as PDF - Academy of Medicine of Malaysia

BERITA AKADEMI / VOL. 23 No. 1
JANUARY 2015
Message from the Master of the Academy of Medicine of Malaysia
Subspecialty Training Programmes Have To Be Formalised
At a ‘National Fellowship
Training Committee’ meeting
held on 25th November 2014
arranged by the Ministry of
Health Malaysia (MoH), a
proposal was made for the
establishment of a National
Committee to oversee the
governance of the subspecialty
training programmes in the
country. The National Committee for Subspecialty
Training Programmes, under the authority of the
Malaysian Medical Council (MMC), is to consist of
representatives from the MoH, the Academy of Medicine
of Malaysia (AMM), the Universities and the private
sector. The subspecialty training programmes will be
administered by the respective subspecialty training
committees. The National Committee is expected to
enhance the organisation and coordination of training
programmes. The setting up of a National Committee
to coordinate subspecialty training programmes is most
welcome as it gives the specialty bodies an opportunity to
play a lead role in determining the training requirements
and competencies expected for independent practice
in their respective specialties. The idea for National
Committee for subspecialty training programmes is not
new; at a joint meeting of the AMM, the MoH and the
Universities held at Grand Seasons Hotel in Kelantan
on 9th March 2002, the meeting adopted the following
resolutions which are relevant to this day.
training system”.
• Early entry into postgraduate training-one year
after housemanship
• Part of the initial postgraduate training is
conducted in the MoH Hospitals/Centers so that
MoH will not lose the services of MOs
• 3 year compulsory service can be done whilst the
MO is undergoing training
3. “Excessive specialization can have a deleterious effect
on the Health Care System”
• Specialty bodies identify the specialties and
subspecialties that need to be developed.
• That General Medicine and General Surgical
Training be re-evaluated and be recognized as an
individual specialty
Unlike the specialty training programme (Masters
Programme) which is university based and governed by
the National Conjoint Board for Postgraduate Medical
Education, the subspecialty training programme is
largely a MoH Programme. The subspecialty (Fellowship)
training has progressively evolved over the years in the
MoH Hospitals. The ‘Fellowship’ training is based on
apprenticeship; the trainees undergo supervised training
under a consultant for two or three years locally with
an option for exposure in an overseas centre for a year.
The MoH conducts training in a number of subspecialty
fields, and although over the years the programme has
become more formalised there is still a lack of clarity with
regards to governance.
1. “Malaysia is a small country with limited resources.
For training to be effective it must maximize the
available resources”
The Medical (Amendment) Act 2012 will have
a significant impact in regulatory framework on
postgraduate medical education and training. Under the
amended Medical Act, medical practitioners intending
to practise as specialists must be registered with the
National Specialist Register (NSR). The NSR allows
doctors to indicate subspecialty as a field of practice along
with the main specialty. The NSR assists the public
and medical practitioners to find appropriate medical
• The subspecialty training is a collaborative effort
by the MoH, the Universities and the AMM.
• Training must utilize the expertise and training
facilities available in the private hospitals and
private universities”
2. “Avoid lengthy delays before entry into postgraduate
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expertise for consultation and referral. The NSR will
ensure doctors designated as specialists are appropriately
trained and competent to practice with the expected level
of care in the specialty. The new regulations are being
put in place to ensure our patients receive safe care of the
highest quality. With the amended Medical Act, the end
point of specialist training will be to acquire credentials
for registration in the NSR.
quality assured by the regulating bodies. Networking
and collaboration with established institutions overseas
should be encouraged to support the training programmes.
The challenge in specialist education is not only to deliver
at the end of the training programmes but throughout
the lifelong learning process. In an environment of
rapidly changing scientific knowledge and increasing
sophistication of healthcare delivery system, doctors
can no longer be considered as trained for life upon
completion of a training programme. It is important
for us to recognize that subspecialty training is part of
the continuum of learning in Medicine. The amended
Medical Act 2012 requires medical practitioners to
acquire compulsory CPD points for the renewal of the
Annual Practicing Certificate (APC) and revalidation of
specialist registration. Medical practitioners are expected
to take responsibility for the maintenance of lifelong
professional competency. The modern doctor must
recognise that continuing professional development is a
continuance of the specialist training and education.
