Malaysia's Education - Common Licensing Exam for Medical Grads?

Of late, several issues related to medical studies and training in Malaysia were highlighted and among them were the issue of quality of medical students, oversupply of doctors due to high number of medical schools around the country, government unable to provide housemanship post for at least 6 months to a year upon graduating and 1 out of 5 housemen are quitting their job before the 2-year compulsory housemanship.

Please click below links to read more pertaining to above issues :

1. Housemen Do Not Complete Training Stint For Various Reasons
2. Too Many Doctors, While English Standards Plummet 
3. New docs may have to wait a year for housemanship
4. Long Hours and Lack of Work-life Balance Prompt One Doc To Quit
5. From Doctors To Salesman

It was in 1995 when Malaysian Medical Council first made the proposal to the relevant authorities for implementation of common medical licensing examination for medical students and again in 2011 but the council has not received any approval from the authorities. It was believe the idea to introduce this highly demanding common licensing exam has not gone well with politicians and local public universities.

There were again suggestion to introduce the common entry exam in late 2013 (click the links here to read more  1. Be prepared for the MMLE, 2. The changing landscape of junior doctor jobs in Malaysia, 3. Licensing Exam For Docs? 4. Common Licensing Exam Foe Medical Grads) and again nothing concrete has been published and announced by the relevant authorities. Will this materialize this time around or Malaysian general public needs to wait another 20 years before it becomes a reality? 

The message is loud and clear that if the common licensing exam is benefit and good for the majority people, why procrastinate? Don't delay the implementation just to benefit the few. The majority of the people aspiration should be weigh thoroughly in order to put our health care in a better position and also to maximize the scarcity of resources in monitoring and training of quality medical students.    

Else where in most countries be it developed or developing countries, only persons with a medical license bestowed either by a specified government-approved professional association or a government agency are authorized to practice medicine. Licenses are not granted automatically to all people with medical degrees. A medical school graduate must receive a license to practice medicine before he or she can be called a physician in a legal sense, a process that usually entails testing or examinations by a medical board. The medical license is the documentation of authority to practice medicine within a certain locality. (Source : Wikipedia - Medical License)

By implementing Common Licensing exam, it makes a great sense to deal with the above key issues Malaysia is grappling with; 

1. Differences in the quality of graduates with some of them ill equipped to practise due to poor training and lack of skills, and 

2. The difficulty Malaysian Medical Council has in ensuring that the 378 institutions recognised are still providing adequate medical programs suitable for Malaysia's need.

Majority people see the clear and obvious reasons why licensing exam is the way forward for Malaysia to battle the deterioration of the quality of our medical students. If not, tell me why most countries around the world had already put in place this highly demanding exam to ensure and maintain high quality of their health care sector.    

Let's review and focus on the pros of this common licensing exam:

1. Aspire students will think twice and deep before committing themselves to take up medical studies in view of extra cost and many levels of difficulty be it during the studies in medical school or after graduation where they need to climb the last hurdle before granting the license to practise.

2. This so called screening test will wipe out the low quality medical students and helps producing competent doctors where quality public health care should not be compromise at all. It is the only way forward to maintain the quality and standards of medical fields.

3. Resources to monitor 378 overseas  medical schools by Malaysian Medical Council is no longer an issue and this allows its members and staff to be more productive and focus on medical research and medical process improvements to further enhance our health care for the benefit of all.

4. In the eyes of Malaysian general public as well as foreigners who seek medical treatments in Malaysia, the screening test will enhance the confidence level of our health care as all doctors who practise in Malaysia had gone through this stringent test before granting the license to practise.

Some of the countries that put in place the common licensing exam are as follows:

1. US - United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE)
2. UK - Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board test (PLAB)

3. Australia - Standard Pathway AMC Examinations 

4. Canada - Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC)

5. India - Screening test conducted by The Medical council of India

6. China - National Medical Licensing Examination (NMLE)

7. Saudi Arabia - Saudi Licensing Exam (SLE)

8. South Africa - Health Professionals Council of South Africa Exam (HPCSA)

9. Taiwan - Taiwan National Medical Licensing Examination

10. Hong Kong - Licensing Examination of the Medical Council of Hong Kong

So there is no excuse at all why not follow world trend of medical health care by introducing the common licensing exam for the betterment of the whole nation? 

Explore China - Fantastic Longshuixia Fissure Gorge in Chongqing

Longshuixia Fissure Gorge is in Wulong county, southwest China's Chongqing city. It is a typical karst landscape associated with orogenic movement. 5 kilometers length and 500 meters depth make it a magnificent and fantastic valley, which has steep cliff, original vegetation and stream waterfalls etc.

Below are the breathtaking photos of Longshuixia Fissure Gorge in Wulong county, southwest China's Chongqing city. (Photo/ chinapic.people.com.cn)

Source - people's daily online

Explore China - The Most Beautiful PE Teacher of Zhejiang University

Guo Hong, 29, is a PE teacher at Zhejiang University. Her cheer leading class is the most welcomed PE class in the university, and even some of the male students signed for it. Because it is so popular, the students have to draw for the spot to attend the class.

