MMC approves three medical courses

Star: PETALING JAYA: Malaysians can now study medicine in the Czech Republic and at a lower cost than in popular destinations such as Britain or Australia.
The Malaysian Medical Council (MMC), responsible for the recognition of medical programmes locally and abroad, now recognises three in the Czech Republic with courses in English.
These are programmes in the First Faculty of Medicine at Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Medicine at Charles University in Hradec Kralove and the Faculty of Medicine, Palacky University, Olomouc.
The first two faculties mentioned above are part of Charles University in Prague, which has five medical faculties, three located within the capital city itself, and one each in Hradec Kralove and Plsen.
According to BestEd Sdn Bhd projects manager Shirley Abdullah, the company has been appointed sole agent for the recruitment and enrolment of students for the three programmes.
“The total cost for the six-year medical programme inclusive of living expenses is approximately RM450,000 in Prague while the cost in the two smaller cities of Hradec Karalove and Olomouc is around RM350,000.
In a letter to BestEd dated July 23, 2005, MMC president Datuk Dr Ismail Merican said the council had agreed to recognise the undergraduate medical programmes.
MMC will also make visits to ensure the quality of the programmes concerned.
An entrance examination for interested students will be held next month.
Czech Ambassador to Malaysia Dana Hunatova told The Star that students could expect the same living standards as other member European Union countries.
“Charles University which was founded in 1348, is the oldest university in central Europe. Since 1992, it has conducted a parallel programme for its medical degree in English and this has attracted students from around the world,” she said.