We need to ensure our postgraduate training is efficient
and effective. Subspecialty training should no longer
be in the exclusive domain of the MoH; the resources
available in universities and the private sector must
be optimally utilized. The establishment of a national
body to oversee the governance of subspecialty
training will allow better coordination between MoH,
the Universities, the AMM and the private sector.
The new system can create more training opportunities
and allow trainees to receive exposure in different
settings, and different management approaches. Training
sites must provide sufficient clinical exposure supported
by appropriate facilities. For this to happen, we need
to establish a proper accreditation and credentialing
mechanism. The specialty bodies of the AMM in
consultation with the MoH, the Universities and the
private sector must develop formal, structured and
quality assured training programmes that will lead to
credentialing in their respective specialties. Training
should be limited to places that provide high quality
training and supervision whch are approved and
B E R I TA
We made significant collective resolutions regarding
subspecialty training in 2002; the desire to achieve
excellence in postgraduate training remains.
We must make a concerted effort to formalize subspecialty
training. This shall be our first and most important task
for the year.
Wishing You A Very Happy And Successful Year
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‘Apa Khabar’ from Aberdeen Hong Kong –
Memoirs of the HKCR 22nd Annual Scientific Meeting 2014
by Dr Subapriya Suppiah
Lecturer at UPM, Dr Hasyma Abu Hassan and two of
our medical students Lee Roy-Ming Chow and Nur
Sharmin Sazali, was titled ‘Contrast-Enhanced Computed
Tomography for the Quantification of Non Alcoholic Fatty
Liver Disease in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome’.
Corresponding author:
Dr Subapriya Suppiah, Senior Medical Lecturer and Radiologist,
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia.
Email: [email protected]
Life Member of College of Radiology, Academy of Medicine Malaysia
“Don’t forget to taste the ‘Lo Por Bang’ (wife cake) - local
delicacy while you are there!” were the words of Jessie
Fung from our college secretariat; when she informed
me that I had been nominated as the Young Radiologist
representing Malaysia at the Hong Kong College of
Radiologists (HKCR) 22nd Annual Scientific Meeting
2014. I was excited that my oral and poster presentation
abstracts had been accepted and I had been given the
opportunity to present at this world-renowned platform
for radiologists. It was also indeed an honour to receive
the Education and Research Fund awarded by HKCR,
Hong Kong Academy of Medicine.
It was indeed a great pleasure to be invited to attend
the jointly organised HKCR and the UK Royal College
of Radiologists Dinner of the Colleges during this meet.
An exciting lion dance performance and vocal performance
by local member radiologists including an inspiring piano
and opera performance were certainly memorable
highlights of the event.
Apart from attending the conference, I took the
opportunity to visit Disneyland Hong Kong that is a major
attraction not to be missed. I watched the parade of the
Disney characters that came down Main Street USA, took
photos with Minnie Mouse, visited the attractions there
and shopped at the mesmerizing merchandize shops.
The Hong Kong College of Radiologists 22nd Annual
Scientific Meeting 2014 was held at the Hong Kong
Academy of Medicine Jockey Club Building at Aberdeen,
Hong Kong. There were three main tracts comprising
General Radiology, Oncology and Nuclear Medicine;
which included general lectures, oral scientific proffered
papers and e-poster presentations. The participants and
invited faculty were from multinational countries including
Australia, India, United Kingdom and the U.S.A.
In short, the trip to Hong Kong was an exciting, fruitful
and memorable one. I will certainly encourage my fellow
Malaysian radiologists to attend future HKCR annual
scientific meetings and participate in the many prize
categories awarded including oral sessions, original
manuscript and e-poster presentation categories. Zàijiàn
The general radiology lectures were very informative
and up to date. Inviting an international forum of senior
radiologists mixed with local expertise; including
Professor Donald Resnick and Professor Emeritus Hans
Ringertz; was indeed a plus point and well received
especially with all sessions being conducted in English.
