The New Face of Society of MMA Medical Students (SMMAMS)

During the last Malaysian International Medical Students’ Conference (MIMSC), the new Executive Board Members ofthe Society of MMA Medical Students (SMMAMS) has been officially installed by the SMMAMS advisor, Dato Dr Datuk Dr N. Athimulam. The grand event was held in conjunction with the Gala Dinner of the three-day conference at the Legacy Hotel, Melaka. The new Executive Board Members installed were as follows:

President : Mr. Lutfi Fadil Lokman (UKM)

Vice President of Internal Affairs : Mr. Deenish Muniandy (PMC)

Vice President of External Affairs : Ms. Carol Lee Pei Shin (MMMC)

Honorary Secretary General : Ms. Izza Arsyika Abd. Rahim (MMMC)

Honorary Treasurer : Ms. Yeap Hsiao Hui (UTAR)

Standing Committee Directors (SCD)

SCD on Public Health : Ms. Priya Darshene Raj (Monash)

SCD on Reproductive Health including HIV/AIDS : Ms. Nur Izzaty Abu Bakar (UKM)

SCD on Medical Education : Ms. Jayanthi Selvam (UPM)

Regional Directors in charge of Medical Schools

Region 1 : Mr. Mohd. Yuhairi Jamaludin (UiTM)

Region 2 : Ms. Tan Qing Yu (UM)

Region 3 : Mr. Adrian Low Sheng Kian (IMU)

The organizational structure of SMMAMS Executive Board for this session (2011/2012) is different from the previous years where we have decided to do away with the traditional structure consisting of portfolio holders on Public Relations, Webmaster, Academics, Social Events and Non-Specific Portfolios and replace them as above. This is because SMMAMS has realized that with the increasing number of medical students graduating each year from local and foreign universities, it will take more than academic achievements to guarantee a successful career as a doctor. The restructuring of SMMAMS hopes to enhance medical students’ qualities such as communication skills, leadership skills and teamwork ability by focusing on events and campaigns organization which will require medical students to interact and work together not just among medical students themselves but also with the people in the community they live in.

To make this a reality, for the first time SMMAMS elects two Vice Presidents (VP): VP for Internal Affairs and VP for External Affairs. The VP of External Affairs will be in charge of 3 Standing Committees, namely the Standing Committee on Public Health, Reproductive Health and Medical Education. For this session, SMMAMS plans to organize three event/campaigns each based on the 3 mentioned standing committees. SMMAMS hopes that through the organization of these events and campaigns, those involved will benefit themselves by developing leadership, managerial and teamwork skills and highly impact the society they are targeting. The VP of External Affairs will also be in liaison with the International Federation of Medical Students Association (IFMSA) which SMMAMS has become a part of last year. The IFMSA is in turn in liaison with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations.

Not forgetting SMMAMS’s core purpose to represent the medical students of Malaysia, the VP of Internal Affairs will be in charge of the betterment of Malaysian medical students and maintaining the spirit of goodwill and friendship among Malaysian medical students from various medical schools. Each medical school has been assigned a region that they are under in, and each region has been assigned a SMMAMS Regional Coordinator (RC). Each RC will be in charge of the welfare of SMMAMS members in the region they are in, be in contact with the SMMAMS representative from each medical school and organize membership drives to increase the strength of SMMAMS by the numbers. One of the activities that SMMAMS has planned to strengthen the bonds of between medical students from different medical schools is by organizing the annual Inter-Varsity Sports Event in collaboration with Asian Medical Students Association (AMSA) Malaysia, which will be held by the end of the year.

SMMAMS hope that the restructuring would prove to be a groundwork for future success. However, SMMAMS as a society under MMA couldn’t stand without the help of MMA itself. We believe that SMMAMS together with the help and support of MMA will be more than just a medical student society, but a society that becomes a platform to shape future leaders in the ever challenging medical field.

