KPJ Healthcare Berhad

Learning from training

Trainee specialists are given an opportunity

Trainee specialists are given an opportunity to be under the tutelage of medical professionals from the private sector.

THE knowledge and experience of specialists and consultants in private practice need to be passed down to the younger generation. It is common practice in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, the Philippines and Thailand but this has not been carried out in Malaysia.

KPJ Healthcare University College president Prof Datuk Dr Lokman Saim feels that it is time to do so locally.

“In Malaysia, it is usually specialists and consultants practising in government hospitals who teach students in the public universities. But it is time that we also tap on the expertise of those serving in private practice.

“There are an estimated 3,000 private consultants in the country and it would be an advantage to use their expertise as there is often a shortage of experienced medical professionals in public and private medical institutions,” he explained.

Prof Lokman who is dean of the School of Medicine, said that as one of the biggest health conglomerates in the country,

KPJ Healthcare Bhd will tap on the skills of its specialists as it expands into the postgraduate training of doctors. As a start, the School of Medicine under the KPJ Healthcare University College (formerly known as KPJ International University College of Nursing and Health Sciences) will be offering a Masters of Otorhinolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery.

“This is to train doctors to become Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists,” said Prof Lokman who is an ENT specialist and a neuro-otologist.

Each trainee specialist will be placed under an apprenticeship with a specialist at one of KPJ’s 21 hospitals around the country. As an example, he said the trainee specialists will work in rotation with the ENT specialists in the different hospitals, so that they can learn from each other.

Prof Lokman said that for a start, it will be offered at six hospitals under KPJ Healthcare Bhd — KPJ Tawakal Specialist Hospital, KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital, KPJ Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital, KPJ Seremban Specialist Hospital, KPJ Kajang Specialist Hospital and KPJ Selangor Specialist Hospital.

The four-year training programme is similar to those offered by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Malaya and Universiti Sains Malaysia. However, he stressed that the degree will be awarded by KPJ Healthcare University College, and was not a twinning or franchise programme.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin announced the institution’s new name last Thursday. He said the Masters programme will give more opportunities to doctors interested in specialising in ENT to do so as there are limited places in public universities.

As the institution is offering postgraduate clinical specialist programmes, Prof Lokman said it had received approval from the Conjoint Committee of Otorhinolaryngology Programme, Malaysian Qualifications Agency, National Conjoint Board of Studies and the Higher Education Ministry.

“Contrary to public perception that private hospital patients will not cooperate in teaching and training activities, a recent survey conducted by the institution showed that with good communication, a small number of trainee specialists and one-to-one supervision, patients are able to accept them.”

The specialists will continually assess the students’ skills and knowledge and as these are acquired, they will be given increasing supervised independence in patient management. As for the delivery of lectures and tutorials, all KPJ hospitals will be equipped with video and tele-conferencing facilities. Giving an example, he said the trainee specialists will attend lectures in the morning which is followed by being on ward rounds and clinics with the specialists, as well as being on-call at night together.

The Masters of Otorhinolaryngology is offered to individuals with a basic medical degree, have completed their housemanship and preferably with two years’ experience as a medical officer. Intake will start next month.