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Career Advice

How Much Does a Doctor Earn in Malaysia?

Published by Afterschool.my on Jun 11, 2021, 02:24 pm

While money is necessarily the most important element when it comes to choosing a career, it does heavily influence a youngster’s decision. 

About 60% of fresh graduates expect a salary of RM3,500 upon graduating, with 30% expecting an incredulous RM6,500. The real money they will receive? A humbling RM2,500

Which such contrasting expectations, Afterschool.my is here to set the record straight, so you’ll know how much you’ll actually earn in your field. Read on as we today, we explore how much a doctor can earn in Malaysia, from their housemanship to their career as a specialist.


Housemanship

Housemanship is basically the first two years in doctor’s lives upon graduating, or better know to some as hell. It’s good then, that doctors at this level are compensated well for their efforts. On average, a houseman will pick up the tidy sum of RM3,500, a full RM1,000 more than the national average. Those who choose hospital in rural areas in Eastern Malaysia can expect an additional RM750. 

  • Basic Salary: RM2,947

Allowances

  • Housing: RM250.00
  • Public Service Allowance: RM300.00
  • Critical Allowance: RM750.00
  • COLA allowance: RM100.00-RM300.00 (depending on locality)

Average: RM3,500 – RM4,400


Medical Officer (MO)

Upon completing 2 years of housemanship, a houseman would then be promoted to the rank of Medical Officer (MO). Not only does this enable said medical practitioner to legally moonlight, it also comes with a nice bump in salary. New housemen will be placed in the UD43/UD44 bracket. After 3 years of serving as a Medical Officer, they’ll advance to the UD 48 bracket. MOs will then be promoted to UD47/UD48 following another 4 years of service, and UD52 after 3 more years. Additionally, one can move into private practice as an MO, which may pay more. 

Average: 

  • RM4,300 – RM5,200 (New MO)
  • RM5,900 – RM6,800 (3-6 years)
  • RM 6,549 – RM7,449 (7-9 years)
  • RM6,871 – RM8,200+ (10 years and up).

Specialist

Upon completing a year as a Medical Officer, you then have the option of going on to specialise in the discipline of your choosing. Some specialisation options include cardiology (heart), pulmonology (lungs), general surgery, neurology (brain), dermatology (skin) and many more. Training at this stage can range between 3-6 years, depending on your choice. Salary can also vary drastically depending on whether you remain in the government sector or opt to move to the private sector, how many surgeries you perform, if you run your own practice, your clinic hours, and many more. 

  • Additional specialist allowance: RM2,800

Average Salary

  • RM10,000+ (Government)
  • RM15,000 – RM30,000+ (Private)

Click here to learn how you can become a doctor, as well as what career opportunities a doctor will have. 

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