" PETALING JAYA: The number of medical housemen undergoing clinical training in most government hospitals has increased and this has given rise to concern that they may not get sufficient experience.
With new medical schools opening up locally and lower fees being offered at new institutions abroad, around 4,000 Malaysian medical students are expected to graduate annually from 350 universities all over the world in the coming years. " ~ The Stars 27/11/2010
With new medical schools opening up locally and lower fees being offered at new institutions abroad, around 4,000 Malaysian medical students are expected to graduate annually from 350 universities all over the world in the coming years. " ~ The Stars 27/11/2010
The most violent element in the society is IGNORANCE. Despite of the noises made by various parties (MMA, Hospital staffs, public etc.), but the "infection" doesn't seems to stop, yet becoming more unstoppable. More and more schools are established; more twinning programs become available, and thus more students are being accepted into medical schools.
Our country is very desperate in achieving the Doctor:Population ratio of developed country in the shortest period possible. In 5 years time, we have about 200% increase in the number of medical students each year.
What do Malaysian medical students feel about this issue? Are you worried? If yes, are you trying or thinking to do something? Or simply post link in Facebook and complain over Facebook? Many of us are still in the delusion that medical doctors are guaranteed a job in the MOH hospital once we graduate. Yes, the guarantee might still apply for graduates till 2015, but this might not apply for graduates after 2015.
Currently, with about 6,500 housemen flooding into the MOH training hospitals, one houseman takes care 4 patients compared to 10 patients last time. This mean that the opportunities each houseman can gain during their internship are significantly reduced. Try to imagine where 40 housemen need to compete for appendicectomy cases in the 4 months posting!!! Eventually, many doctors will pass their posting, without adequately exposed to what they should have learnt, or some being incompetent.
In Australia, medical graduates are facing difficulty in getting a place for their internship training. [Medical Internship Shortage Fears]
If the trends continue in our country, one day we will be facing the same problem as what Australia is facing. Perhaps one day, medical graduates will have to work at the petrol station or taxi driver?
Let us read about MMR's response to Houseman Glut.
Dear colleagues/brothers,
ReplyDeleteI, although not the first time heard about this news, am quite shocking to read such opinion on this website. As far as my limited knowledge and experience could tell, if one is incompetent to be a doctor, he/she should have been identified by their respective accreditated University or faculty during their 5-year programme (applicable in most of the countries), first. It's possible if such person is "missed out", there it'd be the MO's and specialists responsibility to make sure the so-called incompetent HO's are "identified". Of course, I could not deny there are still doctors who are not so good (not bad) and had get away from it and is practicing freely, but it is probably not due to increasing numbers of doctors, but decreasing qualities of medical educations! We should suggest more standardise entry requirement for each university(including local universities) and require interviews for applicants by qualified personal other than the staff from own university. It will be a more practical solution that reducing the entries of medical students as suggested by some parties...