Medical grads snub ministry programme
KUALA LUMPUR: Most of the medical graduates from unrecognised universities appear to have snubbed the special programme offered by the Health Ministry.
Chitrakala said the programme comprised one-year pre-clinical studies at a medical institution and two years of practical clinical work at appointed hospitals. The affected graduates, 70 per cent of whom are Indians, attended last Tuesday's dialogue session. However, a spokesperson for the graduates, claimed that none of the graduates were interested in the three-year programme.
The programme costs RM150,000 and there is no guarantee of a pass.
"These graduates will have to spend an additional five years, which includes the compulsory two years housemanship, before they can practise," said the spokesperson. She added that many of them had decided to sit for the equivalent qualifying exam overseas.
The spokesperson said the graduates' degrees were recognised by the World Health Organisation.
She said many chose to pursue degrees that are unrecognised in Malaysia as the graduates failed to get a place in local universities.
The cost of pursuing a medical degree in a recognised foreign university can be as low as RM150,000 or as high as RM1 million, according to Pathmavathy Suresh, the managing director of Nugrahan Sdn Bhd, a representative of recognised foreign universities The cost of getting a medical degree at an unrecognised university is between RM70,000 and RM150,000, she said.
2008/04/16 NST
Samy Vellu cuts short dialogue
KUALA LUMPUR: A six-year battle by medical graduates of unrecognised universities to win a second chance to become doctors "ended" in 40 minutes yesterday.
He become agitated on being repeatedly asked whether the group would definitely pass a three-year study programme designed to help them become housemen.
Samy Vellu said he could not provide an assurance but said it had been done by others in similar circumstances.
"What are you trying to explain to me? Are you saying I am stupid? I am trying to help you and you are trying to argue with me.
"Now I feel that whatever I tried to do is no good. I have been dwelling on your problems for the last five to six years. Stupid, isn't it? Stupid. Very, very stupid."
Samy Vellu then told the group that he was ending the dialogue and would not help them any more.
"I am going to put a stop to this. This is my last attempt to see something done," he said at the dialogue organised by the Maju Institute of Educational Development.
The dialogue was about a special programme recently offered by the Health Ministry to those who had failed the three given attempts at the examination.
It comprises a year of pre-clinical studies followed by two years of clinical studies.
The programme will enable graduates to transfer credit hours to a local public or private university to complete their course.
On passing, they can do their housemanship at public universities.
KOmen: I empathatise with the problems faced by the graduates of unrecognised foreign medical schools. I am very sorry I cannot help youin my capacity as a state exco for education since that particular areas is under the prerogative of the Federal government. I can only pray for your success in dealing with the relevant authorities namely: Malaysian Medical Council, Ministry of Health, Public Service Dept., Ministry of Education, Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and The PM himself. You can go around the country asking for signatures from friends and relatives, like some sort of petition. You can also pay minimal sum to be hosted on TV to explain your situation on air to Malaysian public last but not least, write daily to newspaper under letter to the editor. Once again I apologise to all of you for not being able to help.
Dear Doctors,another idea: migrate overseas since your own country does not appreciate all your sacrifices and hardship to get a medical degree. May be you can work in the country where you got your degree. You can also ask for a discount from local medical schools in tutuion fees. Have you tried credit transfer program? Or as a group try to sponsor JPA to visit your former medical schools to study their syllabi and curriculum.
I'm sure these degrees were conferred by universities in countries whose health care facilities are sub-standard to ours except may be graduates from Japanese universities or where medium of instruction is not English. I remember some of my former classmates who were arts stream students eventually got to do medicine in foreign universities which are recognized by Malaysian authorities. How can we endorse these qualifications? The yardstick should be we have to adopt what is adopted in Singapore where recognition is based on rigorous scrutiny regardless of locations and the medium of instruction. If these unrecognized medical graduates feel that they are qualified and being victimized, then may I suggest they take some foreign medical qualifying examinations such as USMLE or other equivalent British examinations which are color blind to prove that they are good.