PGYs.......

 The fresh medical graduate of the Taiwan would be experiencing a new training scheme starting from this year…

The story goes all the way back to the SARS period (2002-2003)…. A few hospitals was “contaminated” and quarantine were ordered by the department of health. There were a few doctors (govt. servant) who refuse to enter the hospital for work -> their excuses, I am not specialist in medicine and I lack of ??? skill to care for such patients. Their unethical act had led to a call for reforming the post graduate medical training. Some so called experts and professors had thought that if young doctor was given proper ethical education and basic/general skills training during their first year – then they would not have any excuse to “abscond” from their duty when needed. They were partially right....

The initial training program was set in a rush and the training was set for only 3 months -> 1 month in surgery, 1 month in medical and 1 months in community medicine. During the 3 months period, a series lectures concerning ethical issue and practicing environment were given. The secondary objective was aim at setting up a training which last for 1 years comprising basic training in major scope of medical (surgery, medicine, OBGYN, paediatrics) - > so called Post Graduate Year 1 training. The primary objective was abolishing the internship training by shortening the medical school from 7 years to 6 years and introducing a 2 years Post Graduate Year training for medical graduate.

I was unfortunately to be accepted into the initial phase of the PGY1 training. However although the training was 3 months, the DOH had promised that the certificate awarded would be valid and good for the rest of my life no matter how the training would change in the future. I considered the 3 months as a waste of time as I had gone through the solid training of Malaysia MOH few years ago.

The general medical wards and general surgical wards set up for the training were a crap as there is no true internist and surgeon around. Most of the staff specialists were sub specialty holder who know everything about their field and would referred their patient to another sub specialist about other problems. Most of the medical center had created post of attending physician/surgeon in these training ward, however -> most of the post was filled up by junior physician/surgeon who just finished their subspecialty training….

The training was so limited…..but the lectures were good…

After 8 years of effort, the PGY1 had extended from 3 months to 6 months and now 1 year. A good start, but situation did not change.

There was still lack of physician focusing in general internal medicine or general surgeon. Some had suggested setting a sub-specialist known as general internal medicine but it was never materialized.

It would be a very difficult situation for Malaysian to stay back to work here after medical school. Unlike the housemanship nor 1^st year resident training, the PGY candidate would be dispatched by the DOH. The salary was fixed at RM2300, no matter where you are posted.

However for a foreigner to obtain a working permit which lead to resident certificate, one would need to get a job with salary of RM5200. If the labor department refused to revise the current law and regulations, Malaysian graduate from medical school in Taiwan would be forced to return to Malaysia for practice.

 

Not sure if I would go for a sub specialty training at the moment as I am enjoying life of growing my own food - 2 night shift + 2 half day shift/week enable me to enjoy such life....but becoming an attending physician a sub specialty would led me back to day shift work and I would not have the luxury to spend time in the farm....