Beware the illusion of being a doctor

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: STPM high achievers who plan to go into medicine had better think again – this is the message from Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek.
Many people were influenced by television programmes that portray medicine as a “comfortable and glamorous” profession, he said.
“They have the perception that if they become doctors, they will get a lot of money. This does not happen in real life,” he told a press conference at the Parliament lobby here yesterday.
“Being a doctor is not a pot of gold even for specialists nowadays. What you see are the success stories. What you don't hear about are the not so successful ones.
“Students should not be carried away by money. Looking after the sick for 30 years is not easy.”
Dr Chua urged students to sign up for voluntary service programmes in government hospitals before applying to do medical courses.
“The students will be placed under attachment with government hospitals so that they will be exposed to the realities of a doctor's working life,” he said.
“Students should only apply if they have the passion and spirit to serve the sick.”
He noted that students needed to spend five years in the university to become a doctor, and eight-and-a-half years more to complete their post-master degree and medical training.
“To become a specialist, you need to spend a further 12 years after completing your degree at the university,” he pointed out.
“This estimate is based on the assumption that the student passes all his examinations. Unfortunately, this does not usually happen in real life. The failure rate is high,” he said.
Dr Chua said the country would have a surplus of doctors in the next 10 years, based on the number of medical students currently in universities.
About 1,600 medical students graduate every year.
He said Malaysia would reach the target of one doctor to 600 people earlier than the year 2020 based on the current situation.
Dr Chua urged high achievers to think about becoming dentists or pharmacists as their services were much needed in Malaysia.