Standards of some house officers in Malaysia

NST Online » Frontpage

2009/01/31

Housemen lack basic know-how

By : Annie Freeda Cruez

KUALA LUMPUR: Some medical universities, both local and overseas, are churning out doctors who cannot carry out common medical procedures, have no proper clinical exposure, cannot communicate effectively and cannot even take down the history of patients properly for diagnosis and treatment.

Senior medical consultants in government hospitals are now saddled with the task of having to retrain these people to ensure they meet the country's standard of medical practice.

Some of these fresh doctors are retained in their houseman training postings for years, some even up to six years, because they cannot meet the standards. The compulsory housemanship is two years.

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This is disturbing news because after housemanship, these doctors will be licensed to practice medicine on their own. I hope relevant authorities will take this seriously because the lives of the rakyat (people) is at stake here.

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