The Standards of Medical Education in Malaysia

The Standards of Medical Education in Malaysia and Its Acceptability

Dr. David KL Quek,

MBBS, MRCP, FRCP, FAMM, FCCP, FASCC, FAPSC, FNHAM, FACC, FAFPM (Hon.)

Immediate Past President, Malaysian Medical Association (MMA)

(Lecture presented at the Medico-Legal Society of Malaysia Conference, Royale Chulan Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, on 16 November 2011)

An insightful lecture by a previous President of the Malaysia Medical Association posted on his blog MyHealthMatters,

The standards of our medical education are falling. This is an unacceptable trend, which should not be allowed to continue. If we do not take drastic remedial steps and actions to stall this slide, we might see a deteriorating climate of healthcare services in the country, with possible lowering of our medical professionalism and our clinical expertise as a whole. We might be reduced to the standards of some of the third world countries’ health services, where excellence is a rarity than a norm.

We could see a decline in our competitiveness, our competence and a deteriorating belief in ourselves, as a developed nation—perhaps to be bogged down once again in a quicksand trap of mediocrity and ‘tidak apa’ lackadaisical mindset. We might soon be having so many poor quality doctors and medical graduates who may be unemployed, even unemployable, and not trusted to be good enough to be our healthcare providers!

Potentially, there could be greater chances of endangering of patient safety and lives, for medical mishaps and errors, and greater risks for medico-legal challenges. Finally, the quality of our health service could deteriorate so much that our routine services would be called into question, with possibly the skeptical questioning of the integrity and foundations of our health service. Instead of trust in our health service, we could see the reversed medical tourism of more and more of our own citizens to other neighbouring countries with perceived higher standards of care and excellence of service!

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