Looking to take admission in the Medical Universities of Malaysia? Know the Top Universities and their Ranking. ....
Sep 02, 2020 08:58:44
Malaysia is a Southeast Asian country occupying parts of the Malay Peninsula and Island of Borneo with near around 3.15 crores population. Malaysia is one of the fastest-growing economies and developing countries in the world. With top-notch educational standards, Malaysia is fast becoming a hot favorite for international students. Its educational institutions are counted within the top 200 universities in the world.
Malaysia has a very long history of medical education. The medical course is one of the most popular and demanded courses in Malaysia. It is taken as a carrier option by many Malaysian students. Students from abroad also come to Malaysia to study in medical schools due to the quality of education. The first medical school in Malaysia was established in 1905 to serve medical services to the people of the country.
The faculty of medicine at the University of Malaya was established in Malaysia in 1963. This was the first medical school in modern Malaysia. After this, many medical schools and universities were established. Universiti Malaya (UM), AIMST University of Malaysia, International Medical University, Monash University, Malaysia Campus, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and UCSI University are considered as top and reputed universities for medical courses in Malaysia. Also, there are so many other schools and colleges in Malaysia which provides quality education and produce expert and learned doctors for a better and healthy society. The main aim of the Malaysian medical council is to ensure the highest standards of medical ethics and principles among medical students.
The universiti Malaya- faculty of medicine is Malaysia’s top state university and the highest-ranked medical school in Malaysia. They have their own university hospital and specialist center which sets the universiti above the rest of the medical schools. It is located in Kuala Lumpur, established in 1949. In order to study MBBS at the universiti Malaya, the candidate will have to take Biomedical Admission Test(BAMT) which is a 2-hour exam similar to the NEET which is conducted in India for admission in medical colleges.
AIMST University or Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and technology is a private institution that models its curriculum at the University of Bristol in the U.K. All courses are taught in English. They were set up by the Malaysian Indian Congress in order to provide higher education for Malaysian Indian students. The faculty of medicine in this School is highly rated by the government educational review body. They are also recognized by the medical council of India and have a partnership with the Queen Mary University of London.
International Medical University
This private medical school in Malaysia is also situated in Kuala Lumpur and offers courses in English. It was the first private higher education institution in Malaysia to be given the right to award academic degrees. The university is completely owned by IHH healthcare, which is one of the biggest private healthcare groups in Asia. Candidate can study medicine as well as dentistry, pharmacy, and other paramedical courses here.
It is one of the foremost universities in Australia and it opened a campus in Malaysia in 1998. It is located in Bandar Sunway Township. The Jeffrey Cheach School of medicine and Health Sciences offers an undergraduate program that awards the Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of medical degrees. They aim to have the same curriculum as the Australian university campus. It is one of the best schools to study medical science in Malaysia.
This university is the National University of Malaysia. It is a state-owned university located in the south of Kuala Lumpur. It is a very large university hosting more than 20,000 students. This university is among the most respected university in Malaysia.
According to the 2019 QS world university ranking, UCSI University is Malaysia’s best private university. The university works with a strong network of medical companies which gives students access to internships and job opportunities during and after their studies. UCSI has a five year MD program split across 2 phases. A first phase includes study while the second phase includes practical training.
The medical schools in Malaysia generally offer a five-year undergraduate program for medical students. Very few schools have 6 years undergraduate program. The medical program is usually divided into 3 phases. Phase- I which is also known as the preclinical phase consists of the first two years involving integrated teaching and learning of the relevant basic knowledge related to the medical field. It consists of four semesters. Phase II and III involve clinical skills development and subsequent consolidation of clinical knowledge. Phase II and III consist of six semesters. Various clinical disciplines are also involved in the syllabus as an essential part of medical course. The syllabus in most of the schools in Malaysia includes organ systems based on early clinical exposure and a variety of teaching methods and other medical subjects like basic medical sciences, basic mechanisms of disease, genetics, immunology, cardiovascular system, etc.
To obtain accreditation by the relative authorities, a medical school is required to employ a variety of teaching and learning methods and experiences for ensuring the achievement of the objective in the knowledge, skills, and attitudinal domains in a meaningful and joyful way with opportunity for self-development. Some of the medical schools are also introducing e-learning into their course on a trial basis. Clinical training is primarily conducted through clinical postings at various clinics and hospitals. Some medical schools use government hospitals and other medical facilities provided by the Ministry of Health for their medical training to students. Students have to maintain logbooks of their clinical learning activities and learn all skills required to practice as a doctor.
Now, at present, there are more than 50 schools in Malaysia that offers medical courses as a carrier option for students. The government is providing quality medical education with an average annual fee less than US$3000 this is so cheap as compared to that of private medical schools. The admission process is different for different schools and universities. The admission process for medical school is largely based on the academic performance of the candidate in the previous school. Some private schools also give admission on the basis of interviews by conducting it as part of their admission process. Some medical schools also take entrance tests to give admission.
A major positive development is happening in Malaysian medical schools to improve the quality of education in the last decade. The Malaysian government and the ministry of health are working to improve and maintain the quality of education. All the established schools have well-trained faculty and good infrastructure. Many schools regularly conduct workshops, guest lectures, and conferences on different medical topics to give students knowledge and information with the participation of medical experts from the country as well as from abroad.
Some older and reputed Malaysian medical schools also offer postgraduates courses. The clinical master program in Malaysia is a 4-year well-structured course in almost all major clinical specialties like medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, pathology, and public health.
In Malaysia, the accreditation of medical schools is jointly conducted by the National Accreditation Board and the Malaysian Medical Council. To practice in the Medical field in Malaysia. It is compulsory for doctors to have registered with the Malaysian Medical Council. Only doctors from accredited medical schools are given registration and allowed to practice in Malaysia. The guidelines on criteria, standards, and procedures for accreditation of basic medical education programs in Malaysia were developed in 1998 on the guidelines described by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME).
The accreditation process is similar to that of many countries around the world. It may be full or provisional. It is provisional when it is felt that certain issue has needed to be addressed within a specific period. Before the establishment of any new medical school, approval is required from the Malaysian Medical Council. A team of assessors comprising academics as well as senior medical experts receive and study documents submitted by the schools and then conduct a visit to the school to interview managers, faculty, students, and examine the infrastructure and other available facilities and then give permission for the establishment of medical school. Approval is given on the recommendation of the team which will access the new course by the government of Malaysia.
The method of examination in Malaysia is similar to other medical schools. The course is of five years. There are two-semester in each year. So in medical schools in Malaysia, there are a total of ten semesters. In earlier years there are only theoretical and practical papers but now a variety of question formats are employed including one-line answers, Short answers, multiple-choice questions, and long answer questions. For the examination of practical skills, the Objective Structured Practical Examination (OSPE) is used. Some schools also started to introduce portfolio assessments. All schools practice the system of inviting external examinations for the fair and clear examination process.
Malaysia has witnessed tremendous progress in the field of medical science over the last 6 decades. It is one of the best countries providing quality medical education and producing the best doctors to serve mankind. The government of Malaysia is working to improve and maintain the quality of medical education. In a few years, Malaysia will surely become the center for medical education not only for Asia but also for the globe.
