Redirecting SMMAMS Website

Greetings everyone! Please be informed that we have now moved our official website to http://www.smmams.org

We have also prepared a forum for you to interact with our members, from casual interests, general medical discussions, exam lounge and many more. You may also voice out your opinion on current medical issues here and stand a chance to be published in our Opinions Section.

Hope to hear from you there!

Best Wishes,
SMMAMS Webteam

Kaplan Free Live Online Event (March 7th)

This event is entitled “Inside the Step 2 CS” and will be conducted by Dr. Brenda Affinati, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and Kaplan’s most popular CS instructor.

Event Details:

Date: Wednesday, March 7th

Time: 12:00 (Noon) GMT

Topic: “Inside The Step 2 CS (Clinical Skills) Exam”

Description: Dr. Brenda Affinati, Kaplan Medical CS Instructor and the Associate Professor of Medicine at University of Illinois College of Medicine will outline the CS and the upcoming test changes as well as review each of the exam components and teach you key strategies which will ensure you pass the CS.

Registration Link: http://bit.ly/step2cs

(registration must be completed at least 36 hours in advance).

This event is especially important for any students who are interested in preparing for the CS exam in the near future because not only be offering free expert advice that will students pass the CS exam whether they take it now or after the exam change in May but we will also be promoting our upcoming Live Online CS Prep class we have scheduled for students in Asia. Below is the information on our upcoming Live Online CS class.

As you’ll see this class is relatively inexpensive and allows students to prepare for the CS while in their home country with the Dr. Affinati, one of the best instructors in our live CS class here in the US.

Live Online CS Class Description

http://www.kaptest.com/Medical-Licensing/Step2cs.html?tb=live-online

Dates: March 19^th – March 22^nd

Time: 12 (noon) GMT to 3 pm GMT (evening in Asia)

Price: $700 (if student decides after attending this course that they would like to take our live course in the US we will apply the tuition student has already paid towards the price of the US course, meaning they essentially attended our on line course for free!)

Journey through Pediatrics

INVITATION TO THE CONTINUOUS MEDICAL EDUCATION OF MEDICAL STUDENTS 2012.

On behalf of Putra Medical Club and Society of Malaysian Medical Association-Medical Students (SMMAMS), we would like to extend the invitation to your university to grace us with your presence in the Continuous Medical Education of Medical Students 2012.

The details of the events are as follow:

Theme : Journey through Pediatrics

Date : 18^th February 2012 (Saturday)

Time : 8.00 am till 5.00 pm

Venue : Main Lecture Hall, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UPM.

Each university is welcome to send 15 participants. We would feel privileged to host you for this event and hope to hear from you by 15th February 2012. Please do impart to us the details of the participants on the form attached and send via email.

Please notify us if you are interested in sending more than 15 participants as this would allow us to accommodate you accordingly. Do feel free to contact us if there is any doubt pertaining to the event.

Lastly, we look forward to seeing you in this event. We extend our gratitude in advance for your cooperation and support.

Yours sincerely,

JAYANTHI SELVAM

(Director of CME 2012)

Avicenna Inter-medical Varsity Debate and Sports

Avicenna Inter-medical Varsity Debate and Sports is back!
Hey everyone! As mentioned above, there will be an intervarsity debate and sports
championship only for medical students. Details as provided by the organising party (University
of Malaya) is as below:

Date: 25th February 2012 ( Saturday )
Time: 7am - 7pm
Venue: 6th Residential College (Kolej Kediaman Ibnu Sina), University of Malaya

1. Debate
- 3 participants per team, maximum 2 teams per university/college
- Registration fee: RM60 per team

2. Netball
- 10 participants per team, maximum 2 teams per university/college
- Registration fee: RM 200 per team.
- Category: female only

3. Futsal
- 8 participants per team, maximum 2 teams per university/college,
- Registration fee: RM 160 per team.
- Category: male only

Forms and official letter have been sent to respective university's dean office and Student
Representative Council. It can also be obtained from our Facebook group: https://
www.facebook.com/groups/223380061079549/ . Do join our Facebook group for more details
and updates! Invite your friends to join the fun too!

