Letters
by Dr. LMK
I am an eye specialist (ophthalmologist) currently practising in UK, I
cannot come home because of my specialist degree.
“FRCS(Glasgow) in Ophthalmology” (hereinafter refer as FRCS) is a
specialist degree recognised by the whole world, the eye specialist
must go through a proper training and exam in order to get this
degree. Many eye specialists in many are holding this degree
including our famous eye specialists in Tun Hussain Onn Eye Hospital.
FRCS was confered by 4 boards, ie, Edinburgh, London, Ireland and
Glasgow. In 1999, UK has decided to change its training service due
to the European Union. FRCS exam was be replaced by MRCS exam. For
your information, MRCS is not a recognised degree in Malaysia.
However, Glasgow board is STILL offering this exam for this degree
until NOW.
In 2003, this group of bureaucrats in the specialty board of
ophthalmology of Academy of Medicine (the specialist board for KKM)
has declared that FRCS (Glasgow) is no longer recognised as a
postgraduate degree, holder of this degree will not be listed in the
specialist register. They forwarded their decision to Cawangan
Pembangunan Profesyen, Bahagian Perkimbangan Perubatan, KKM. Datuk
Dr. Abdul Gani (the deputy DG at that time) issued this circular – Bil
(104) dlm KKM 87 (P13.221) Bhg 3 dated 23/3/05.
There was a bit of “noise”, they have decided that those graduated
before 2003 will be recognised, those graduated between 2004 to 2005
will be case by case basis, those graduated after 2005 will not be
entertained. Recently they even amended it further that those
graduated after 1993 will not be recognised. (please look under
“Ophthalmology” section -
http://www.nsr.org.my/azRecognisedListDetail.jsp
For your information, KKM has been employing a lot of expatriates with
unrecognised master degree practising in their hospitals as a
specialist. They are all given 6 months period of gazettement (a
period of monitoring for KKM doctor) to be a specialist. This is for
the fulfillment of the Perintah-perintah Am dan Arahan Pentadbiran –
Bab F, Pelbagai V, sesi 27 (a), (b)(i) and (b)(ii).
Some of our friends did ask them for the reason. These bureaucrats
said that the local Master program has recently (2003?) changed to 4
years instead of previously 3, so FRCS is no longer recognised.
Remember, these bureaucrats spent their 3 years master program last
time. If they de-recognise this degree, they should de-recognise
themselves.
When Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow knew about
this comment, they changed their curriculum immediately(in 2004) to
4.5 years instead of previously 3. RCSGlasgow has, in fact, amended
their system to suit their need!!! What more excuse they have?
Why an unrecognised degree could be gazetted and FRCS is not able to?
Why they want to de-recognise a UK degree that they also have? I
think Malaysian government is treating the expatriate better than
their own citizen.
Uncle Lim, our country is very short of doctors, eye specialist is
very deprived, why they still want to impose such regulation? Those
bureaucrats are holding this degree !!!
Why they want to de-recognise this degree? Do we have enough of eye
specialist in Malaysia? They have gone through the same training
format as us, why they de-recognise this training?
Many of us (Malays, Chinese and Indians) are holding this degree in UK
dying to come home, some of our friends in Malaysia with this degree
are not able to register as a specialist. MCA and UMNO refused to
entertain them, KKM is ignoring them, my friends in UK and Malaysia
are very helpless at the moment.
#1 by asurgess on Wednesday, 19 November 2008 - 2:44 pm
well, i used to think training as a doctor in western world is wonderful, no discrimination, better pay, better training.
yap. until i worked there myself.
i now our eye specialist is not happy in UK and wants to come back to motherland. those who dont know the politics in medicine are free to comment. however, as a specialist myself, i have tasted the so called better life in western world and ponder. unfortunately for this UK eye specialist, he is stuck. i know why he wants to come back.
he cant go up any more. he cant become a consultant and he finds the training for hands on is limited.
he may think he earn a lot in UK pound, yes, direct conversion is naive. it is true if one does not eat, drink or need to sleep under a roof. at the end of the day, unless this doctor is the top 20% of the UK society, he will feel that his pay is the same or less than a builder, mechanic and he find it he cant go up any higher due to a glass ceiling. so his pay is just ok and he thinks in malaysia, once he goes into private, he will be printing $. this is probably true in singapore and hence he has not considered it. dont insult his intelligence as somebody thought it will be nice and print money in singapore. singapore will have its own politics and he will find it very hard to join half way.
if it is so good, why would any idiot, like alone the brightest eye specialsit want to return to malaysia which rejected him. he is unhappy. may be lonely.
and there is the person who sound proud his daughter who worked as an accountant who cant stand singapore went to uk and now thinking of australia. the father is missing the most important issue here, the daughter is lost, she cant fit in singapore , uk and let me tell u this, australia will be worse off than UK. you will also be a 5th class citizen after white, italian, greek, indian and middle east
sorry guys, no where in the world is going to pad you on the back.
in the end, many came back to malaysia quietly depressed.
#2 by asurgess on Thursday, 20 November 2008 - 4:40 pm
“anyway I will give you a benefit of doubt- one possibility is your information may not be current but I live here in Melbourne and I can see many Doctors of Asian background practising here
Cheers”
this is some lay man commenting on the medical professional by thinking it is easy for foreign doctors to work in australia. i guess for somebody who just migrated to australia. he or she wont understand. all those asian doctors are 95% local born and bread. And if you look carefully, the consultants, the bosses are 95% white. All the asian doctors u see are junior staff, who are destined to be forever support staff with the rare opportunity to become GP only after passing FRACGP. oh i guess nobody knows that coming. some all these asian doctors will be chronically registrar (mind u , are not going to get much perks) and will rarely reach the top. then there are the 5% happy new comer foreign doc from malaysia, after passing their FRACP exams again after their MRCP or former degree gets disrecognised. oh i bet nobody knowsMRCP is disrecognsed in aust. so why nobody complaining here. and for new comers, sorry, private practice is only allowed ten years after arrival. afraid? not yet. u will find that u will be still going back to look for your malaysian support group…
so it is as i said. unless u can reach the top 20% in the society. it is the ame everywhere. it is just perception that overseas is rossier as most of those go there has grudge to settle as they are being bullied, rejected by motherland
the only hope is to have a voice like lim kit siang. and to support him.
there is no use in going overseas and self denial u are welcomed when in fact u are also a minority and your bosses are locals. u in fact are seeing a same scenario where ketuanan become colonial master but u wont see it as u are already rejected in motherland and u need to feel accepted.
however, after a while. as some malaysians who migrated as doctor in aust find, that their colleagues in malaysia are better off. with new internet, more conference, more training perks since new DG, our skills are not bad. however as many will know if they are in the system that ratings are very subjective. people will tell u singapore is no 1 to live but when u go there, it is not that rossy. however people who are turned doen in malaysia, will force themselves to see the light.
why i know, as i said, i am a seniro doctor of KKM who has worked in UK, singapore and australia. in the end, i realise, it is the same. and to bring up a family, i stand a better chance in malaysia
u think there are no crimes in aust, uk or singapore, read the internet my friends.
australia and singapore has a high suicide rate and they are both rated as no 1 to live. why? is it a survey biase or is there something wrong. surely suicide is not a fake?