Materia Medica Malaysiana

200 Additional Places For Medical Courses In Local Varsities

SLIM RIVER, May 7 (Bernama) -- Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Mohd Salleh said his ministry will increase the number of places for medical courses in local universities by another 200 for this year's intake.
He said additional allocation had been provided to the deans of medical faculties to increase learning facilities and student intake capacity.
The Health Ministry had also been asked to allow doctors who were on loan as lecturers to continue their services at the universities concerned, he said.
"The move was taken to overcome the problem which cropped up last year when 128 outstanding students failed to gain places in medical studies," he said after the opening of Politeknik Tanjong Malim by the Sultan of Perak, Azlan Shah, here Saturday.
Also present were Raja Permaisuri Tuanku Bainun and Raja Nazrin Shah.
At the ceremony, Sultan Azlan declared the change of name for the polytechnic which was opened two years ago to Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah.
Last year, 907 students who passed the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) and matriculation with a Cumulative Grade Points Average (CPGA) of 4.0 chose medicine as their first choice but only 779 candidates were selected although the number of places for the programme at six public institutions of higher learning (IPTA) had been increased by five per cent.
Dr Shafie said the ministry might also require applicants for medical studies to sit for the Medical School Admission Test (MSAT) beginning next year as an additional requirement.
He said the ministry might take the MSAT designed by the University of Monash, Australia as a guide.
However, applicants for medical studies this year would be asked to attend an interview session and visits to hospital wards or clinics as one of the ways of screening students to ensure that they were truly qualified and capable of pursuing the highly competitive course.
Last year, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad was quoted as saying that about 300 doctors who had completed their practical training resigned from government service each year as they found that they were not suited for the job.