Closing date for registration: 6 February 2012 (Friday). So be fast!

All participation forms MUST be faxed to 03-79567306 directed to NG JIUN HOONG
before 6th of February 2012. You can also email your completed participation form to
avicenna.debate.sports2012@groups.facebook.com or touch.the.sky93@gmail.com.

Any inquiries, please contact Ng Jiun Hong (Project Director) 0123883182.

Poster at: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?
fbid=10150568116439805&set=a.138001609804.111038.755189804&type=1&theater

Get private sector doctors to teach

WITH reference to “MMC to be corporatised” on the front page of The Sun Daily (Jan 25), as chairman of the Society of Medical Students, MMA and on behalf of Malaysian medical students, I welcome the news and hope that an amendment to the Medical Act 1971 to corporatise the Malaysian Medical Council will be passed. As the ones who will be working in the midst of the resultant outcome of policy decisions today, we hope the amendment will result in a better professional body that monitors the quality of healthcare and medical education as independently as possible from individual interest or government bureaucracy. In moving towards developed nation status, the corporatisation will hopefully result in a body as effective in maintaining standards of healthcare as those in first world countries such as the General Medical Council of the UK.

We also welcome the news from Health Ministry director-general Datuk Seri Hasan Abdul Rahman that the list of recognised universities is to be shortened and reviewed more frequently to maintain standards. We hope that once the amendment is passed, issues similar to this that involve the accreditation of medical schools will be decided more independently. Although the issue of the houseman glut has quietened down, there is always the issue of a glut in medical officers to look into. With the increasing number of housemen and limited spaces for postgraduate study to become a specialist, this will be an issue that we as medical students today will face in the future. There are currently 35 medical institutions producing undergraduates, but only three produce postgraduates – UKM, UM and USM. We hope the MMC will look into this issue.

As a student, my ideas might be naïve, but may I suggest that the government with the support of the MMC start encouraging the private sector to be involved in postgraduate medical education. As the Economic Transformation Programme announced by the prime minister places the private sector in a vital role to transform the economy, medical education should follow suit. The private sector has more than enough resources in terms of the numerous private hospitals and doctors that far outnumber those in public service. In terms of teachability of doctors, as a student in one of the top public universities in Malaysia, I have seen very talented lecturers going out to private practice for better pay in order to support their families. The teaching spirit is still in their hearts, but as per the Malay saying “jangan monyet di hutan disusukan, anak di rumah mati kelaparan”, they would of course prioritise supporting their families over teaching. Not given the chance to teach, that spirit might slowly die away, which would be a waste of the country’s talent. I am sure that given the chance, many doctors in the private sector would be willing to teach postgraduate students.

I believe successful people succeed because they do what interests them and what they are passionate about. With the limited number of spaces to pursue medical specialties, many would have to choose a specialty not because they are interested in it, but because it is the only one available. If the private sector can fill this increasing demand, better productivity in terms of healthcare awaits the nation as doctors give their all and produce better research in areas that interest them. Adam Smith changed the economy by recognising the benefits of specialisation of labour in the production process. The same goes for healthcare.

In the end, as in many first world countries, healthcare, research and education would have to go hand in hand – as is practised by world class private medical institutions like John Hopkins and Mayo Clinic in the US. To reach developed nation status, both the private and public sectors must play their part in nation building.

As medical students, we are unable to be directly involved in policy making, but we hope our views are taken into consideration and our voices of concern heard. We wish the best for the future of our healthcare and medical education, so that one day when we become a part of the system, we can proudly tell the world “I am a Malaysian doctor”.

Lutfi Fadil Lokman

Chairman

Society of Medical Students, MMA

Kaplan Live Online Event (Feb 7th)

Great for both new leads who are just looking for general information on how to come to the US to participate in a residency or fellowship as well as those who are already familiar with the process and want specific recommendations for how to ensure they Match beyond just having good board scores!

