The 1st year of my MBBS course at Newcastle University Medicine (NUMed) Malaysia lasted for about 9 months from September 2014 to May 2015. In NUMed, 1st year is known as Stage 1. For me, Stage 1 was very interesting and I enjoyed it very much. During Stage 1, I lived in Horizon Residences, Bukit Indah which is university-managed accommodation. Here, I am writing about the 9 months when I was in Stage 1.
I applied to NUMed Malaysia in June 2014, which was rather late. The reason is that a personal statement is required for the application, which I started writing only after my A2 Level examination in May 2014. Before I applied to NUMed, I already received the offer to study Medicine at International Medical University (IMU). Later, I was offered a place by NUMed after attending the interview. I decided to choose NUMed over IMU because NUMed is the branch of a UK university while IMU is a local university.
22 September 2014 - 2 October 2014:
I started studying Medicine at NUMed Malaysia on 22 September. From 22 September to 24 September, there were induction programmes where Stage 1 students were introduced to the course and university. On 22 September, there was an English Language proficiency test which tested on writing. Those who did not pass it would have to attended English Language classes. I did not write the essay very well so I thought that I would not pass the test. Then on 23 September, Stage 1 students were introduced to the seminar groups. My seminar group is Group 7. My university began the teaching on 24 September. There was a Freshers' Fair on 26 September where Stage 1 students were introduced to the clubs and societies in the university. I joined the Chinese Society and Buddhist Society during the fair. On the same day, the results of the English Language proficiency test was released. Out of my expectation, I passed it and would not need to attend English classes. Only 18 students in the entire Stage 1 passed the test. On 27 and 28 September, there were a few orientation events organised by the seniors. I did not attend any of them since the attendance was optional and because of my bad experience during the orientation event when I entered Taylor's College previously. The university distributed the Assignment 3 which is the Family Study project to all Stage 1 students on 29 September. During that period of time, I was still getting to know how university life is like. Every night, I read the textbooks to prepare for the lectures on the next day. Although this could help me understand the lectures better, it was very time-consuming and tiring.
3 October 2014 - 6 October 2014:
There was no class on 3 October. However, there was a 1 hour feedback session on that day. During the session, we were asked about our experience at NUMed Malaysia for the past 2 weeks. After that day, there was 3 day break from 4 October to 6 October due to Hari Raya Haji. All my housemates went back to their hometown, but I did not because I wanted to go back only when there is a longer break. I stayed alone in Horizon Residences during that time. On 5 October 2014, my parents came to visit me. They took me out for lunch and bought me dinner.
7 October 2014 - 23 October 2014:
On 7 October, it was the first clinical skills practical session, where students were taught hand-washing. During the session, I made an embarrassing mistake by going to the wrong group because I was confused with the names of my group members. On 11 October, I attended a BBQ party which was held at the ground floor of Horizon Residences. Many students staying in Horizon Residences and some students staying elsewhere attended it. Then, I and my study partner visited our study mother for the Family Study project on 12 October. On 14 October, the university distributed the Assignment 1 to all Stage 1 students. I and my group mates went to Columbia Asia Hospital on 17 October for a health check-up. During our journey to and back from the hospital, I had a close conversation with my group mates and we took a group photo for the 1st time. This brought me closer to my group mates. My parents visited me for the 2nd time on 22 October. I settled down in Johor at that time and got used to university life. I no longer read textbooks to prepare for lectures because I felt that it is much more efficient and easier to just revise the lecture notes after the lectures since the lecture notes are quite complete. I also started doing revision for my oncoming Progress 1 examination and doing a part of the Assignment 1.
24 October 2014 - 26 October 2014:
From 24 October to 26 October, there was 3 day break due to Awal Muharam. This time, only 2 of my housemates went back to their hometown, and I again did not go back. My parents did not visit me because they had visited me on 22 October.
27 October 2014 - 2 November 2014:
On 28 October, there was a session for basic calculations. It was very easy for me and most students since we have learnt Mathematics. During that time, I was very busy revising for the Progress 1 examination. I stopped doing the Assignment 1 because I wanted to continue doing it only after the Progress 1 examination.
3 November 2014 - 6 November 2014:
The Progress 1 examination was on 3 November. It consisted of 100 multiple-choice questions. It was quite easy and I answered it well. I was confident of passing it and getting Green. After the examination ended, I still could not relax because I had to complete the Assignment 1 before its submission deadline which was on 6 November. From 3 November to 5 November, I was very busy doing the remainder of the Assignment 1. I found Assignment 1 difficult, but I was able to complete it at night on 5 November. Then, I submitted it on 6 November itself. I was not too confident of getting a pass for Assignment 1. The results of the Progress 1 examination was also released on 6 November. I got 84.54% which was Green and I was very satisfied about that.