With the guidance of my mentor Professor Abdul Jalil
Nordin, Director and Consultant Radiologist, National
Nuclear Diagnostic Centre, Universiti Putra Malaysia
(UPM), I took part in the oral scientific presentation. The
title of our paper co-authored by Dr. Fathinul Fikri and
Nur Hafizah Binti Mohad Azmi; was ‘Non Small Cell Lung
Cancers With Emerging Resistance To Epidermal Growth
Factor Receptor Inhibitors (EGFR) Treatment: Can 18FDG PET/CT Help?’. It was also a double honour for me
to be awarded the Young Presenter Award for Scientific
Proffered Paper in Nuclear Medicine Discipline. It was
very insightful for me to listen to the work of researchers
with similar interests in Hong Kong.
My memorable moments at HKCR 22nd ASM 2014
(clockwise from left): In front of Academy of Medicine
Hong Kong Building with the HKCR President Dr Law
Chun Key and Senior Vice-President Dr Jennifer Khoo Lai
San; at AstraZeneca vendor booth at HKCR conference
exhibition hall with my niece Ms Sharmala Nedunchezian,
Dr Subapriya Suppiah at Disneyland Hong Kong, at the
Dinner of the Colleges, lunch with charming Dr Darling Lee
Allison @Ai-Xin-Jue-Luo, a Fellow of the Hong Kong College
of Radiologists and descendant of the last Qing Dynasty
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Emperor.
The e-poster presentations were also reflective of
advances in the field of medical diagnostic imaging, with
many categories of topics including abdominal radiology,
neuroradiology, and nuclear medicine. My topic, coauthored with fellow radiologist and Senior Medical
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Obituary on
Dato’ Dr Khoo Kah Lin
DIMP, AMN, MD (Singapore), MBBS (Singapore), FRCP (Lond), FRCP (Edin),
FRCP (Glasg), FRCP (Ire), FACC, FCCP, FESC, FAMM, FASc
18th December 1938 to 7th November 2014
by Professor Dato’ Dr Mrs S T Kew
Dato’ Dr Khoo Kah Lin was born on 18th December 1938
in Penang, the eldest of three children of Mr & Mrs Khoo
Teng Keat. He grew up in Penang, completed his schooling
in St Xavier’s Institution, and went on to the University
of Singapore to read Medicine. Upon graduation, he was
posted to Hospital Alor Setar as house-officer, and later as
medical officer.
After he left the government service, he continued his
Cholesterol Journey as a Cardiologist in private practice.
This led him to eventually obtain his Doctor of Medicine
(MD) based on his work on Familial Hypercholesterolaemia
from the National University of Singapore in 1983.
Besides the passion for FH, Dato’ Dr Khoo also had a passion
to serve the profession. He served as Director of the Heart
Foundation of Malaysia since 1987. When he launched
his book “My Cholesterol Journey in Malaysia”, he made a
sizable donation of RM75,000 to the Heart Foundation of
Malaysia. In turn, the Heart Foundation donated the funds
to Sau Seng Lum Foundation, a non-profit organization, for
its H.E.L.P (Heparin-Induced Extracorporeal Low-Density
Lipoprotein Precipitation) Dialysis Programme.
Dato’ Dr Khoo was appointed as Registrar in Hospital Kuala
Lumpur under Tan Sri Dr R P Pillay in 1969. He went on to
the United Kingdom to train as a Physician, obtained his
Membership of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP) in
1970, and subsequently spent a stint in Belfast to study
mobile coronary care under Prof Dr Frank Pantridge. Upon
his return to the country, he was instrumental in starting
the first Coronary Care Unit in Hospital Kuala Lumpur.