Event Details:

Date: Tuesday, February 7th

Time: 8.00 PM (MALAYSIA) / 12:00 (Noon) GMT

Topic: “Top 10 Strategies to Successfully Match”

Description: Judy Schwenker, Kaplan Medical’s Director of Study Skills will teach you the 10 most important strategies for ensuring you match to your first choice residency.

Registration Link:https://liveonline.kaptest.com/e78614953/event/registration.html

(registration must be completed at least 38 hours in advance).

Happy Lunar New Year to all that are celebrating!

1st International Conference on Population, health and development

For further information, Please contact your respective SMMAMS Representative

Kaplan Live Online Event (Dec 14th)

In December we will be running a special live online event in which which we will outline a new bundled product! Thru a relationship with our partner company, Americlerkships, Kaplan will now be able offer international students the opportunity to combine their US based Kaplan USMLE courses with hands-on clinical experience. Outside of high USMLE scores, hands-on US clinical experience is one of the easiest ways IMGs (International Medical Graduates) can differentiate themselves from other applicants when applying for residency!

At the event Americlerkships will explain how US clinical experience plays into a program directors decision making process and outline what a student should expect from their innovative program. Event attendees will also receive a 15% off the bundled program (Kaplan course and clinical experience package) if they enroll in December.

As this partnership has been created due to students' requests please do attend, as it will serve as a valuable training tool.

--
December is all about informing students about this exciting new product that will allow students the opportunity to bundle USMLE prep with US based clinical experience.

Attaining Hands on Clinical Experience in the US

Description: Listen as Kaplan partner Americlerkships outlines their innovative program which will allow students to combine a Kaplan USMLE program with hands on clinical experience. Event attendees will also receive a 15% off the bundled program if they enroll in December.
Date: Wednesday, December 14th
Time: 8.00 pm Malaysia (12.00 noon GMT)
Registration Link: https://liveonline.kaptest.com/e14678342/event/registration.html (please register at least 36 hours in advance)

CME, Tuberculosis

Date: 25th November 2011
Time: 1pm to 6pm
Venue: Lecture theater 1,2,3, AIMST University, Kedah
Entrance Fee: FREE

CME Points: 3 Points

The Agenda

Poster session for students/Poster judging 1pm-3pm

3pm-High Tea (Fully sponsored By SMMAMS)

3.30 pm onwards talks

History of TB-Prof.K.R.Sethuraman, Dean FOM

Epidemiology of TB-Malaysian scenario-Dr.Leela Joe (ex-MOH)

Management of Pulmonary TB-guidelines for MDR/XDR-Dr KK. Perumal, AIMST

Peadiatric TB plus extrapulmonary TB-Dr.Philomena AIMST

Bone TB- Dr Sudhagar, Alor Star Hospital Orthopaedic unit

TB Diagnostics 2011-Dr.Rajesh Deputy Dean Preclinical FOM, AIMST

Newer drugs for TB in pipeline-Dr.Christina, FOP, AIMST

Summary by Chairperson-Dato Dr.George Kutty Simon

Vote of thanks with souvenir/certificates for speakers-FOMAP coordinators/Dean

Kaplan's November Live Online Event Schedule

In November, Kaplan will be focusing on showcasing their faculty by giving international medical graduates and students an opportunity to watch sample lectures in Pharmacology and Internal Medicine, two of the highest yield subjects in USMLE on Step 1 and Step 2 respectively with strong presenters.

1) Getting the Most Out of Pharmacology for School and the USMLE

Listen as Dr. Harris gives valuable tips that will help you succeed in your Pharmacology classes and then shows how this content appears on the USMLE.

Date : Thursday, November 3rd 2011

Time : 8.00pm (MALAYSIA)
Speaker : Dr Steven Harris
Register at least 36 hours in advance at https://liveonline.kaptest.com/e39416590/event/registration.html

2) Sample USMLE Step 2 CK Internal Medicine Lecture with Dr. Levy

Did you know Internal Medicine is the highest yield topic on the Step 2 CK exam? Attend this event and learn as Dr. Levy helps you pick up points on this important subject.

