Students urged to pursue studies in medical colleges in the country

MALAYSIAN students intending to pursue their studies in medicine can choose to study in 33 recognised medical colleges throughout the country, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahya.

He said, with a diverse choice, local institutions should be the choice of students as well as to avoid problems of getting jobs that are often faced by graduates who studied abroad due to the different learning systems.

“In Malaysia, students are given the opportunity to examine the patients in the wards, which differs from overseas... instead the lecturer will be doing a demonstration and so the students will come back and have no experience.

“In some other places (overseas medical colleges), students will face problems in terminology as they have to learn the local language there and when back here, we use the English language,” he told the Dewan Rakyat sitting here yesterday.

He was replying to a supplementary question from Datuk Dr Noor Azmi ( BN-Bagan Serai) regarding the issue of medical graduates.

However Dr Hilmi said the government could not prevent students from pursuing trainings overseas and reminded them to choose medical institutions recognised by the Malaysian Medical Council ( MMC).

Replying to the original question from Wong Ling Biu ( DAP- Sarikei) on the absence of doctors at 1Malaysia Clinics (K1M), Dr Hilmi said the extension of the Medical Officer’s placement would be implemented in stages nationwide.

“Up to September 30, a total of 102 out of 361 K1M nationwide have been provided with medical officers, which also included the placement of support staff in K1M, especially assistant pharmacist for medical dispensing and expansion of K1M space,” he said.

He said patients in K1M also recorded an increase from 6,092,332 patients in 2015 to 6,472,001 patients in 2016.

“Up to Aug 31 this year, the number of patient arrivals is 4,445,828 people,” he said. — Bernama