5 reasons why becoming a doctor is losing its lustre

1. Medicine used to be a "very" competitive course for high-achieving students

Students who are intelligent, emotionally ready, have strong work ethics, commitment and clear communication skills were the ideal candidates for this course. However, entry to a medical programme has become easier and now, anyone can be a doctor.

2. Medical schools are becoming more profit-oriented

Medical education is now a big business and institutions rake millions out of this programme offering.

3. Housemen don't get enough training/experience

Malaysia has 42 accredited training hospitals which are now overflowing with housemen. Three decades ago, there was one house officer in-charge of 40 to 50 patients. In comparison, the ratio of housemen to beds in developed countries such as Singapore and the United Kingdom now 1:8 and 1:12 respectively.

4. It is going to be a long wait for the 'big break'

According to the Health Ministry’s 2011 Annual Report, a total of 21,765 of the 28,309 vacancies for medical officers have been filled. By now almost all of the remaining 6,544 available positions would have been filled.

5. Current facilities cannot support the widening stream of new doctors plus the increasing needs of the public

With 30 million Malaysians, our government has to open more new hospitals and increase the number of beds to cater to the needs of the public, and to continue providing jobs for doctors.