When I graduated in 2004, there were only 12 (if I'm not wrong) medical schools in Malaysia that produce graduates. Now just look at the list. Remember there are graduates from UK, Ireland, India, Egypt, Indonesia and Russia too.
Medical schools that have already produced graduates:
Universiti Malaya
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
International Medical University
Universiti Putra Malaysia
International Islamic University Malaysia
Penang Medical College
UniKL Royal College of Medicine Perak
Melaka-Manipal Medical College
Universiti Malaysia Sabah
Universiti Teknologi MARA
UCSI University
Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology
Monash University Malaysia
Allianze College of Medical Sciences
Cyberjaya University College of Medical Sciences
Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia
Med schools that will have their first graduates in 2012-2017:
Newcastle University of Medicine Malaysia
MAHSA University College
International Medical School – MSU (IMS-MSU)
Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin
Taylor’s University
SEGi University College
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman
Masterskill University College
Perdana University Graduate School of Medicine (PUGSOM)
Perdana University – RCSI
Quest International University Perak
PMC Terengganu
Kolej Universiti Insaniah
Kolej Universiti Antarabangsa Kejururawatan dan Sains Kesihatan (KPJ)
Lincoln University College
Bear in mind that the number of teaching hospitals (University hospitals and General Hospitals) are not increasing as much as the number of medical schools. The number of real life trainers (ie the specialists, surgeons etc) are not increasing much too.
Also, there are a lot of accusations that a lot of corruptions are involved in taking up 'qualified students' and passing the future doctors.
OK I'm not going to question about the intake / qualification of the medical undergraduates, but just looking at the number of medical schools we know that the training in hospitals available is going to be substandard. I know some schools that use mannequins to teach the students how to examine people. In UKM before we never use mannequins. We use breathing, talking subjects.
Now the house officers are going to work in shift system. It is a big change and many specialist/ senior doctors are not happy with it. Their main concern is that who will supervise the young doctors who work in evening or night shift, because the shift system only involve the house officers, not the supervisors.
So I think you readers can imagine the chaos in the Ministry now. For this I advise:
1. Be aware of what is going on with you / your family when you go to seek medical attention. The best is to catch the seniors who are in charge of the ward you are in, and make sure you know the management plan of your illness. You will notice that the juniors are going to be like chipsmores.
2. If you think you see something amiss, make it your responsibility to complain and correct it. About complaining, please don't simply jump on that doctor did not smile (we are human too) or I have to wait 2 hours in a crowded ED. Rather, speak up if nobody do anything when your mother has high fever, or the doctor did not wear a mask when suturing your wound, or nobody take heed of your bleeding pregnant wife. I think you understand.
3. Don't force medical course on your son / daughter if they are the lazy type, the slow type, the i-dont-give-a-damn type, the always-MIA type... even if you can pay for them to pass (not pay to study). It will come back to you.
