Australian accreditation for Monash Malaysia’s medical course

Monash University Malaysia’s medical course has received accreditation from the Australian Medical Council (AMC), making it the first medical course fully conducted in Malaysia to be accredited by the AMC offshore .

The Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme is also the first medical course taught outside Australia & New Zealand to be accredited by the AMC, and means that its graduates will be recognised to practice in Australia without having to take an additional examination.

The accreditation, which will attract a significant number of students from Asia Pacific and beyond, also adds to Malaysia’s attractiveness as a destination to study medicine and will contribute to its effort to become a regional education hub.

 “We are very proud of this recognition of quality at Monash University Malaysia and thankful to the AMC for the trust that has been placed in us,” said Monash Malaysia’s Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Merilyn Liddell.

She said the AMC accreditation, which is effective till 2012, also marks another external recognition of Monash University’s success in ensuring that quality standards are the same at all its eight campuses in Australia, Malaysia and South Africa.

Monash University is part of Australia’s Group of Eight universities recognised for excellence in teaching, learning and research outcomes, and the university has also been ranked within the top 40 in the world by the recent Times Higher Education Supplements from 2004 to 2006.

“Operating campuses in other countries has been a challenge for Monash University and we’re proud to have been able to meet this challenge without compromising quality,” said Professor Merilyn.

“The accreditation is another boost for the School of Medical and Health Sciences,” said the school head Professor Dato’ Dr Anuar Zaini.

He said the school will move into the new RM170-million campus in Semester 1. The Clinical School in Johor Baru has also been completed for third and fourth year medical students to undergo their practical training at the city’s Sultanah Aminah General Hospital.

A number of research programmes will also begin in 2007 and a world-class Brain Research Institute led by renowned neuroscientist Professor Ishwar Parhar will be set up at the new campus in Bandar Sunway.

There are currently 43 students who have completed Year 1 of the course and another 51 students have completed Year 2 of the MBBS programme. All are studying at the Monash University’s Clayton campus in Melbourne, Australia, pending the building of new facilities in Malaysia.

These students will proceed with their medical education at the Malaysian campus in February next year, when the second year students begin studies in Bandar Sunway and the third year students start their clinical training in Johor Baru.

The university expects to take in another 70 first year students next year, with intakes progressively increasing to a maximum of 160 students.

Among the key strengths noted by the AMC during its accreditation process was Monash University’s experience in delivering education in Malaysia.

The AMC also recognised Monash University’s processes and policies for the management of multi-campus operations and its high-calibre staff.

“Senior appointees have in-depth understanding of medical, educational and government processes in Malaysia, and the staff who will be responsible for the delivery of the course are enthusiastic and well informed about the educational plans for the medical programme,” said the AMC in its report.

The council also recognised Monash University’s effort to suit components of the Monash medical program to local settings and case mix, while adhering to the learning objectives of its medical programme.

The AMC said “opportunities for clinical learning in community clinics and hospitals with the current student numbers would be the envy of many Australian medical schools.”

Another strength touted was the university’s strength in basic science areas like pharmacology and pathology, which it said had the potential to improve Monash’s medical course overall.

Other strengths included the new campus, a non-profit business structure and support from a large number of Monash alumni in Malaysia.