Melaka-Manipal Medical College Foundation student Hong Ann putting his skills to practice during the Seremban District School Counsellors visit to the campus.
IT is common for children to exclaim, “One day, I am going to be a doctor.” Doctors have always been familiar characters in each person’s life – at one point or another, everyone would have had to visit a physician. It is no wonder that medicine is still a career of choice for Malaysian school-leavers 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 to becoming a practising clinician.
“Students have multiple pathways these days upon qualifying as a doctor. They can remain in practice, advance into research, go into corporate organisations by becoming a hospital manager or administrator or an occupational health specialist, or serve the community by being in public health, ” said Melaka-Manipal Medical College Faculty of Medicine dean Prof Dr Adinegara Lutfi Abas.
The practitioner
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 will never feel as if you’ve worked a day.”
“Furthermore, medicine is one of the fields catering to a varied range of interests in terms of the specialisations one can opt to go into, ” added Prof Dr Adinegara.
In a future where technology dictates, the 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, Melaka-Manipal organises workshops for USMLE, PLAB and various Royal College Fellowship/Membership exam prep courses at its campus in Melaka, so that students can prepare for them prior to graduation with minimal travel involved in their ongoing routine.
The researcher
For the doctor who is intrigued by how things start and how things can be resolved, or diseases cured, becoming a researcher would be a good choice. As the world shrinks with ease of travel, the threat of infectious diseases looms larger. Research work is also more structured today, with evidence collected based on a cross-section of causes.
With the advent of systematic review, the physician’s research is now part of a larger multidisciplinary team, as the study must incorporate a complete summary of current evidence relevant to the subject matter.
The community adviser
If it has always been your dream to treat communities as opposed to individual patients, the role of a doctor as a community adviser by way of being in public health would be the right path for you.
A strong love of medicine coupled with mathematics and statistics are the core ingredients for excelling in this pathway. By being able to read into trends and form analytical solutions, a public health physician can formulate strategic preventive measures.
The right place to do your MBBS
With over three dozen medical schools in Malaysia, Melaka-Manipal Medical College is miles ahead as a top medical school. It has produced over 4,000 medical and more than 200 dental surgeons who have joined the Malaysian and international health systems.
Students are exposed to the real lives of doctors, researchers and public health experts through the college’s annual postgraduate fair and monthly seminars and exhibitions.
Fulfil your dream
The pursuit of medicine is a marathon, not a sprint. As such, both parents and students are invited to visit Melaka-Manipal Medical College and experience for themselves life as a future Manipalite.
For more details on Melaka-Manipal Medical College's Open Days, call 1700 811 662 or visit www.manipal.edu.my.
