Medical grads snub ministry programme

NST: KUALA LUMPUR: Most of the medical graduates from unrecognised universities appear to have snubbed the special programme offered by the Health Ministry.
Just a dozen of the 220 graduates may opt for the programme said P. Chitrakala Vasu, chief executive officer of Maju Institute of Educational Development which is registering students for the programme at its Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology University. She said the figure is based on the number of the graduates who took the registration forms at Tuesday's dialogue with MIED chairman Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu.
Chitrakala said the programme comprised one-year pre-clinical studies at a medical institution and two years of practical clinical work at appointed hospitals. The affected graduates, 70 per cent of whom are Indians, attended last Tuesday's dialogue session. However, a spokesperson for the graduates, claimed that none of the graduates were interested in the three-year programme.
The programme costs RM150,000 and there is no guarantee of a pass.
"These graduates will have to spend an additional five years, which includes the compulsory two years housemanship, before they can practise," said the spokesperson. She added that many of them had decided to sit for the equivalent qualifying exam overseas.
The affected medical graduates obtained their degrees from the Philippines, China, Japan, Pakistan, Romania, India, Armenia, Indonesia and the British Virgin Islands.
The spokesperson said the graduates' degrees were recognised by the World Health Organisation.
She said many chose to pursue degrees that are unrecognised in Malaysia as the graduates failed to get a place in local universities.
The cost of pursuing a medical degree in a recognised foreign university can be as low as RM150,000 or as high as RM1 million, according to Pathmavathy Suresh, the managing director of Nugrahan Sdn Bhd, a representative of recognised foreign universities The cost of getting a medical degree at an unrecognised university is between RM70,000 and RM150,000, she said.