Checklist for Medicine and the Sciences

Star Education:
With only 600 physiotherapists in the country and people becoming more health-conscious, there is a growing demand for those who specialise in this area.
More and more people are turning to physiotherapists for treatment, said physiotherapist Marc Daniel.
Daniel was speaking on the Allied Health Sciences during the Star Education 2006 Fair, held at the KL Convention Centre recently.
“People who exercise often tend to sprain something, and this is when the physiotherapist comes in.
“In the past, my biggest competitors were the bomohs and sinsehs. Now, the trend is changing, as more people know what a physiotherapist does,” he said.
Attempting to attract males to this female-dominated profession, Daniel added: “The niche market in physiotherapy is in sports medicine, and guys are generally preferred.”

Another profession with excellent career prospects is psychology.
Help University College director for the Centre of Psychology Dr Goh Chee Leong said: “Our graduates have had a 100% employment rate for the past eight years.”
According to him, the three main areas a psychology graduate has an advantage in are: their understanding of people, interpersonal skills and market research involving people.
“No one knows people like you do,” he said.
Dr Goh also advised prospective students to ask themselves if they are interested in understanding and working with people.
He also dispelled the misconception that psychology is about “crazy” people.
“Actually, 90% or more of psychology is concerned with normal people,” he said.
One new area Dr Goh highlighted was artificial intelligence research.
“If you are interested in computer science and psychology, you can look into this area.”

Speaker Dr Suresh Nair touched on a more traditional profession – dentistry.
“My profession is about relief of pain, improving aesthetics and healing disease,” he said.
While treating dental disease is still the core business, improving aesthetics is becoming increasingly important in dentistry.
“It’s about helping to increase the patient’s confidence and self-image. We also do work on accident victims.”
While dentists enjoy more regular hours than doctors and are guaranteed a relatively stable income even during economic difficulties, a dental practice is one of the most expensive businesses to run.
“Dentists will face a tough time in the first few years. Just consider that one dental chair is equivalent to the price of a Toyota Camry (about RM150,000),” said Dr Suresh.

Pharmacist Ang Khoon Lim was quite clear on his objective for giving the talk.
“I came here with one mission – to increase the number of pharmacists in Malaysia.”
As with the other allied health professions, Malaysia faces a shortage of pharmacists.
This led the government to implement a four-year compulsory service last year for pharmacy graduates.
“Under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, Malaysia is going to switch from a doctor-focused to patient-focused system. As a front-liner in the healthcare system, we pharmacists will face the positive effects of this shift,” Ang said.
With people taking more responsibility for their own health, pharmacists will be playing more central roles, advising the public on the type of medication and supplements suitable for them.
He also advised students to ensure that the colleges they choose are recognised by the government.

Preparing for medicine
“No matter what we say, there are still many people who want to do medicine. I hope they are doing it for the right reasons,” said the Russian Federation’s honorary consul Teoh Seng Lee, after the panel session on Medicine.
With over 2,000 people packing two adjacent halls, it was obvious that the hardships of the profession have not daunted students or their parents.
Consultant cardiologist Dr Ong Hean Teik warned: “The career of a practising doctor only begins upon completion of postgraduate training.”
As for status and money, Dr Ong said: “The consultant is the peak of the medical pyramid, but the bottom of the healthcare system. And in terms of money, somewhere in the middle.”
He advised students to only go into medicine if they want “the chance to challenge something unknown (disease) and to help others”.
Malaysian Medical Association Wilayah branch chairman Dr Kuljit Singh told students that besides requiring a CGPA of more than 3.5, most universities also look for character.
He added: “There are close to 30 over exams (in medical school), of which you must pass every single one. After all, you can’t say letting one patient die is okay.”
But his most important message was: “Please make sure that the college is recognised by the government. Find this out personally from the Health Ministry.”
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Faculty dean Prof Dr Lokman Saim advised students on what to look for when choosing a medical school.
“Check the number of beds in the teaching hospital and the number of patients they have in a year. This is to ensure that you have enough patients to work with and learn from,” he said.
Students should also ensure that the syllabus contains elements of problem-based learning, community-based learning and early clinical experience.
“I encourage my students to go overseas during their semester break, and join clubs and sports,” said Prof Lokman, who stressed that medical school is not all about exams.
Teoh and Melaka Manipal Medical College lecturer Assoc Prof Dr Satisha Nayak spoke on studying medicine in Russia and India respectively.
Teoh warned students and parents to be wary of unauthorised and bogus agents.
“Always ask the agent for his/her certificate of authorisation from the university. If in doubt, call the Russian Consulate,” he said.
Students and parents should not to choose universities based on ranking alone. “Choose the university that suits you, so that you will be comfortable living and studying there,” he added.
Students entering medical college in India get in purely on their own merit, assured Assoc Prof Satisha.
“Most colleges are listed in the WHO list and recognised in the United Kingdom and Australia,” he added.
Malaysians studying in India also have a cultural advantage as they are used to the language and food.
Assoc Prof Satisha also advised students to check if the cost of pursuing the medical degree is affordable.
“Look five years ahead and see if you can still afford it.”