Students at the Medical Anatomy & Pathology E-Learning (MAPEL) Lab – an award winning and innovative practical lab for medical learning using active learning approaches.
WHAT makes a good doctor?
A good doctor is a practitioner who has solid theoretical knowledge, excellent communication skills, empathetic, able to appraise medical research critically and collaborate with a team of healthcare professionals, among other skills.
To achieve this, a solid foundation would act as a roadmap to success.
Students who successfully enrol in the medicine programme at the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences at Monash University Malaysia will undergo a five-year programme designed to nurture doctors-in-training to develop these traits so that they emerge as competent and compassionate physicians.
Besides that, the Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine (MD) programme has been designed in consultation with members of the community, healthcare professionals and leaders in the health and research sectors to provide a solid scientific background and clinical expertise to ensure that graduates are prepared for their future careers.
The programme is equivalent to that of the Australian medicine programme, with the entry criteria, learning outcomes and assessments, including assessment standards, being identical to those of the Clayton Campus in Monash, Australia.
Stepping stone to success
During the early years of study, students focus primarily on learning the core scientific knowledge in a system based integrated curriculum, which includes clinical skills and exposure to students right from their first year.
Later in the course, the curriculum builds upon and reinforces this strong scientific foundation.
An additional unique feature of the Monash MD is the programme's final year, which is essentially a pre-intern (pre-house officer) year, whereby students learn by acting as house officers ensuring they are well prepared for working life in Malaysia as well as in Australia.
According to Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences head Prof Dr Shah Yasin, there are several private hospitals that are actively involved in teaching their students, among them Sunway Medical Centre, Thomson Medical Centre in Petaling Jaya and Avisena Medical Centre in Shah Alam.
"Students do these pre-intern postings in different healthcare settings, including a minimum of 12 weeks in Australia. They act and behave as interns with a strong emphasis on professionalism and ethical behaviour.
“These postings give students a taste of what it is like working as a house officer or intern upon graduation. It exposes them to various environments, including Australian clinical settings, rural hospitals, private hospitals and large public hospitals, such as Hospital Sultanah Aminah in Johor Bahru,” said Dr Shah.
Students would also complete a patient safety unit under the programme – an integral part of the curriculum that emphasises the safety of patients.
In Malaysia, students will also explore health issues of the Orang Asli, both in the hospital and through community visits at different stages of the programme.
"There is an emphasis on the indigenous community that focuses on the health of indigenous people and marginalised populations who have unique health issues and frequently worse health outcomes than the general population," added Dr Shah.
Research at the core
As a research-intensive university, medical students would also have the opportunity to work with experienced researchers during their course, which includes a six-week scholarly intensive project during their final year.
Students who wish to further their research experience can pursue an additional year at the end of their medical studies to undertake a Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours), and take part in research activities, completing a minor thesis during the two semesters.
Malaysian and international students are encouraged to apply for medicine bursaries available for the 2022 intake, which would provide students with a total of RM50,000 (RM10,000 per year over a five-year study period) for the Monash Medicine programme.
The Monash MD programme is accredited by the Malaysian Medical Council, Australian Medical Council, Sri Lanka Medical Council, Medical Council of Thailand and the National Medical Commission of India.
Monash University has placed 57th in the world in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022. Its research is strengthened through global collaboration with industry and government, and improved industry income score demonstrates the success of these relationships.
Besides that, Monash University Malaysia has given out scholarships worth RM200mil to successful recipients for the past ten years.
To know more about the Monash University Malaysia Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine (MD) programme, visit here. Alternatively, visit www.monash.edu.my for more information.
