It is very common for a young child to exclaim, “One day, I am going to be a doctor.” Doctors have always been familiar characters in each person’s life; at one time or another, everyone regardless of their background, would have had to visit a physician. It is no wonder that today, medicine is still a career of choice for young Malaysians leaving high school.
But in the changing face of the world and community today, the medical profession has evolved from the traditional role of “rescuer from pain” to a partner-personality, with whom one should work closely to live healthily. Qualifying with an MBBS is merely the first step as it is no longer a fixed road of being a practicing clinician. According to Prof. Dr. Adinegara Lutfi Abas, Dean of Manipal University College Malaysia’s Faculty of Medicine, “Students have multiple pathways these days upon qualifying as a doctor. They can choose to remain in practice, to advance into research, go into corporate organisations by becoming a hospital manager or administrator, or occupational health specialist, or choose to serve the community by being in public health.”
The Practitioner
The world will never have too many physicians. With the growing population, the doctor practitioner is still much needed in all sectors of society. While the hours may seem long and un-family friendly, it comes back to the individual. As the saying goes, “do what you love, and you would never feel as if you’ve worked a day!”
“Furthermore, medicine is one of the fields which caters for a varied range of interest, in terms of the specialisations that one can opt to go into,” added Prof. Dr. Adinegara. In a future where technology dictates, those skills that are distinctly human will be among the most valuable, and it is these skills that are enriched through postgraduate study. Considering how vital this is, Manipal University College Malaysia organizes workshops for USMLE, PLAB, and various Royal College Fellowship/Membership exam prep courses at its campus in Melaka, so that our students can prepare for them before graduation and with minimal travel involved from their on-going routine.
The Researcher
For the doctor who is constantly intrigued by how things start and how things can be resolved, or diseases cured, the pathway of becoming a researcher would be a good choice. As the world shrinks with ease of travel, so looms larger the threat of infectious diseases. Research work is also more structured today as compared to before, whereby evidence collected is based on a cross-section of causes. With the advent of the systematic review, the physician research is now part of a larger multidisciplinary team as the study must incorporate a complete, exhaustive summary of current evidence relevant to the subject matter.
The Community Advisor
If it has always been your dream to treat communities as opposed to treating individual patients, the role of a doctor as a community advisor by way of being in public health would then be the right path for you. Strong love of medicine coupled with mathematics and statistics are the core ingredients in excelling in this pathway. By being able to read into trends and form analytical solutions, a public health physician would be better able to formulate strategic preventive measures.
The Right Place to Do Your MBBS
With over three dozen medical schools in Malaysia to choose from, Manipal University College Malaysia (MUCM) which was formerly known as Melaka-Manipal Medical College, is miles ahead as a top medical school.
Since its inception, over 6000 medical and over 400 dental surgeons have been delivered to both the Malaysian and overseas international health systems, with many alumni progressing successfully into specialist careers of their choosing.
As a university college, MUCM’s twinning programmes will evolve into fully Malaysia home-grown programmes.
Students are guided to find their true paths before graduation as they are continuously exposed to the real lives of doctors, researchers, and public health individuals through the College’s annual Post-graduate Fair and monthly Seminars and Exhibitions.
Fulfill Your Dream with Us!
The pursuit of Medicine is a marathon, not a sprint. As such, parents and students are invited to visit Manipal University College Malaysia and experience for themselves life as a future Manipalite.
For more information on our programme, call us at 1700-811-662 or visit us at www.manipal.edu.my