Dato’ Dr Khoo served as the President of the Malaysian
Medical Association from 2007 to 2009. He also served
as council member of the Academy of Medicine Malaysia
from 2003 to 2013. In 2013, he was elected as Master
of the Academy of Medicine. Dato’ Dr Khoo also made a
personal donation of RM100,000 to the Building Fund of
the AMM in 2005.
Dato’ Dr Khoo’s interest and fascination with Familial
Hypercholesterolaemia (FH) started when he was in
Hospital Kuala Lumpur. This took him through a life-long
journey of case finding, research, education both for the
health care professionals and for the public. Because of
his passion and interest for FH, we learn about this genetic
disorder, its recognition and the appropriate management.
In recognising his tremendous contributions, he was
bestowed the Gold Medal Award for Research from the
Rotary Club of Malaysia, as well as the Gold Medal
In his own words, at the launch of his book, that “I feel
so blessed that the dreams that I dared to dream at the
start of my cholesterol journey came true,” It was not just
the cholesterol journey dream that had come true for Dato’
Khoo, also his dream of serving the medical profession in
the Heart Foundation, in the MMA and in the AMM had all
come true as well.
Award and Outstanding Services Award from the Malaysian
Medical Association. He was conferred Darjah Indera
Mahkota Pahang (DIMP) which carries the title Dato’ by
KDYMM Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang in 2003.
Dato’ Dr Khoo is survived by his wife Datin Dr Liew Yin Mei,
and their children, Khoo Lay Seng and Khoo Po Ai.
I came to know Dato’ Dr Khoo in 1973/74 when I joined
the Department of Medicine in Hospital Kuala Lumpur as
registrar under Tan Sri Dr R P Pillay. He was at that time
the specialist physician and cardiologist. Besides being an
astute clinician, he spent a lot of time and effort in training
the younger doctors and nurses on lipids and cardiology. I
still remember the regular stream of patients coming for
blood tests to monitor their lipid level. Dato’ Dr Khoo not
only sourced for patients in the Klang Valley, he got his
patients also by referral of colleagues from all over the
country, and even from neighbouring country i.e. Indonesia.
B E R I TA
We are forever indebted to Dato’ Dr Khoo for the legacy he
left behind: the knowledge on cholesterol and in particular
on Familial Hypercholesterolaemia, his unstinting effort in
educating the health care professionals and the public, his
strong commitment and dedication to serve the medical
profession in leading the MMA and the AMM. Thank you
Dato’ Dr Khoo, yours was a life well lived!
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AKADEMI
Inaugural International
Pathology Day
5th November 2014
The idea of having an International Pathology Day was first mooted
about 2 years ago during the annual meeting of the International
Liaison of Pathology Presidents. The idea was keenly taken up
by member organisations and later on the World Association of
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (WASPaLM). Finally, 5th November
was proposed to be the day by the Royal College of Pathologists of
the United Kingdom and accepted by all the participating pathology
organisations across the continents. The idea was announced on a
special website as well as the respective website of the respective
pathology organisation.
The College of Pathologists, Academy of Medicine of Malaysia, too
celebrated the inaugural International Pathology Day on Wednesday
5th November 2014. A Clinical Cytometry Symposium supported by
Beckman-Coulter was organised and representative pathologists
from various states were invited to attend the Symposium as well as
celebrate the occasion. A special cake was made for the day and a
cake-cutting ceremony was held during the break.
Figure 1:
Cake-cutting ceremony.
From left to right:
Dr Nik Rus Mazeni,
Dr Raja Azma,
Datuk Dr Faraizah,
Prof SK Cheong,
Dr SC Ng,
Dr Eusni Rohayu
Flow cytometry was first introduced to Malaysia in the mid-Eighties
in the Institute for Medical Research (IMR), Kuala Lumpur. The
cytometer then was monstrous in size as it was water-cooled and
occupied a whole room. The first air-cooled, small foot-print, flow
cytometer was acquired by a UKM research group funded through
an IRPA grant in 1988. This single-colour flow cytometer was very
robust and served the research group for more than 20 years.