Date : Wednesday, November 9th 2011

Time : 9:00 PM (MALAYSIA)

Speaker : Dr. Levy
Register at least 36 hours in advance at https://liveonline.kaptest.com/e46539632/event/registration.html

At the end of IBM Smarter Planet Malaysia Healthcare Week 2011

Firstly, we would like to thank each and everyone one of you for supporting IBM Smarter Planet Malaysia and for your participation during the Healthcare Week. Without you, the Healthcare Week would not have been the success that it was. Thank you.

Your participation has helped spread the values of a Smarter Healthcare not only amongst Malaysian but to others from a far. To add, your involvement is the impetus to future technological progress of a Smarter Healthcare and ultimately, to a Smarter Planet.

And in closing, we would like to congratulate Adrian Wong Ting Xiang and Liew Jun Mun for winning the IBM Centennial Book & limited edition IBM Centennial Badges for the IBM Smarter Planet Malaysia Healthcare Week.

And once again, thank you.

Intervarsity Games (IVG) 2011

Intervarsity Games (IVG) 2011 is an annual sports event among Malaysia’s local medical universities. The main objective of this program is to instill healthy and productive lifestyle among medical students. Besides getting involved actively in sports, we can create good rapport between medical students in Malaysia.

The following are the details of the event:

Date : 29 October 2011.

Time : 8.00 am – 6.00 p.m

Venue : Komplek Sukan, Jalan Cemerlang 1/19, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, SELANGOR

Program : Intervarsity Games (IVG) 2011

Organiser : Medical Student Association (MESTA), Universiti Teknologi MARA

In collaboration with :
Society of MMA Medical Students (SMMAMS) AND Asian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA) Malaysia

Below are the events:

No.	Games	Participants
1.	Futsal	4 teams : 2 teams for each male and female
2.	Volleyball	4 teams : 2 teams for each male and female
3.	Basketball	2 teams for male only
4.	Netball	2 teams for female only
5.	Track event (Male/Female)	100m, 200m, 400m, 4x100m, 4x400m

Extended deadlines:

5TH OCT (WED): LIST OF GAMES PARTICIPATING (EACH INSTITUTION)
7TH OCT (FRI): LIST OF PARTICIPANTS FOR EACH GAME.

Participation forms are to be submitted to: rbitah@yahoo.com

IBM's Smarter Planet Malaysia Healthcare Week Trivia

Here comes the moment everyone's been waiting for! We have come to our final video and as promised, here are the trivia questions for the Smarter Planet Malaysia Healthcare Week Contest:

1. Let’s start off with a simple question. How many videos were featured throughout the Healthcare Week on the Smarter Planet Facebook page?

Hint: Start counting!

2. Which is the only state in Malaysia WITHOUT a private Hospital?

Hint: Infographic

3. What is the name of the IBM computing system that aids doctors in finding solutions a lot faster than before?

Hint: Thursday’s Video

Simple right? Come visit the official facebook page at Smarter Planet Malaysia.

Answer all 3 questions by emailing smarterplanetmy@gmail.com with your name, I.C number, contact number, and address.

This contest ends on Sunday 11.59pm/Monday 12.00am and the winners will be announced on Monday.

IBM's Smarter Planet Malaysia Healthcare Week

IBM's organising a Smarter Planet Malaysia Healthcare Week! And you are invited!

Ever wonder what IBM's got to do with healthcare? Here comes the opportunity to find out more and win PRIZES!

We would be posting up a series of VIDEOS during the these few days on our facebook page. And based on the series, there would be a TRIVIA on the last day of the Healthcare week this FRIDAY (30 September 2011) that would be posted on our page as well.

There's a total of two PRIZES to be won! So, watch out for it!
Come and visit our page and the Smarter Planet Malaysia page for the updates! Let's spread the word out!! Prizes are at stake!

Competition: Artwork for the Asia Pacific Report on the Social and Environmental Determinants of Health Equity

Would you like to contribute to a global movement for health equity and win USD100?

Asia Pacific HealthGAEN (The Global Action for Health Equity Network) (www.healthgaen.org) is preparing a report on the social and environmental determinants of health and health equity across Asia Pacific. This report will feed into the discussions at the World Health Organisation global conference on the social determinants of health in October this year (http://www.who.int/sdhconference/en/).

