Views from Melaka Manipal Medical College MBBS graduates

Nur Qistina Binti Mohammed Haniff

Melaka Manipal Medical College MBBS graduates, who are hoping to get a housemanship offer soon, talk about their challenges

Nur Qistina Binti Mohammed Haniff, 24

I’m anxious because I’m afraid my knowledge will get rusty due to the long waiting period. Also, getting an early housemanship placement will help alleviate my family’s financial situation, as my mother is a single parent. Through the allowance I’d get as a houseman, I want to contribute to my siblings’ well-being. I’m eager to put my knowledge into practice but I don’t know how long I will have to wait before starting my housemanship. My goal is to be a cardiothoracic surgeon, so I plan to use this period to attempt the Membership of Royal College of Surgeons exams.

Sandriiga Palu, 24

First, we had to deal with not having a graduation ceremony due to Covid-19 and now, there’s further uncertainty about our wait for housemanship because of the pandemic. I’m worried because things change very fast in the medical field. If we go for long periods without putting our hands-on knowledge to use, we lose touch. It hasn’t been easy. I’m developing anxiety thinking about whether I will be able to get a job. What’s adding to this mix of emotions is the pressure of people asking about my housemanship status and career plans. I’ve applied to be an attache at private clinics but my applications were rejected because these clinics suffered losses due to the pandemic. I am working at an international school for now as I need to support my family. There are bills to pay.

Ling Wei Li, 24

I hope the nine-month waiting period doesn’t get extended. Its been seven months since I graduated. I’ve been brushing up on my communication skills by watching medical-related presentations online and reading up on patient cases posted on social media and group chats. These little exercises help me retain what I’ve learnt but I’m already feeling so pressured from questions about whether I’ve gotten a job yet. I have a responsibility as the eldest-of-four siblings to help my parents. Dad owns a plantation and mom has a fruit business at the market. I know I have to be patient. Some of my seniors from the 2019 batch only got their housemanship postings recently.

Kumar, 25

I graduated in February this year. I know I will have to wait for months before hearing back about my housemanship, but I’m hopeful. I want to use this waiting period to sit for some papers like the MRCPI (Part 1) and MRCS (Part A) to sharpen my medical knowledge. Once I’m done with that, I want to relax and recharge so that I can perform my houseman duties well when I finally get a placement.