I am writing in response to Arbibi Arshoy's Government students staying on to mint money .
I am rather worried about his data on the salary of doctors in Britain's National Health Scheme (NHS). I think it is a gross exaggeration. I am a working within the NHS at post-membership Senior House Officer level with five years of post qualification and I can assure you that the maximum pay for me is 34,000 (RM247,000) per annum.
His very high salaries may be due to working patterns which are non-compliant with the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) and such posts are difficult to find.
Staying on after medical school here in England is not a simple case of money minting. Most of my Malaysian colleagues (and my overseas colleagues as well) stay on to gain experience and qualifications which are hard to come by in our native country.
The medical training in Malaysia, especially in surgical specialities, have undergone changes which may interfere with career progression and training outside of Malaysia later on. The UK qualifications - membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians, Surgeons etc - allow for more flexibility when further training is required outside Malaysia.
And it is not a bed of roses either. The playing field is level and open to all, therefore the competition is very stiff compared to that in Malaysia. There is no preferences as a 'bumiputera' and one must compete with the local students whose resumes extend back to their public schools.
Jobs, other those in training rotations, tend to be short term (six months) and there is always the risk of breaking the law by overstaying or working in an 'unapproved' post which results in deportation.
For those with a gripe against foreign-trained doctors, please understand that their continued staying abroad is a symptom of the failings of our own Health Ministry.
These doctors are staying abroad in order to be better doctors when they return. Perhaps better pay, better working conditions and better career prospects for local doctors may entice these exiles to return home earlier.