Prepared by,

Lutfi Fadil Lokman

President, Society of MMA Medical Students (SMMAMS) 2011/2012

Nominations for SMMAMS Committee 2011/2012

The following are the latest list of the nominations received for the the election of SMMAMS Committee 2011/2012.

1) Ataullah Abd Latib (USM)

2) Yeap Hsiao Hui (UTAR)

3) Nur Izzaty binti Abu Bakar (UKM)

4) Deenish Muniandy (PMC)

5) Jayanthi Selvam (UPM)

6) Carl Samuel (PMC)

7) Naim bin Abdul Malik (UiTM)

8) Carol Lee Pei Shin (Melaka Manipal Medical College)

9) Izza Arsyika (Melaka Manipal Medical College)

10) Priya Dashene Raj (Monash)

There are still pending nominations from other universities. A reminder to all that the election process will be conducted during the Head of Delegates meeting, and the official installation will be done during the Gala Dinner.

The following is a brief outline of the organizational structure of SMMAMS. The latest organizational structure has been adopted following our status now as an IFMSA member.

Organizational Structure

Note : We have received comments of problems with accessing the nomination forms. If you would like to run for position, but had encountered such problem, do email smmams1011@gmail.com in order to process your nomination.

SMMAMS Executive Committee 2011-2012 Nomination and Election

[Nomination Guidelines] [Higher Council Nomination Form] [Committee Members Nomination Form] [Message from the SMMAMS Chairman] [Message from Chairman Elect]

Important Note: Please kindly read the Nomination Guidelines carefully before you begin the nomination process. If you have further questions on the nomination and election, please do not hesitate to contact: smmams1011@gmail.com , president.smmams@gmail.com or narxiss@yahoo.com


If you have problems downloading the files above, please contact president.smmams@gmail.com for the files to be sent directly to your email.

The Election will be held during the SMMAMS Committee Meeting with the Head of Delegates. [**Head of Delegates MUST be elected among the conference delegates, and preferably if he/she is a member of your school's students' association/ council, so that he/she can represent the standpoint of your institution.... SMMAMS Committee who present is not the Head of Delegates]

Below are the confirmed attendance so far for the meeting:

(a) International Medical University (IMU)

SMMAMS Committee: Chairman Justin Lee

Head of Delegates: Adrian Low Sheng Kian

(b) Melaka-Manipal Medical College (MMMC)

SMMAMS Committee: Sheela Josephine John and Vincent Khor

Head of Delegates:

(c) Monash University Malaysia

SMMAMS Committee: Priya Darshene Raj

Head of Delegates: Pari Shanmugaraman Gurusamy

Penang Medical College (PMC)

SMMAMS Committee: Jeffrey Lee Huang Shen

Head of Delegates: Deenish Muniandy

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)

SMMAMS Committee: Chairman Elect Mohd Lutfi Fadil Lokman

Head of Delegates:

Universiti Malaya

SMMAMS Committee: Loo Kar Yee and Melvin Loh

Head of Delegates: Sia Leng Cheng

UMS

SMMAMS Committee: Yap Wai Leong (absent)

Head of Delegates: Eddie Lim Wei Ming

UNIMAS

SMMAMS Committee: Nurul Shahirah Binti Abdul Shukor

Head of Delegates:

Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman

Head of Delegates: Yeap Hsiao Hui

For the above institutions who yet to have elected their head of delegates, please kindly do it fast and let us know who is the head of delegates, so that the election committee can do their work.

The Head of delegates him/herself can be nominated as the candidate. But in that case, he/she will need to bring an extra representative of his/her school to attend the meeting. If the Head of Delegates are not nominated as the candidate, then the candidate should present the meeting together with the SMMAMS Committee and the Head of Delegates.

For further information on the nomination and election, please do not hesitate to contact the SMMAMS Chairman, Justin Lee on president.smmams@gmail.com.

Attendance to the meeting will be confirmed once you had registered for the conference.

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR 2011! 祝大家兔年新春愉快！

Best wishes from SMMAMS President Justin Lee and Committee Members

Happy New Year 2011 Everyone!

