Since the publication of my scholarships offer to help students whose parents are
earning less than RM4,000 per month a few days ago, my wife has received more
than 50 applications for financial help and most of the applicants want to pursue
a medical degree which cost the most.
The sole purpose of writing this article is to help inform students who wish to
study medicine not to apply for my financial assistance.
There are 40 Medical Colleges and about 500 University and Colleges in Malaysia.
All of them are lowering their entry requirement to compete for more students.
Tuition Fee for a Medical Degree in Malaysia is between RM250,000 to one million
Ringgit:
Among the cheapest are University Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR): RM255,000 and
AIMST University: RM250,000.
Among the mid-range are: Asia Metropolitan University (AMU): RM300,000
MAHSA University College: RM300,000
Melaka Manipal Medical College (MMMC): RM348,000, Monash University Sunway:
RM455,000
Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NuMED): RM450,000
Among the more expensive are: Penang Medical College: RM650,000
Perdana University offers the following: Royal College of Surgeons Ireland:
RM800,000
John Hopkins University Schools of Medicine: RM1,000,000.
All the above mentioned fees exclude accommodation, books, traveling costs, food
and other expenses which could easily add another RM100,000 to the total cost of
studying medicine.
A student will require at least RM350,000 to complete a medical degree. Assuming
he can get RM150,000 PTPTN loan, he will still require RM250,000.
Is it really worth pursuing a medical degree in Malaysia with such high fees?
It is compulsory for all medical graduates to practise in a government hospital for
five years to complete their housemanship.
During this period their salary ranges between RM2,600 to RM4,000. As house
men they work for a minimum of 12 to 15 hours a day. After two years, their salary
increases gradually to RM4,000 per month.
When they are promoted as medical officers their salaries range between RM4,500
to RM5,000. After the final year they have an option to continue their career in the
government service or private concerns.
However, after 12 years and spending a minimum of RM350,000, is it worth just to
earn RM5,000 to RM6,000 per month as a doctor?
They must remember that they have to pay back the RM150,000 PTPTN loan at
RM2,000 per month for about 20 years.
A good alternative proposal:
I like to suggest students to consider other courses such as accountancy, finance,
engineering, marketing, etc. The tuition fee for a one-year foundation course is
RM8,500 and for a 3-year degree course is about RM38,000 in UTAR. The fees for all
Government Universities are less than RM20,000 for a degree course.
All students whose parents are earning less than RM4,000 per month can apply for
my scholarships worth RM15,500 to cover the one-year foundation course fee and the
cost of living. After the completion of the foundation course, all students are entitled to
receive PTPTN Government loan to complete their degree courses.
Since I made the offer to consider helping students who find the PTPTN not
sufficient, my wife has received more than 50 applications in two days and most of
the applicants want to study medicine. We found that most of the applicants are not
realistic. They are poor and with poor results they want to study medicine.
With the PTPTN loan, the parents need to subsidize a small amount to complete
their degree courses with the exception of medical degree. If the parents are really poor,
I am willing to consider helping them. My offer to help students doing degree courses
has opened the door for all students in the country. But the students must be realistic. In
any case, we reserve the right to reject any application for financial help.
Note: All scholarship recipients do not need to work for me or pay back the money
I spent on them. But they must promise me that they will remember I helped them when
they are poor and when they are financially solvent they must help other poor students.
I believe many graduates will continue to help poor students when I die. Since I started
offering scholarships about 10 years ago, I have given out about 300 scholarships and a
large number of the recipients have graduated.
Koon Yew Yin
Link
earning less than RM4,000 per month a few days ago, my wife has received more
than 50 applications for financial help and most of the applicants want to pursue
a medical degree which cost the most.
study medicine not to apply for my financial assistance.
There are 40 Medical Colleges and about 500 University and Colleges in Malaysia.
All of them are lowering their entry requirement to compete for more students.
Tuition Fee for a Medical Degree in Malaysia is between RM250,000 to one million
Ringgit:
Among the cheapest are University Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR): RM255,000 and
AIMST University: RM250,000.
Among the mid-range are: Asia Metropolitan University (AMU): RM300,000
MAHSA University College: RM300,000
Melaka Manipal Medical College (MMMC): RM348,000, Monash University Sunway:
RM455,000
Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NuMED): RM450,000
Among the more expensive are: Penang Medical College: RM650,000
Perdana University offers the following: Royal College of Surgeons Ireland:
RM800,000
John Hopkins University Schools of Medicine: RM1,000,000.
