over the last few years due to lack of proper supervision by senior academics. We have Master of Surgery graduates who can’t operate! I just had a bad experience with a surgeon who could not even do a simple herniorraphy( complicated by bladder injury, recurrent hernia in 1 week etc) and diagnose breast cancer.
Getting into Master’s programme is also becoming very much dependant on who you know rather than merit. If you have strong cables, your chances are better. And don’t forget the quota system, not only based on race but also based on certain allocation for certain universities under the lecturer training scheme. Unfortunately, as I had said earlier, the only option for anyone who wants to become a surgeon is via the Master’s programme. As for Internal Medicine, pediatrics and O&G, you still have MRCP, MRCPCH and MRCOG to fall back upon. FRACGP is another option for those who wants to do Family Medicine.
Post graduate education is going to become very competitive soon and I can assure you that many people is going to be frustrated and rejected. This is when they will curse themselves for becoming a doctor. DG’s statements does not make sense because it is not that the doctors DO NOT want to become specialist. It is the availability of post and the standards need to be maintained. We can’t make any tom, dick and harry as a specialist by just giving them a cert. I just hope that the government will not make Master’s programme as a specialist mill just like our 33 medical colleges!
Young docs urged to specialise
MALACCA: Doctors who have completed their housemanship have been urged to pursue specialist studies to overcome the shortage of specialists in government hospitals nationwide.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman said this was because there were only 43 public hospitals with specialists out of 136 hospitals in the coun-try.
“Although the number of doctors pursuing specialist studies doubled from about 400 to 800 last year, Malaysia is still lacking in specialist doctors,” he said after launching the Third Malaysian International Medical Students Conference at the Malacca Manipal Medical College here yesterday.
Although the Government had hired more foreign doctors and was asking Malaysian doctors who migrated overseas to return, the number of available specialists was still discouraging, he said.
Dr Hasan said housemen who were posted to the six different medical fields during their two-year stint should explore the specialist field that they preferred.
“Doctors can enjoy many benefits, including fully-paid study leave, if they want to pursue specialist studies,” he said.
He also said 3,277 housemen had reported for duty last year while 3,058 reported in 2009 and 2,319 in 2008.
Dr Hassan said the ministry was targeting to have 4,500 medical graduates this year.
Meanwhile, Dr Hasan said there were no reports on the detection of E.coli bacterial infection.
He advised the people to practise precaution and observe personal hygiene when preparing food, especially vegetables.
Pagalavan's Avatar 
Hello Sir. What are the chances for us foreigners who married to Malaysian, to do Master’s in Malaysia, once we’ve done 2+2 years of contract basis with MOH? Is it possible?
Possible but limited