Med Colleges Under Probe

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek said, "After a six-month-probe, the ministry found the lecturer-student ratio of two local private medical colleges to be 1:20 when ideally it should be 1:6 to 1:8". These two medical colleges are under investigation by the Health Ministry of Malaysia for violating regulations pertaining to training of students in the clinical phase of their studies.

The colleges are believed to be taking in too many students and not providing adequate training for them, which is vital before they can be full-fledged doctors. “While Universiti Malaya alone is churning out about 200 students each year, these private colleges, which have been operating less than 10 years, have produced 300 students per year,” he said. Dr Chua said such acts by the private colleges would tarnish the name of the country as a centre of excellence for education.

Health director-general Tan Sri Ismail Merican, who was also at the event, said initial investigations also found that there was no full-time lecturer at the colleges. He said the ministry and the Malaysian Medical Council would send warning letters to the two colleges and their certification would not be renewed if they failed to heed the advice.

Why is IMU unlikely one of the two colleges? First of all, IMU had been operating more than 10 years (15 years to date). Secondly, although at some point of our clinical phase we do have a ratio of about 1:14 to 1:18 lecturer-student ratio, IMU did not produce as many as 300 students per year, at most 160. Thirdly, IMU does have many full time lecturers! Then who are the culprits? I personally think AIMST or UCSI could very likely be one (or both) of them! I'm sure in time, we would know which two colleges those are! (must be Manipal!!!) <--- damn another speculation!