Please also read the comments here : https://pagalavan.com/2010/11/11/for-future-doctors-housemanship-medical-officer-and-postgraduate-training-part-3/
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Dr. Pagalavan
MBBS(Mal.) MRCP(UK) FRCP(Edin) AM(Mal) FRACP
Consultant Physician & Rheumatologist-
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Hi Dr. Pagalavan,
I’m currently in the 1st year of MBBS in IMU..After reading your article i’m really worry for my future as i just realized it is not as easy as i thought.If i found this website before enrolling to IMU,i will definitely choose to go Monash malaysia. However i also found something interesting from medical board of California,where IMU is listed as one of the recognized university from Malaysia. http://mbc.ca.gov/applicant/schools_recognized.html#m Can you explain to me what does it mean?Am i able to work in California after graduating from IMU local programme?
In order for you to work in US, you need to sit and pass the USMLE exams with high scores. Even then, no guarantee that you will get a post. The list just entitles you to sit for the USMLE exam.
Is MD with a 7-years program(Bachelor’s + Master’s degree)equivalent to the master program that you have posted above. As an international student will i be treated as a postgraduate?And it would be very helpful to get a list of universities recognized by MMC all around the world.
NO, it is not. The MD degree is mainly a research degree if you want to become a researcher. You still have to do everyhting like everyone else when you graduate. List of recognised degree: http://mmc.gov.my/v1/docs/Jadual%20Kedua%2011-12-09.pdf
Hi Dr. Pagalavan. I’m a Sri Lankan and I have got a permanent job offer from one of the Malasiyan companies and I would be moving to Malaysia soon permenetly. My problem is that my wife is a medical officer having full registration of the “Sri Lanka Medical Council” and having one year experiance as MO in a Semi Government Hospital. Can she work in Malaysia ? or els can she do a Post graduate Diploma in a university? what are the criterias that she needs to full fill?
you need to check whether her degree is recognised in Malaysia. Pls check Malaysian Medical Council website.
Hello. Do you recommend student studying in Russia? If yes, what university? How are their performances in local universities?
NO, I would not.
I am still a high school student currently studying for spm(right now). I have read most of your post, and I am very thankful for all the helpful advice. After my pre-u, would you recommend me to study in UM, Manipal, or anywhere else helpful? I am looking for proper guidance, or coaching by seasoned professors. Anyways, thanks a LOT!
If public uni: UM, UKM or USM are OK. Private : try IMU, MMMC, PMC are usually OK.
Thanks, Sir! By the way, Dr, what is the best pre-university course that would give me the best mindset, or guidance, to become a doctor? Would you recommend any? Thanks a lot, sir!
STPM or A levels
Dr. paga,
the recent batch of UKM HOs are not ‘knowledgable’. What has happen?!?!?
The dilution of academics will affect all the universities
Thanks you sir! 😀
Doctore Pagalavan…..can you give me some reasons why u would not recommend studying in Russia? I would like some real facts….not some general statements that u found some housemen not up to mark….a long time ago when u were with the training hospital.
it is a very well known fact that Russian graduates are the worst among the housemen. Of course i have seen many good ones as well same as i have seen many bad ones from other countries. However, majority always win ! Thus the majotiry of mediocre housemen are from Russia. Below I publish a statement from a student who is studying in Russia which is self explanatory:
I don’t know if you are aware, but there are 2 systems of Russian medical education. There is the Russian medium, and there is the English medium. This concerns the language of instruction.
The Russian medium is naturally, the national one. Russian students compete for seats in this programme by writing entrance exams. About 10-15 students compete for 1 seat. In this programme, all classes are naturally conducted in Russian. The lecturers are more than qualified a lot of them are amongst the top in their field. This programme is open to foreigners as well, but they must attend a 1 year preperatory course to learn Russian.
The 5 Malaysian-recognised universities in Russia have the English medium programme. Some organise a 6 year in English programme, some 3 pre-clinicals in English, 3 clinical years in Russian. Studying medicine in the English medium programme in Russia is just like coming to Malaysia for an Arabic language programme. Naturally, a lot of great lecturers struggle with their command of the language. Some of them even speak incoherently! But it really isn’t their fault, as you don’t expect a Russian to speak English so fluently right? But the universities force them to teach in this manner, because they really need the money. Russians don’t pay a cent for their medical education, foreigners in the Russian medium if they’re not on scholarship, pay chicken feed. Now to let you in on an open secret – ONLY Malaysians attend the English medium. They’re the cash cows. So they hardly pay attention to the quality – what the heck right? They’re not going to work in Russia anyway, as long as the fees are paid!
