Driven by passion

IT will come as no surprise that many Malaysian school-leavers are able to relate to occasions where family members suggest pursuing tertiary qualifications in engineering, architecture, banking, law or accountancy.

The reason is that, over the years, these fields of study have become synonymous with high remuneration and a stable career.

The study of medicine is also held in high regard and continues to prove popular with Malaysian students with an estimated 30,000 students pursuing a medical qualification in local and foreign universities, as stated in a 2013 Malaysian Medical

Council (MMC) report.

However, up to onefifth of medical students do not attain their medical degrees as they eventually drop out during the course of their study or housemanship because they have preconceived notions of the medical field, have the wrong reasons for pursuing the course or do not prepare themselves adequately for the rigours and responsibilities needed to complete the course.

Here are some things you should be aware of if you are considering pursuing a career in medicine.

Learn the language

It is surprising that as a Commonwealth country with an economy that greatly depends on international trade, there are a high number of students who have a poor command of the English language.

Despite completing up to two years of their housemanship in public hospitals, many students quit their course when they realise how important English is to succeed in the field of medicine.

Without proficiency in English, medical students struggle in keeping pace with or understanding their peers from other countries.

In addition, many medical resources and references are written in English.

A poor grasp of English will make trying to understand the many technicalities and complexities related to the field a massive undertaking.

Have the interest

Among the main reasons many medical students quit their course is that they do not have the passion or interest in medicine to begin with.

Without the interest or passion in learning more about the effects of medicine, diseases or how the human body works, students will find it hard to stay motivated to study a degree in medicine, which is considerably longer than most bachelor’s degrees.

Many students enrol in medical courses as they feel the need to live up to family expectations, follow the career footsteps of family members or simply want to become doctors because of the prestige involved.

Intense competition within the tertiary programme and workplace can also push them to quit their pursuit of becoming a doctor.

Embrace the lifestyle

If an active social life has always been important to you, it is crucial to note that all medical practitioners work long stressful hours and lack work-life balance.

Even after gaining a medical degree, doctors and specialists need to keep up with the latest medical developments and seek deeper understanding of their specific specialities through constant study outside of work hours.

Being on call, having high patient loads, and working shifts or even double shifts are part and parcel of working in the field of medicine.

As caring for patients is a matter of life and death, medical students must be mentally and physically prepared to put in the necessary hours.

Persevere

A satisfactory completion of medical students’ housemanship is required before anyone is eligible to be registered with the MMC.

Unfortunately, there are more medical graduates each year than there are positions in hospitals approved for graduate training. This creates a long wait (of more than six months) before MBBS or MD?

A Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) is the first qualification you will receive as a doctor. It is the undergraduate degree that urnishes you with the knowledge and expertise to be able to practise medicine. graduates are posted to a hospital.

Furthermore, graduates fortunate enough to be awarded a hospital posting in Malaysia are often expected to have complete understanding of the fundamental knowledge in taking care of patients.

In Malaysia, both the MBBS and the Doctor of Medicine (MD) are offered as undergraduate degrees. These courses are specific to their universities and may have broader or more detailed syllabi.