All the above mentioned fees exclude accommodation, books, traveling costs, food
and other expenses which could easily add another RM100,000 to the total cost of
studying medicine.
A student will require at least RM350,000 to complete a medical degree. Assuming
he can get RM150,000 PTPTN loan, he will still require RM250,000.
Is it really worth pursuing a medical degree in Malaysia with such high fees?
It is compulsory for all medical graduates to practise in a government hospital for
five years to complete their housemanship.
During this period their salary ranges between RM2,600 to RM4,000. As house
men they work for a minimum of 12 to 15 hours a day. After two years, their salary
increases gradually to RM4,000 per month.
When they are promoted as medical officers their salaries range between RM4,500
to RM5,000. After the final year they have an option to continue their career in the
government service or private concerns.
However, after 12 years and spending a minimum of RM350,000, is it worth just to
earn RM5,000 to RM6,000 per month as a doctor?
They must remember that they have to pay back the RM150,000 PTPTN loan at
RM2,000 per month for about 20 years.
A good alternative proposal:
I like to suggest students to consider other courses such as accountancy, finance,
engineering, marketing, etc. The tuition fee for a one-year foundation course is
RM8,500 and for a 3-year degree course is about RM38,000 in UTAR. The fees for all
Government Universities are less than RM20,000 for a degree course.
All students whose parents are earning less than RM4,000 per month can apply for
my scholarships worth RM15,500 to cover the one-year foundation course fee and the
cost of living. After the completion of the foundation course, all students are entitled to
receive PTPTN Government loan to complete their degree courses.
Since I made the offer to consider helping students who find the PTPTN not
sufficient, my wife has received more than 50 applications in two days and most of
the applicants want to study medicine. We found that most of the applicants are not
realistic. They are poor and with poor results they want to study medicine.
With the PTPTN loan, the parents need to subsidize a small amount to complete
their degree courses with the exception of medical degree. If the parents are really poor,
I am willing to consider helping them. My offer to help students doing degree courses
has opened the door for all students in the country. But the students must be realistic. In
any case, we reserve the right to reject any application for financial help.
Note: All scholarship recipients do not need to work for me or pay back the money
I spent on them. But they must promise me that they will remember I helped them when
they are poor and when they are financially solvent they must help other poor students.
I believe many graduates will continue to help poor students when I die. Since I started
offering scholarships about 10 years ago, I have given out about 300 scholarships and a
large number of the recipients have graduated.
Koon Yew Yin
Source:
Ipoh Echo
http://www.ipohecho.com.my/v3/photo/pdf/2185_20160129111106_k1vgf.pdf
Update:
From Malaysiakini: Koon Yew Yin ends support for foundation programmes
There are about 500 colleges and universities and all of them are lowering their entry requirement to compete for more students. As a result, many graduates cannot find employment.
In view of the growing serious problem of graduate unemployment and the recent disclosure by Deputy Education Minister Senator Chong Sin Woon that a university degree is not a ticket to employment and may even be a stumbling block, I have decided that my financial support programme for students to do a foundation programme at local universities will come to an end on Feb 28, 2016.
In the meantime all applications for support that reach me before end February 2016 will still be eligible for consideration for support from that programme.
Applications reaching me after that date will be sent back with a note announcing that the financial assistance programme has ceased and is no longer available.
I would also like to assure the public that my commitment to supporting education will continue but will take other forms to be decided upon after my discussion with educationists and other experts in the field.
KOON YEW YIN, a retired chartered engineer, is a philanthropist.
Update:
From Malaysiakini: Koon Yew Yin ends support for foundation programmes
There are about 500 colleges and universities and all of them are lowering their entry requirement to compete for more students. As a result, many graduates cannot find employment.
In view of the growing serious problem of graduate unemployment and the recent disclosure by Deputy Education Minister Senator Chong Sin Woon that a university degree is not a ticket to employment and may even be a stumbling block, I have decided that my financial support programme for students to do a foundation programme at local universities will come to an end on Feb 28, 2016.
In the meantime all applications for support that reach me before end February 2016 will still be eligible for consideration for support from that programme.
Applications reaching me after that date will be sent back with a note announcing that the financial assistance programme has ceased and is no longer available.
I would also like to assure the public that my commitment to supporting education will continue but will take other forms to be decided upon after my discussion with educationists and other experts in the field.
KOON YEW YIN, a retired chartered engineer, is a philanthropist.
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