"I started to learn gymnastics rhythmic at the age of four. I was the champion of a national cheer leading competition, an aerobics competition, a Miss Fitness competition…I was champions of almost all the sport events I took part in," said Guo confidently, "Now, I'm most into cheer leading."

Guo started the cheer leading class in Zhejiang University completely by herself. At the beginning nobody knew about this sport, but now students actually flush into her class. Guo has spent a lot of time and energy into it. Besides teaching, Guo also energetically participates in a lot of activities such as the AFA (Asia Fitness Academy) meeting, classes of Face of China and pop dance. "The students are more interested into trendy things. After I learn more I can inspire and teach them better," said Gao.

Guo Hong's selfie. (Photo/Qianjiang Evening News)

Guo Hong teaches in class. (Photo/Qianjiang Evening News)

Guo Hong and her trophies. (Photo/Qianjiang Evening News)

Source - people's daily online

China Poised to Surpass U.S. as Top Destination for Australian Students

Participants of the 3rd World Peace Forum pose for a group photo at Tsinghua University in Beijing, June 21, 2014. (Photo : REUTERS)

A new A$100-million study initiative will make the Chinese mainland the most popular destination for Australian students, according to an Australian embassy official.

The amount covers for the first five years of the New Colombo Plan by the Australian government, which aims to support undergraduates to study and undertake internships in countries of the Indo-Pacific region.

"With the expansion of the NCP, and the close cooperation we are seeing (between China and Australia), it may probably overtake the U.S. in about a year or two," said Christopher Lawson, First Secretary of the Australian Embassy to China.

China is already second to the United States as the most popular destination for Australians studying abroad.

The NCP was piloted in 2014, sending 40 scholars and more than 1,300 mobility students to study and undertake internships in Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and Indonesia.

This year, Australia will send 69 scholars and more than 3,100 mobility students to 32 locations, including China, where 525 students will go.

Anne Baly, international group manager of the Australian Department of Education and Training, said that China was chosen as it is an important partner and a popular choice for Australian students.

There were more than 4,700 Australians that studied in China in 2014, up 37 percent from 2013, according to Baly.

There are 40 Chinese universities and institutions engaged in the mobility program, including Fudan University, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Tsinghua University.

Cen Jianjun, director at China's Ministry of Education, said that the ministry will ensure that assistance will be provided to Australian students coming under the NCP.

Source - yibada

Quick Link - All You Need To Know About Further Education in China

Chinese Universities Pursue More Than Global Prestige

BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- While the big names in Chinese higher education have surged up a global university ranking, insiders have stressed the need for further reform.

Tsinghua University moving to 26th from 36th last year, and Peking University rising nine places to 32nd in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2015 published earlier this month.

"China's growing stature should lead to further improvements, as a strong reputation helps universities to attract and retain more global talent and investment," Phil Baty, editor of the rankings, said.

But Chinese educators have been quick to point out that improving Chinese higher education is about more than a simple numbers game.

Zheng Qiang, principal of Guizhou University, believes Chinese universities should not get over-excited about the rankings.

They should position themselves to suit their own local conditions and give graduates the skills to serve their communities, Zheng said.

Southwest China's Guizhou Province is famous for producing the country's top liquor brand, Moutai, and Guizhou University opened the School of Liquor and Food Engineering in 2013 to cultivate talent for the distilling industry.

Peking University's new principal has also warned against blind pursuit of prestige or financial success. "The spirit of higher education should be simple but pure and it should not be lured by money and fame," according to Lin Jianhua.

Many other senior educators agree with Zheng and Lin's ideas.

"Besides filling students with knowledge, universities should also teach them career planning," said Guo Dacheng, former secretary of the Beijing Institute of Technology's committee of the Communist Party of China.

Guo suggested universities should carry out more non-profit activities to instill a sense of social responsibility in students.

Last year, China adopted a decade-long plan to overhaul its college entrance exam and university enrollment system to make it fairer, ease pressure on high school students and encourage more creative thinkers.

In the country's annual political sessions, which concluded on March 15, the central government vowed to advance reform and speed up integration of vocational education with industry.

Source - China Daily

Quick Link - All You Need To Know About Further Education in China

Tsinghua, Peking Universities Rise in Global Ranking

Students, some with their parents, wait to enroll for the new semester at Tsinghua University in July 2013. Liu Huaiyu / China Daily

World expects these institutions to play a critical role in future, education expert says.
Two prestigious universities in China have moved up a world university ranking, which education experts said is a result of China's continuing efforts to improve higher education and make universities more attractive.

In the recently released Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings 2015, Tsinghua University moved to 26th place from 36th the previous year, and Peking University rose nine places to 32nd.

"This is a strong performance by China. Its two leading institutions have made gains in the reputation rankings, reflecting the country's commitment to developing world-class universities," Phil Baty, the list's editor, was quoted by Xinhua as saying.

"China's growing stature should lead to further improvements, as a strong reputation helps universities to attract and retain more global talent and investment," he said.

