Top medical schools produce best talent

NST: The Public Service Department cannot stop sending medical scholars to "expensive" countries just to save costs, as it has to follow stringent requirements to qualify these doctors for public service here.
The PSD is also restricted by quotas for international students imposed by medical schools abroad, making it impossible to send Malaysian scholars to cheaper institutions in Asian countries or Russia.
PSD public relations officer Hasniah Rashid said medical scholars were sent to top schools in a variety of countries to reap "the best and most comprehensive talent" in the pool of doctors serving the country.
She was responding to suggestions in newspapers that the PSD send medical scholars to cheaper universities in Indonesia and India.
"We can’t stop sending them to places like Britain, Ireland or Australia.
"We have to send scholars to renowned universities so that they can obtain government recognition for the purpose of appointing them to the public service.
"We also have to comply with the Malaysian Medical Council’s stringent requirements," she said yesterday.
Hasniah dismissed the contention that scholarships were only for universities in the West, noting that students were also sent to medical schools in Indonesia, India and local universities.
Medicine, dentistry and pharmacy comprise 50 per cent of the overseas scholarships open to fifth formers. Engineering comprises 30 per cent of the scholarships, while the rest is for other fields.
Some 15,000 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia holders applied for the 1,300 overseas scholarships available this year.
Hasniah said the PSD had completed interviewing shortlisted candidates last Friday and would announce the results by mid-May.