KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 — The Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) may review the housemanship length if junior doctors can achieve certain standards in their training within a year.
Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad told Mersing MP Dr Abd Latiff Ahmad in a written parliament reply yesterday that the medical education committee of MMC, which regulates medical practice in Malaysia, was currently revising the “standards” for housemanship.
Housemanship is currently two years’ long, though doctors may be allowed to complete their training within three years.
“After MMC approves those ‘standards’, the MMC housemanship training committee will review the housemanship period to see if housemen can achieve those ‘standards’ in a year. For now, MMC still maintains the training of house officers at two years’ long,” the health minister said.
Abd Latiff had asked if the Health Ministry was willing to reduce the housemanship period from two years to one.
Malaysia is currently facing a glut of medical graduates that has forced the Health Ministry to put junior doctors like housemen and medical officers on contract, with medical officers told to seek work in the private sector after their two-year compulsory service with the government ends.