Baty's judgment was echoed by Wang Huiyao, director of the Center for China and Globa lization, a think tank in Beijing. Wang said the rising world reputation of the two universities reflected China's growing impact in the world. "China has an impact on many aspects, including scientific research, and innovation and the GDP are growing. And the two prestigious universities, as pioneers and representatives of China's research and innovation, will reflect the growth directly," Wang said.

Positive attitude

"A rise in the ranking position will undoubtedly add to Tsinghua University's and Peking University's attraction to international students and scholars, as well as domestic students," Wang added.

Jiang Guohua, the academic committee director of the website cuaa.net, who has researched university ranking for years, agreed.

"Instead of saying that the world is appreciating the two Chinese universities, I would rather say the world is positive about the future of the Chinese economy," Jiang said. "Against such a backdrop, people believe that Peking University and Tsinghua University will play a more critical role in the future."

Wang attributed the rise of the two universities' positions in the ranking to the government's attention and support, as well as the efforts made by the universities themselves.

Statistics released by a research center at Shanghai Jiao Tong University last year showed that Tsinghua University, with more than 12 billion yuan ($1.9 billion) in funds each year-of which 4 billion yuan is used for research - topped all the universities in China. Peking University was also among the group of universities that enjoyed the largest amount of funding.

"This is a big deal, compared with many prestigious universities around the world," Wang said.

"Efforts the universities made in aspects such as supporting academic research, hiring top-class talent from around the globe and promoting international exchange and cooperation are also important factors," he added. However, Jiang said people shouldn't be too excited about the rise.

Xinhua said the 2015 World Reputation Rankings, based on 9,794 responses from 142 countries, differ from the annual Times Higher Education World University Rankings in being based on subjective judgment of teaching and research experts.

"It's a ranking based on peer review," said Jiang. "It has significance. But a ranking that measures their research ability and contribution is of greater importance. In that sense, both Peking and Tsinghua have much more to do in order to be recognized as top-class universities of the world."

Source -  China Daily

Quick Link - All You Need To Know About Further Education in China

China’s Higher Education Growth Expected to Follow Economic Boom

The APAIE Board of Directors at the conference's opening ceremony

With China’s position as the world’s largest economy solidified, the country’s higher education sector is expected to see similar dramatic growth, expanding even further globally, delegates at the Asia-Pacific Association for International Education’s (APAIE) 10th annual conference and exhibition heard.

The foundations for the event’s discussions in Beijing last week were laid by opening speaker Justin Yifu Lin, former senior vice president and chief economist at the World Bank, who took delegates through the history of China’s economy, and underlined that it has seen an average annual growth rate of 9.7% for 36 years: the highest and longest in human history.

The APAIE conference was hosted this year by Peking                      “The economists call 

University, and a record number of delegates                                                       this trend the 

– over 1,600 – from across the world gathered in China’s              ‘Asianisation of Asia'”

capital to meet and engage with higher education 

professionals from the Asia Pacific region and beyond.

“The world is so keen to engage with China and to have China’s most emblematic best university, Peking, deliver this conference, it was bound to attract people from all across the world,” said Susan Elliott, the vice president of APAIE, speaking to The PIE News.

“I’m delighted though. It’s fantastic that there are people from Europe, Africa, North America and South America as well as those within the region.”

In 2013, China was the third leading host destination for international students, boasting an 8% share of the market and falling only behind the UK and the US, who represented 11% and 20% of the number of inbound international students, respectively.

It is also the top sender for international students in many countries including the UK, US, Australia, Canada and Japan.

“I was at Tsinghua [University] yesterday and they were talking about their need to engage even more globally and yet they’re such a globally engaged university,” said Elliott. “I think it’s a progression, but for some countries, a step-change in their internationalisation and their desire to engage with much more international classrooms.”

Kazuo Kuroda the dean of international at Waseda University 

in Japan, observed that China's economic brawn bodes well          “The world is so keen 

for the region as a whole. “The rising economy of Asia is a          to engage with China”

big factor in the intra-regional mobility in Asia,” he said. 

“The economists call this trend the ‘Asianisation of Asia’,  which is written into international higher education too.”

Still, there is still work to be done as a major concern among Chinese players it that its culture is not as influential as its economy. Programmes are less competitive than European or US counterparts and despite high international enrolments, they still represent less than 1% of the total HE population.

A case study also showed that English taught programmes are less successful in China than other non-anglophone destinations.

Next year’s conference will be held in Australia, a country who’s own outbound scheme– the New Colombo Plan– has made a major impact on China as a study destination, according to Elliot. The 2016 conference will be hosted by nine Victoria universities in Melbourne. “I think what I’d like to talk about in Melbourne is new models for mobility,” she told The PIE News.

“I think research collaboration, particularly through PhD students is another area we could pick up and take forward next year, talking about joint PhDs and the benefits and the challenges that need to be overcome. And I think also Asia Pacific and the rest of the world is a theme that we’d like to pick up on as well.”

Source - The Pie News

Quick Link - All You Need To Know About Further Education in China