It is very common for a young child to exclaim, “One day, I am going to be a doctor.” Doctors have always been familiar characters in each person’s life; at one time or another, everyone regardless of their backgrounds, would have had to visit a physician.
It is no wonder that today, medicine is still a career of choice for young Malaysians leaving high school.
Yet in the changing face of the world and community today, the medical profession too has evolved from the traditional role of “rescuer from pain” to a partner-personality, with whom one should work closely with in order to live healthily.
Qualifying with an MBBS is merely the first-step as it is no longer a fixed road of being a practising clinician.
According to Melaka-Manipal Medical College (MMMC) Faculty of Medicine Dean Prof Dr Adinegara Lutfi Abas, “Students have multiple pathways these days upon qualifying as a doctor.
“They can choose to remain in practice, to advance into research, go into corporate organisations by becoming a hospital manager or administrator, or occupational health specialist, or choose to serve the community by being in public health.”
The Practitioner
As the population continues to grow, practising doctors are still needed in different sectors of society.
“Medicine is a field that caters for a varied range of interest, in terms of the specialisations that one can opt to go into,” added Adinegara.
In a future where technology is at the forefront, skills that are distinctly human will be among the most valuable, and it is these skills that are enriched through postgraduate study.
Recognising how vital this aspect is, MMMC organises workshops for USMLE, PLAB and various Royal College Fellowship/Membership exam prep courses at its campus in Malacca.
This is so that the students are able to prepare themselves prior to graduation, with minimal travel involved from their on-going routine.
The Reseacher
For doctors that are constantly intrigued by how things start, how things can be resolved, or diseases cured, the pathway towards becoming a researcher is a desirable choice. Because as the world shrinks with the ease of travel, the threat of infectious diseases looms large.
Research work is more structured today compared to the past, whereby evidence collected is based on a cross-section of causes.
The Community Advisor
For those with an interest in treating entire communities as opposed to individual patients, the role of a doctor as a community advisor by way of being in public health should be worth considering. A strong love for medicine, coupled with mathematics and statistics are crucial components in excelling in this particular pathway.
By being able to read into trends and form analytical solutions, a public health physician would be better able to formulate strategic preventive measures.
The Right Place To Do Your MBBS
With over three dozen medical schools in Malaysia to choose from, MMMC is considered to be miles ahead as a top medical school.
Following its inception, over 4,000 medical and 200 dental surgeons have been produced for the Malaysian and overseas international health systems, with these alumni members then progressing successfully into specialist careers of their choosing.
Students are guided to find their true paths prior to graduation as they are continuously exposed to the real lives of doctors, researchers and public health individuals through the college’s annual Postgraduate Fair, and monthly seminars and exhibitions.
Fulfil Your Dream With MMMC
The pursuit of medicine is a marathon, not a sprint. As such, parents and students are invited to visit MMMC and experience for themselves life as a future Manipalite.
– by Mark Mathen Victor
For more information on the
Open Days, call 1700-811-662, or
visit www.manipal.edu.my.