According to Prof S K Cheong who mooted the idea to acquire this
instrument, it was particular popular among research students
and young pathologists who first learnt about flow cytometry. This
cytometer was finally retired a few years ago as they could no longer
able to find an engineer for maintenance support. This cytometer
is now a museum piece saved from the scrap yard and placed in
a corner in the Stem Cell Transplant Laboratory of Hospital UKM.
You are welcome to have a peep at this antique machine and
even study the anatomy of this first
generation model. For those who have
used the machine, it will be a nostalgic
trip down the memory lane!
The Pathology Day was celebrated in a
variety of ways across the globe. You
may visit the following website to have
a glimpse of the celebrations around
the World on that day - http://tinyurl.
com/psfj89u.
Figure 2: Souvenir programme for the Symposium e
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AKADEMI
The Fourth Annual MPS-AMM Medical
Experts Training Course, 29th November 2014
The Fourth Annual Medical
Protection Society (MPS)
– Academy of Medicine of
Malaysia (AMM) Medical
Experts Training took place
on Saturday 29th November
in the packed auditorium of
the Prince Court Medical
Centre. Delegates were
welcomed by Prof Dr
Kandasami, Master of the
Academy of Medicine and
the opening address was delivered by Dr Ahmad Razid
Bin Salleh, Director of the Medical Practice Division of the
Ministry of Health.
expert. The practical and ethical considerations of being a
medical expert were explored and discussed, as well as
the wider context of the principles of medical negligence
and the Malaysian legal landscape. Expert lawyer
speakers Raja Eileen Soraya, Sagadaven Thangavelu,
and Selvamalar Alagaratnam, from MPS panel law firms
Raja Darryl & Loh, Shearn Delamore & Co and Skrine
respectively, expounded upon the legal aspects with
participation from colleagues and delegates alike, while
the expert’s perspective was covered by Datuk Dr Abdul
Aziz Yahya, an O&G Consultant from Prince Court Medical
Centre. There was a lively discussion on medical reports –
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly, and learning points were
reinforced by a fun but tricky Quickfire Quiz to round off
the day.
The course consisted of a day of talks and interactive
sessions, led by Dr Ming Keng Teoh, Head of Medical
Services – Asia, MPS, designed to equip experienced
doctors with the knowledge needed to act a medical
All told, 64 delegates were trained in the principles of
acting as a medical expert, including a strong contingent
from the Ministry of Health. No doubt the delegates will
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look forward to putting their learning into practice!
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AKADEMI
Academy of Medicine
Singapore
Academy of Medicine
of Malaysia
Hong Kong
Academy of Medicine
College of Surgeons,
Academy of Medicine of Malaysia
Golden Jubilee
of the Academy of
Medicine of Malaysia &
50th
Malaysia-Singapore
Congress of Medicine /
3rd Tripartite
Congress of Medicine
(Incorporating the Annual Scientific Meeting 2016 of the
College of Surgeons, Academy of Medicine of Malaysia)
19 th
to
21 st August 2016
Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur
The Golden Jubilee of the Academy of Medicine of Malaysia (AMM) will be celebrated on
19th – 21st August 2016. For this special occasion, the AMM will be hosting the 50th MalaysiaSingapore Congress of Medicine & 3rd Tripartite Meeting 2016. The three day scientific meeting
will be organised by the College of Surgeon. Leading experts across all disciplines will provide
insights into the latest scientific knowledge and facilitate the translation of this knowledge into
daily clinical practice.
The highlight of the social event, The AMM Golden Jubilee Gala Dinner, which will be held at
the Grand Ballroom, Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur on 20th August 2016, promises to be an exciting
evening with fine food, spectacular live entertainment and exciting visual presentations
A souvenir book outlining the Fifty Golden Years of AMM will be published to commemorate
this historical milestone, profiling distinguished Academicians and memoirs by the different
colleges in the Academy.
B E R I TA
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