Desperate to be doctors

Aug 2018

> Many outstanding students, including those who scored a

CGPA of 4.0, aren’t guaranteed a place to study medicine at public universities.

Deputy

Education

Minister Teo

Nie Ching said this was because the 11 public universities offering medicine in the country could only accommodate 484 students for medical studies. She said the ministry’s statistics showed there were 2,730 applicants this year, with 2,490 meeting the minimum requirement. Only two out of 10 applicants will be accepted. Each public university has the autonomy to offer their programmes and set specific tests for each programme as an entry requirement.

May 2016

> Unqualified students were guaranteed places for plum courses including medicine in universities abroad – via agents. The enrolment package, including foundation course certificates, cost them tens of thousands of ringgit.

March 2016

> The police and Higher Education Ministry investigated a scam in which students used faked SPM results to gain admission into Egyptian universities. At least 61 students who allegedly forged or altered their 2010 to 2012 SPM results to qualify for their tertiary studies in Egypt were found. Many of these students were still in the country pursuing mostly degrees in medicine and Islamic studies.

> Sunday Star front paged complaints that unscrupulous agents were falsifying SPM result certificates and ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC). Students wanting to pursue medical courses overseas must get NOCs from the ministry. The issuance of the certificates is based on the students having the same minimal entry qualifications as stipulated for entry to local universities.

May 2004

> As many as 128 students with top grades for their STPM and matriculation examinations failed to get into medicine in public universities because of the stiff competition and the limited number of places available. They were later offered places in public universities for the pre-clinical phase of their programme, and transferred to either a public or private university for the clinical phase.