Caged

 I was sunk in the 175 sofa when I saw the news showing a photocopy of the medical degree of one of my senior. The news was about a locum syndicate composed of non-licensed doctor roving around center and southern part of Taiwan. 5 were arrested and detained by Tainan Prosecutor Office. I called Lem and notified him about the news.

Most of the Malaysian graduated here passed our board examination and got our license within 1 year of our graduation. A few got it within 2-3 years and a handful of them are still trying their luck. My senior W is one of them. He was 2 years senior than me, he was deputy president Malaysia student association at the time I entered med school. Although he was not an outstanding student but he was a nice guy. I had not heard from him for a long time since my graduation. He was one of the unlucky one who did not passed his board examination. He managed to stay back in Taiwan by marrying a local girl.  

I had not heard from him for a long time. But lately, while I was surfing the net, I logged onto the medical registry website and entered the name of those unlucky Malaysian who are still trying their luck. Sadly – none of them made it.

The board examination was not an easy one for those who had graduated for years as it covered some of the ‘ basic’ subjects – biochem, physiology…. The examination was divided into 2 parts and later combined into 1 and recently separate into 2 parts again.

For those who did not pass, one of the main reasons was job. Most of them still secure a job elsewhere working ‘under-supervision’ or without- license. Working and studying at the same time is the major stress – especially doing night shift.(Specialty board examination is another story as what you are being tested are what you do daily)

It would be difficult for a guy to lead a life without job – especially when you are married and you don’t have a rich daddy.

In the past, there were quite a number of medical graduates without license working in hospital and clinic as they are some secluded places in Taiwan (my hospital is one of them) which have difficulty hiring doctor.

At the time I graduated (10+ yrs  ago), doctor without license could get a job in any department provided you are willing to work night shift (pay less of coz) and weekend. Later, some hospital had started to restrict the presence of such doctor in ED/OPD fearing of any medico-legal dispute. Although working in the ward, such doctors could still get a pay of more than RM 10+k(night shift ++ of coz.).

There are also a group peoples who are not medical graduate but work as doctors – most of them are ex-surgical assistants (no medical assistant here) who had worked for years in the OT and ED , they knew something in and out about medicine.

They were pay less nowadays – RM 300-500 per night shift. One could earn RM 5-7k per month doing night shift/weekend shift. They usually operate in group – few of them had license and they were the one who interviewed locum jobs. But later, the person who turned up during the shift was another one without license  -that was how some of them still got to work in some regional hospital or even govt. hospital. But this syndicate was fierce – they used fake licenses and certificates. That was the main reasons, they were detained by the prosecution.

 

But still, some hospital still hired them as resident doctors working in the ward and ICU. Well, after this incidence, I doubt any hospital would hire them…

But contrary to most of the public opinions, doctor never get jailed for malpractice (even someone life’s was involved) here in Taiwan. Most of them being convicted (for malpractice) were sentenced but usually put on probation with fine. However lately, one of my ex colleague (psychiatrist) was sentenced and jailed due to fraud (issuing false certificate for insanity).

Hope my senior won’t get something hard…