So you wanna be a doctor? Part III

Many of the local doctors, especially those in the government hospitals and clinics, are still around, not because they LOVE the medical profession, but because they have no choice. Of course, I don’t deny that there are doctors who genuinely love their jobs, but I think most stayed on because they felt obligated to. Medicine is not a cheap course to study, even when one gets into the medical department of local universities. After spending hundreds thousands of dollars and 5 to 7 years of their lives, very few would have the courage and family support to quit medicine.

So we have doctors who are still doctors, not because they are truly passionate about helping and saving people, but because they had no other choices. They can't allow their family to "lose face".. so they stayed on.. Maybe these kind of things happened in other professions too, but other professions don't deal with people's life.

After you have graduated with a medical degree, and if you want to practice medicine in Malaysia, you would need to go through SIX 4-month rotation in 6 different departments (Accident & Emergency, Medical, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Orthopedic, Pediatric and Surgical Dept.) in any of the major government hospitals. You will be assessed by the medical officers, specialists and HOD of each department. If you fail to convince them that you are good enough, your rotation will be extended to as many months as they see fit. So your life as a health officer might be as "short" as 2 years or as long as 2+n years...

What kind of life can you expect as a health officer in this country? Well, you will be working in an environment where:

• you are nothing, even the hospital jaga (jaga means guards) is ranked higher than you.
• you have to please everyone: your boss, your patients, your peers and the nurses. Everyone can complain (about you) except you, else you will be marked as “problematic" and "difficult".
• you are supposed to be guided and mentored by the senior/medical doctors, but everyone is so overworked that all they ever do is scream/shout at you for being slow/stupid/unhelpful.
• there is no MC (how ironic) and any sick leave will be deducted from your annual leave.
• you are constantly being berated, belittled and talked down by your supervisors in front of the patients and nurses.
• nurses can determine your fate in the department as your supervisors listen and trust the nurses more than they trust you.
• you work AT LEAST 12hrs a day, seven days a week, with no overtime pay or off in-lieu
• you need to work EIGHT or more 36hrs shifts a month and you are expected to be at work 6am the very next day after your shift ends at 6pm.

These are what I have gathered from my sister, who is suffering through her 3rd rotation currently..

And if you think your life will become better once you have been promoted to medical officer after your 6 rotations, think again...