To Every Malaysian medical students, who is studying locally or studying abroad

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better man. - Benjamin Franklin

Many things had happened in year 2010, let it be happy, sad, angry, disappointment, ups and downs, everything is going to be over in one more day! Let the sad thing go away and welcome to new fresh year 2011.

May the dawning of this New Year, fill your heart with new hopes, open up new horizons and bring for you promises of brighter tomorrows. May you have a great New Year.

Best wishes from,

Justin Lee (SMMAMS President)

and his Committee 2010-2011

The Voices of Strength

[SMMAMS Chairman message, in Facebook group : "Voices of our Hearts -Malaysian Medical Students"]

Dear all,

As we can see, through this short ongoing discussion in our Facebook group, there are disparities regarding the approach towards our current issue.

We have thoughts ranging from : "send in a memorandum or call for a press conference" to "isn't it kind of presumptuous of us to send suggestions to solve the problem to mma or moh, as if we know best?".

This is good, as having members who are conservatives and members who are liberals will help steer the direction of our approach to moderation, not to go too conservative, nor too liberal in our approach.

The ultimate goal of SMMAMS, is to be an advocate for medical students in Malaysia. At the same time, we are a part of MMA, and as medical students, we are the apprentice of our doctors, those who had gone before us, and hence, our actions shall not be against what our doctors, our teachers, belief.

In this situation, MMA and SMMAMS are in sync. MMA has articles in the Berita, and has tried to highlight this situation countless of times through annual dinners with some people with power. The SMMAMS EXCO has attended 2 of such dinners.

In our country, the level of support an association has is gauged simply by the number of members that the association has. An association who claims to be THE association for ALL the XYZ in Malaysia, will be challenged by the question "So, how many members do you have in your association?".

It is the same for SMMAMS. There are no university rules that forbid medical students to join the MMA, as far as I know.

In our 2009 student membership report, we have close to 2,000 members. 786 are from Melaka Manipal, and 630 are from Kursk State. This means that 70% of our student members are from just 2 universities. Out of the other 26 medical schools (in 2009), some with 2 intakes per year, others with close to 200 students per intake, we only have 584 members.

Do number of members matter for an association? Yes it does. It is the only solid prove an association has to be claiming what it claims.

SMMAMS claims to be the advocate for medical students, and SMMAMS base its claims on the fact that it is currently the only student medical association whose leadership is open to medical students from all universities. We are currently working on getting SMMAMS introduced to medical schools who have a low number of members inside MMA, as well as working on increasing the number of medical student members we have, which, on paper, will be the representation of the strength of our association.

We cannot achieve our goals and objectives without the help from YOU, which I presume to be have a strong spirit of leadership and activism, for the fact that you were introduced into this Facebook group by someone in the group.

SMMAMS is currently formulating a plan to directly link the core committee, with medical societies or student councils in each university. We need student leader volunteers for this project of ours, which may take up to several months, in view of the hectic schedule a medical student has.

In the mean time, I hope that YOU, encourage your fellow medical students, to have activism towards their future. Include discussions on the current health care situation in our country during your normal lunch / dinner with your friends. These will be our baby steps towards our ultimate goal.

Regards,
Justin Lee
Chairman,
Society of MMA Medical Students

SMMAMS welcomes AIMST MedSA's Members

Recently, AIMST University MedSA together with MMA Kedah are running a membership drive in AIMST University. We have seen the passion and dedication in joining as MMA Student Members.

On behalf of the SMMAMS Committee and all MMA Student members, we welcome all of you to join our big family. Together we will strive for better future and make a difference in our medical education system.

Warmest regards,

Justin Lee,

SMMAMS Chairman 2010-2011

What the future is like for us medical students? Quantity Over Quality?

Article By SMMAMS Chairman, Mr. Justin Lee

Take a moment, to make a few guesses.

1. How many medical schools we have in Malaysia?
2. From 2006 to 2009, the number of house officers in Malaysia increase by how many percents?

