Reality check for PSD medical scholarship applicants

NST: Next up for those shortlisted for Public Service Department (PSD) medical scholarships — a visit to hospitals to see the real-life blood and gore.
The PSD is discussing this move with the Health Ministry as another form of assessment before awarding its scholarships.
PSD director-general Datuk Seri Ismail Adam said taking applicants on hospital rounds would help interviewers assess their aptitude and attitude about being doctors.
"The usual aptitude test is a written test and may not give an accurate picture of their mindset. As this is the Government’s investment, we want committed scholars.
"When we bring them to hospitals, we can assess their attitude towards things such as the sight of blood and people with severe injuries. We will see if they have what it takes to be a doctor," Ismail said after visiting the PSD scholarships application counter.
The counter is located in the lobby of the PSD headquarters in Block C2, Parcel C, Putrajaya. It will be opened until March 22 to accept applications for overseas scholarships, following the release of Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) results recently.
Medical scholarships receive the highest number of applications each year. Together with dentistry and pharmacy, they form 50 per cent of the 1,300 PSD overseas scholarships offered yearly.
Ismail said the practise of taking scholarship applicants to hospital wards as part of the screening process was common in other countries.
"We have heard that some applicants think twice about being doctors after they see what the profession is really like."
The hospital visit would be held for shortlisted applicants.
Engineering scholarships form 30 per cent of the total on offer for overseas placements, while 20 per cent is for other fields, including humanities, accounting, actuarial science, biotechnology, pure science and architecture.