Housemen taking more time to finish stint causing system backup

KUALA LUMPUR, April 13 (Bernama) -- Medical graduates who fail to complete their housemanship or take more time to complete their stint are mostly ill-prepared for the demands of being a medical practitioner, said Universiti Malaya (UM) Faculty of Medicine dean, Prof Datuk Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman.

She said the two-year housemanship is a tough period because medical students have to adapt to the transition from medical school to working in wards, and unfortunately a significant number are unable to cope. 

“That is why the selection of medical students is an important step. They must have the right attitude. That is what we are doing at UM, instilling resilience.

“They should not enter medicine because their parents forced them to and they think it is a glamorous job with a lot of money to be made,” she told reporters at the MEDxUM conference in UM today attended by Health Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad. 

On April 11, Dr Dzulkefly told the Dewan Rakyat that about 70 per cent of the medical students complete their housemanship within two years, with the remainder taking a little longer and creating a backlog in the system for available vacancies. 

In his keynote speech, Dr Dzulkefly said a housemanship is the beginning of every medical student’s career and has to be fully-benefited.

“Treat it as a period to acquire knowledge and skills. Respect your teachers and they will train you to be better doctors,” he said. 

 -- BERNAMA