I am sure you have been hearing people saying "overcrowding of doctors", "lack of training opportunities" etc. I am also sure that there was a moment before when you read the newspaper and saw articles on college or universities setting up new medical courses, you, just like me, saying something like "not another one!". I also get worried when I read the ads on the papers advertising something that goes like "Fully English Medical Course in University XYZ, only require SPM CCC, less than 100k. Become Doctors Now!"

It is good to have more doctors serving Malaysia. Our country can do well with more doctors serving the Rakyat in government sector. However, rush to fulfill this goal may not be a good idea.

In 2006, 978 doctors entered housemanship training.

In 2009, 3150 doctors entered housemanship training.

This year, with more than 3650 HO thus far.

Look at how drastic the increase within 3 years! Which year are you graduating? How many doctors do you think will enter housemanship training the year you graduate? Experts have foreseen that by 2015 our country will have oversupply of doctors in the healthcare system,. This mass production of medical graduates would already quickly reach a doctor-patient ratio of 1:597, what the WHO has touted as optimum. The MMA is seriously concerned as to the likely glut, which will swamp the medical profession in the very near future.

There are currently 28 medical schools operating in Malaysia, with 37 medical programs, producing more than 2000 medical graduates a year LOCALLY, and this number will be increasing yearly, with the mushrooming establishment of new medical schools here and there! Another 2000 medical graduates return yearly from oversea medical schools.

Do you think there is a parellel increase in the housemanship training centre and adequate number of qualified experienced trainers? Many people are concerned that in the coming years, the competency and experience of a fully registered doctor in Malaysia may become critically flawed, and this pose risks to the quality of healthcare delivery in Malaysia. This pose risk to the patients we sworn not to harm.

Anyone of you ever wonder, you or me might be unemployed and have to beg for job when there is oversupply of doctors?

Clinical medicine is always learned in an appreticeship model. The apprentice follows and learns from his/ her teacher. Medicine is an art passed down from generation to generation. To think that MO who in charge of me when I start housemanship may not be genuinely interested in Medicine, scored a C C C in his SPM and was put through medical school only because his parents want him to do medicine, is kind of scary actually.

Nobody will stand up for the medical profession besides us, the medical professional. Currently, MMA is in the movement towards the regulations of the number of medical graduates. If you are concerned about the welfare and future of us, future doctors in Malaysia, then we will have to stand together, sail together in one ship.

What can you do now, as a medical student? Sign up as a MMA Student Member (SMMAMS). Give MMA the ability to strongly say that MMA represents you, the medical students, future doctors in Malaysia. An association, be it medical association or workers' association, can only stand strong for his profession if more people show their support for it, reflected by the number of members we have.

Bersatu teguh! Bercerai Roboh!

What will be the future of us? Malaysian doctors? Malaysia Health Care System?

QUANTITY OVER QUALITY?

Welcoming Message from SMMAMS Chairman 2010-2011

Dear friends, dearest colleagues,

The Society of MMA Medical Students (SMMAMS) welcomes you to a new year and a new journey with us. Many years back, the Malaysian Medical Students Association was formed with the purpose of being a representative for medical students and an advocate for the interests of medical graduates. 8 years ago, this association was adopted by the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA); and now, being under the umbrella and guidance of the MMA, we are able to dream bigger and strive for greater heights.

This year, our immediate goal is to reach out to all medical students in Malaysia and invite them to join our family. To achieve this vision, Malaysian medical students need to be informed about SMMAMS; they need to know that in SMMAMS, they have a body that represents them and protects their interests, and also a channel where their voices and opinions can be heard.

As an organization run by medical students for medical students, we are excited to inform you that we have many events planned for you this year. It is my hope that you will participate in these activities for there is much more to being a medical students than mere studies.

Know that if you are Malaysian and if you are a medical student, then this society is for you. Join us. Register and be a member of the SMMAMS.

All the best and welcome abroad.

Justin ZE Lee

Chairman 2010-2011

Society of MMA Medical Students (SMMAMS)