How do I know this? It’s because I’m a Malaysian in the Russian medium. I’m the only one in my entire class. I’m in my final year now, and I’ve had the honour to study with some of the brightest students from Russia, Nigeria, Ghana, Yemen, Israel, Mongolia, Armenia.. a chance most unfortunate Malaysian students never get – they are always stuck in their own “kampung 1Malaysia”. I can say that over here, tutorials are basically for theory. For clinical exposure, students are expected to use their own free time. There are various student societies, science conferences and such. Russian medium students in our final year are expected to be “interns”, means during our rotation we get to “own” a ward section, follow up on the patients and even prescribe tests and treatment, with supervision of course. English medium students on the other hand don’t get to do anything and are constantly left alone, as they “no speekee good Russian”. So on their free times, they organise charity concerts, dinners, parties, sport competitions and cultural shows for other fellow Malaysians.
There are 3 type of students who go to Russia:
1)the good students who can’t afford the fee elsewhere and could not get into public university over here
2) students who don’t even qualify to enter any medical schools but accepted into these schools (money talks)
3) students who are forced to do medicine by parents.
The first group of students will do well as they have pure interest and brains to study and be the best. the rest will only give bad names to the profession.
“It is a very well known fact that Russian graduates are the worst among the housemen.”
Soon we will see similar products from Egypt. The 3 types of students apply here as well. Of all places in Egypt, the one from Mansoura will probably be the worst as the so call Mansoura-Manchester Program is similar to the english speaking Russian program (written above).
May God help us all (and our patients)…
Sir, would you recommend any books concerning medicine for a student that has finished high school? Should we read college level books, or general publicly published books? I’m planning to increase my knowledge on medicine in my free time. Thanks in advance!
You can read basic medicine like anatomy of human body etc
dr.paga….i’ve just finished my h.o ship 3 months ago and currently working as ED m.o in district hosp…i really interested in opthalmology since i was a medical student..will taking up basic science examination in opthalmology wiil guarantee me a place in opthalmo dept as most h.o.d ‘s are quite reluctant to hire junior m.o “s ?
Nothing is guaranteed. You just have to try your luck with the HOD. They will only take you if they are short of MOs. if not you may need to try other hospitals. Of course having some exams may make it easier.
HI Dr. Paga, I recently read your blog & find it very informative. I would like to get ur opinion about a few things. I’m thinking about specialising in primary care.
Primary care specialization: what is the prospect of being a primary care physician in Malaysia. I know Australia has a very good post-graduate training ( fracgp). How about the local masters programme? I’m aware that we can also do fracgp in Malaysia, is dfm a pre-requisite or can i just apply straight for fracgp?
I’m interested in pain management. Can I subspecialise in pain management after primary care? If i were to open a gp clinic after specialization,will it be difficult as there’s soo many chains of gp clinic groups in Malaysia.
Looking forward to your feedback.
Thanks
In Malaysia, at the moment, whether you have a postgraduate degree in primary care or not, you are in the same boat as a general GP. In government sector, you will be thrown to a KK to become a FMS (Family medicine Specialist).
You need to complete 4 years of training under Academy of Family Physician of Malaysia in order to be able to sit for the FRACGP exams. This include DFM, which is given after the first 2 years.
You can sub specialise later but would not make any difference when it comes to GP practise.
Dear Dr,
I am a medical student from MMMC currently in my second year. I am thinking of migrating to australia in the future. I want to know if it is possible for me to take the australian medical board examination right after graduating or do i have to go through my housemanship first.
Housemanship in Malaysia is NOT recognised in Australia. You can sit for AMC exam after graduation . However , please remember that passing AMC do not guarantee an internship post in Australia . With the current situation in Australia , even their own graduates do not have enough internship post.
Please read some of my latest articles about situation in Australia
Respected Dr,
MRCPsych has been recognised in these past few years too…..could you please do an update on this article? And furthermore, if you don’t mind, could you elaborate a little on the parallel pathways available? I heard that you need to have a permanent position to be eligible for the parallel pathway. For mrcp, could I just sit for the exams, if I’m a contract MO? Will I still be recognised as a specialist if I get through?
MRCP Psych was recognised before as well but you need to go to UK to sit for the exam. Furthermore only certain centres in Malaysia was recognised as training centre. Sitting for exams is not an issue but passing these exams do not make you a specialist. You need to undergo gazettement process and certain years of training to be recognised as a specialist. This is where the problem arises for those under contract. If your contract ends before you complete this training, then you will not be able to be recognised as specialist.