The government has extended the deadline for medical students from unrecognised universities to sit for their competency tests.

The deadline which was initially set for the end of this year has been extended by a year to Dec 31, 2009.

dr s subramaniam interview 210308 02"Yesterday, the cabinet extended the deadline to sit for the competency from Dec 31 this year to Dec 31 next year (2009) as many of the medical graduates had difficulty in securing local institutions to take the test," said Human Resources Minister S Subramaniam today.

He added that this ruling will involve some 200-odd medical graduates who opted to transfer their credits to local institutions by sitting for the 18-month programme to test their competency.

Graduate students from unrecognized institution are usually required to pass a competency test before they can register with the Malaysian Medical Council.

Test period cut short

The length of the programme will be shortened as well. The competency programme which initially was to be completed over the course of three years is now to be completed within 18 months after the issue was raised by Subramaniam at a cabinet meeting last July.

He said the period was shortened to 18 months from three years as the medical graduates felt that the three-year period was too long as most of them are 40 years and above.

The cabinet has instructed Subramaniam, the Health Ministry to work with the Higher Education Ministry to assist the medical graduates in securing a place in local institutions.

The students will be placed in existing government medical colleges.

He said after sitting for the test, the medical graduates could be placed in approved local universities to sit for the required courses and pass the university examinations needed to obtain a degree.

"They will subsequently be placed as medical officers in hospitals," he added.