"the government has doubled to two years the period of housemanship for medical graduates beginning next year. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said yesterday the Cabinet agreed to the extension in the belief that it would enable the medical graduates to garner more knowledge, skills and experience. The two years would cover four-month training stints each in the medical, paediatrics, general surgery, orthopaedics, gynaecology, and emergency fields. Dr Chua said the longer period of housemanship would benefit the people by way of upgrading of healthcare." -22nd Nov 2007-
OK..whatever I'm gonna be blabbering about here would be my full opinion to this matter. When I saw this headline on the Star this thursday, I was at the dentist getting my monthly braces tightening. I was so shocked that the pain didn't even occur a few hours after the whole procedure! okay maybe i exaggerated a bit...hehe
Anyways. To this whole matter, there's obviously the pros and cons here. The good thing is that we would be a lot more competent in our job, well hopefully that is. I've seen how dumb some HOs could be and I admit having 2 years of housemanship would help a lot. Plus the extra coverage of the emergency department really excites me.
BUT...here's the bad part about all these. We all know how torturous being a HO is. The recent graduates just scared the hell out of me with their stories of daily scoldings from every single person that are eligible to do so, the amazing amount of never ending work, the lack of time, lack of sleep, lack of everything. And of course being underpaid for all the shit we have to do. 1 year of that is bad enough. 2 years of such a life? And despite all those, I have to continue serving the government for an extra 3 more years! So I'm stuck for 5 years overall! And I could only specialize after working for 4 years [after the 2nd year of compulsory service...which if i add 2 years as a HO = 4 years]. There is a way to specialize early and a few doctors had enlighten me on that...problem is this being Malaysia, you have to start pulling some strings to get such privilege. Oh yea...RM500 will be increased in our salary after the 2 years of being a HO.
I respect the MMA president's view and opinion to this matter. He thinks that serving 2 years as a HO would be of good experience. But, he also suggested that the compulsory service was to be shorten to only 2 years, and for the RM500 raise in our pitiful salary to be done after the completion of the 1st year of housemanship. Now that's what I call a better option!
I owe the government NOTHING! I'm not on any loan and I'm not on any scholarship even though I'm fully eligible to. So the person I owe here is my dad. Why should I serve the government for 5 years if they've been no help at all to me but instead they've been paying for students who have been failing?
Now you see why the medical students who graduate overseas refuse to come back and work here.
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2 comments:
i like how you put your 2 cents on this matter.i feel the same way as i too am not being sponsored by the government and yet i have to succumb to the compulsory services they yield to us.it is unfair indeed but what could we do to this matter?i fully support what dr.khoo said but will the ministry of health ever take it into consideration?none of our words would ever count and i guess that is how it is for us.we want to help people, our government wants us to help people, our government wants us to help them, yet what are they doing in helping us?good luck for everything!i love reading your blog.it makes me see how other medical students are doing in this radical world!:p
hey babes!i know i read the papers!it does suck but dont take it the hard way.like you said its the whole experience that counts.let me tell u....keje office bosan!everyday u duduk ngadap computer je!u gerenti enjoy keje u.ade adrenalin rush lagi!
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