YOURSAY | ‘Many of the truly talented Malaysian doctors are already out of the country.’

The costs and returns to medical education?

Fair Play: Believe it or not, all our working life is focused on wealth creation (or income-generating activities). The speed of wealth creation is dependent on the rate of return or the return on investment (ROI).

A general medical degree has a very low yield or ROI relative to the cost and time to be professionally qualified (to be able to engage in public practice). I agree with Koon Yew Yin.

Specialist professional accountants in taxation earn a lot more on their ROI (professional degree or qualification in accounting or taxation).

For example, with the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), specialists are now unable to cope and they have to resort to picking and choosing their clients.

Real Truth: It used to be one year of housemanship and three years’ compulsory government service after graduation.

Many of the private medical schools were just a private enterprise for making money. These schools do not have their own teaching hospitals and instead use government hospitals for training.

Since there is a motivation for higher incomes, they take in greater numbers and then there are not enough facilities to impart proper knowledge as the patient-to-student ratio is too high.

Rupert16: Besides the five years needed to complete a medical degree - which is already tough enough by itself - the housemanship period is much, much tougher.

This is where graduate doctors are required to work very long hours (sometimes in excess of 24 hours) and for long stretches - which means that there is no social life whatsoever for them.

Second, housemen are at times treated quite badly and harshly by their immediate supervisors - which can be demeaning to their confidence.

Thus, besides the high costs in taking up a medical degree, one has to be really, really passionate and highly motivated.

To study medicine with the primary aim of making good money in the future will not get you far, other than wasting your parents’ money or those supporting you - and worst of all you will end up being a lousy doctor, which can lead to very serious consequences.

Xed: The government shamelessly and indiscriminately gives approvals for university medical programmes, leading to an excessive number of such programmes - far more than in advanced countries like Australia and Canada. Go online and you will find that Canada has only 17 medical schools and Australia, 19.

Quantity prevails over quality. With lower examination standards, Malaysian schoolchildren get bagfuls of As and are misled into believing that they are brilliant.

Malaysians are being dumbed down; there is a culture of mediocrity. Become a mediocre doctor and be of the right race, and your chances of promotion in the Malaysian public service will be much better.

Many of the truly talented ones are already out of the country.

The reality is that the standard of healthcare is falling, but the government - desperate for revenue - is trying to attract medical tourists. There are actually not many of them coming to Malaysia, when compared to the numbers that countries like Thailand get.

Here’s some advice: forget about a Malaysian education or a Malaysian-supported foreign degree mill programme.

And now, we just need a clown of a Malaysian cabinet minister to boast that Malaysia has done far better.

Boiling Mud: I notice a good number of medical students do not have the slightest idea of what it takes to be a true well-trained doctor. They only want to be doctors, but have no interest in studying medicine.

This is especially true in private medical colleges.

Anonymous #13571680: Mr Koon, I fully agree with what you have said. You are being very realistic and your help is greatly appreciated.

While you care enough to assist those who sincerely need help with your own money, the government's attitude is different. The government seems only to want to enrich itself, rather than helping its citizens.

The government should honour you for what you are doing, but it will only honour the crooks and those willing to buy awards. Anyway, I prefer for you not to be rewarded, as otherwise you would have to join the ranks of crooks out there where you will be a misfit.

Anonymous_1371631193: Mr Koon, we thank God for such a generous man like yourself who has contributed much in our nation-building.

Keep up the good work in helping the poor and needy students during these difficult times. Even if people fail to remember your good deeds, God surely will.

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now .

These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.