Your artwork could feature in this report. To have a chance of being named in the report and winning the money, you would need to draw one image that captures the following:

• - The inequities in health across Asia Pacific
• - The determinants of health inequities (economic globalisation; urbanisation; climate change; social exclusion)
• - Action to improve health equity

If you would like to enter into this competition please send the piece of artwork, your name and email address to danielle.toua@anu.edu.au and CC to info.smmams@gmail.com by 23rd Sept 2011.

The winner will be notified by 30th September 2011.

Kaplan Live Online Event 2

Kaplan Medical will be organising a free Live Online Event on "Online Prep, the Next Revolution in USMLE Preparation" with the details as follow:

Title : Online Prep, the Next Revolution in USMLE Preparation
Date : Thursday, September 8th
Time : 8 pm in Malaysia

Speaker : Judy Schwenker, Kaplan Medical's Director of Study Skills

Judy Schwenker, Kaplan Medical's Director of Study Skills, will be giving outlines of Kaplan's new online prep course and demonstrates how students can now get all the advantages of Kaplan's US Center Prep course from the comfort of their own home.

For those who are interested, participation is free with prior registration here. As before, during the seminar, you will also be able to submit questions and receive live feedback.

Kaplan Live Online Event

Kaplan Medical will be organising a free Live Online Event: "Learn Which Visa is Right For You" on the 30th August 2011 with the details as follow:

Date : Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Time : 8:30 PM in Malaysia

Speaker : Stephen M. Perlitsh

Location : This event is accessible anywhere you have internet connection.

This event is aimed at addressing issues such as the appropriate visa for your personal situation, as well as how to improve the chances of your visa application’s approval.

Participation is absolutely FREE with prior registration at the link below. During the seminar, you will also be able to submit questions and receive live feedback all in a live online format.

Registration at https://liveonline.kaptest.com/e43829860/event/registration.html

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

Kaplan USMLE Prep Seminar

Kaplan Medical will be organising a free seminar on USMLE prep on 12th August 2011 at Armada Hotel, PJ with the details as follow:

Date : Friday, August 12th 2011

Time : 3.30 p.m.

Location : Armada Hotel, Lot 6, Lorong Utara C, Section 52, Petaling Jaya.

Speaker : Jeff Weil (Regional Director of Asia Pacific and Carribean)

The event is open to ANY medical students who are interested to know more about USMLE.

The seminar is basically suitable to those who are keen for more info on issues such as registration procedure, the costs, preparations for the exam, exam materials, residency placement etc.

Entrance is FREE, but booking of seats are required prior to the event by the 6th of August 2011 (Saturday) before 2.00pm. To book for your seat, email us at info.smmams@gmail.com with your name and institution.

And the third and final question is……….HERE! You could win an iPod Touch!

Can you diagnose acute back pain? Read on to test your knowledge.

You see a 30 year old man who developed acute pain in the left buttock two days ago. He tells you that the pain started when he was stretching before playing football. The pain has now moved down his leg and he also has some tingling in the left foot. He has no symptoms of saddle anaesthesia (reduced sensation or numbness over the thighs, buttocks, and groin areas) and there are no red flags. On examination, there is tenderness of the left buttock. The straight leg raise test is positive on the left side. The tone, power, reflexes, and sensation are normal in the lower limbs.

What is the most likely diagnosis?

a.	Non-specific low back pain
b.	Mechanical back pain
c.	Nerve root pain

To find out the answer of the competition - click Acute back pain: an up to date guide .

Complete the module and pass, then send your answer to contest.apac@bmjgroup.com.

If you have trouble with the link above – you can search for the module on the website instead:

www.learning.bmj.com/international

REMEMBER! You need to register with a Malaysian Medical Association Voucher code to enter this contest. To request for a code, email cpd@mma.org.my.

Closing Date: 30 June 2011

We will be sending out the winners name shortly. Thank you for your participation!!!

Good Luck!