7 November 2014 - 20 November 2014:
During that period of time, I felt very relaxed because I have completed and submitted the Assignment 1. On 7 November, an incident happened in the university made me feel unhappy. On the same day, a company came to our university to sell stethoscopes and there was a promotion. I brought my stethoscope at that time. I and my study partner also carried out our 2nd visit to our study mother on that day. Later on that night, I telephoned my grandparents. I became very emotional when I told them about the unhappy incident. On 12 November, all Stage 1 students had a visit to Hospital Sultan Ismail for the 1st time. There, I and one of my friend communicated with a patient for some time. That was the 1st time where I met and communicated with real-life patients. At the end of the visit, we were late to go back to the auditorium because the senior in charge of us lost track of the time and we were too interested in looking around the hospital. However, the lecturers were understanding so it was not an issue. Then, I had the 1st wet practical session on 13 November. It was about reading and interpretation of ECG. I attended the 1st class for TITAS and Hubungan Etnik which are MPU subjects on 14 November. On 17 November, there was a debate on ethics and genetics which involved every student.
21 November 2014 - 23 November 2014:
There was 3 day break from 21 November to 23 November because it was the Sultan of Johor's birthday. I and all my housemates did not go back to our hometown. On 23 November, my parents came to visit me.
24 November 2014 - 27 November 2014:
On 24 November, it was the 1st session on history taking. During the session, there were a few volunteers acting as patients. Because I had never done it before, I panicked when the lecturer chose me to be the 2nd person in my group to do it. The lecturer then agreed to let me be the 4th person to do it instead. I was able to perform the history taking quite well. On 25 November, there was a clinical skills practical session on CPR. I performed the CPR quite well and I felt that CPR is the easiest among all clinical skills. One of my group mate's birthday is on 26 November. I and my group mates celebrated her birthday on that day. The celebration was held at the Student Recreation Centre of our university. During the celebration, we had a close conversation and this definitely brought us closer together. Then, the university distributed the Assignment 2 to all Stage 1 students on 27 November.
28 November 2014 - 1 December 2014:
From 28 November to 1 December, there was 4 day break because it was the Hol day of Johor. Only one of my housemates went back to his hometown this time and I did not go back as usual. My parents did not visit me because they had visited me in the previous week.
2 December 2014 - 11 December 2014:
At that time, I started revising for the oncoming Progress 2 examination. On 2 December, the results of the Assignment 1 was released. I got Green for Knowledge and Amber for Skills. I was satisfied because I managed to pass it. There was another debate about ethics and genetics on 4 December. On the same day, it was the birthday of another of my group mate. I and my group mates again celebrated his birthday at the Student Recreation Centre. Later on that day, a few kids were brought to the lecture theatre of my university. Every student was given the opportunity to communicate and interact with the kids. However, because I did not know how to interact with kids, I just stood by the side to observe. Some students interacted with the kids very well, while others had the same problem like me. On 10 December, there was another session for calculations. Then on 11 December, I and my group mates celebrated the birthday of my another group mate. We first went to Tea Garden in Bukit Indah and had breakfast together, then we continued the celebration at the Student Recreation Centre of the university. That was the 1st time where I and my group mates had an outing.
12 December 2014 - 11 January 2015:
My university had a Christmas break which lasted 4 weeks from 12 December to 11 January. On 13 December, my parents and grandparents came to Johor to fetch me back to Subang Jaya. Then, I went back to Kulim on 14 December and stayed 1 week there. On 21 December, I returned to Subang Jaya and stayed for 2 weeks. I met up with my Taylor's College friends on 23 December and 30 December. I went to Taylor's College on 29 December to collect my A Level certificate. Then, I came back to Johor on 3 January. Even though there was still 1 more week of break, I did not want to wait until the last minute to come back since it would be the Progress 2 examination when the university reopens. My housemates came back on 4 January. During that period of time, I was very busy doing revision for the Progress 2 examination, so I did not really enjoy the break.
12 January 2015 - 29 January 2015:
That period of time was the most stressful throughout Stage 1. My university reopened on 12 January. The Progress 2 examination consisted of 2 papers where each paper had 100 multiple-choice questions. Paper 1 was on 12 January while Paper 2 was on 13 January. Paper 1 was quite easy and it was similar to the Progress 1 examination previously. However, Paper 2 was difficult as there were many questions on anatomy which I could not answer. Still, I was confident of passing the Progress 2. After the examination, I could not relax at all because I had to complete the Assignment 2 and prepare for the Mock OSCE. Assignment 2 was very difficult and boring, and I felt very stressed doing it. On 16 January, I and my study partner visited our study mother for the 3rd time. On 19 January, my university began the teaching for the 2nd semester of Stage 1. Two of my group mates have birthdays on 20 January. On that day, I and my group mates went to Hwa Mui Kopitiam in Skudai to celebrate their birthdays. The results of the Progress 2 examination was out on the same day. I obtained 72.86% which was Green. Even though my percentage was much lower than the Progress 1 examination, I still felt satisfied because I got a Green. On 22 January, it was the Mock OSCE. It consisted of 3 stations. I completed all stations without problems and I felt that they were not difficult. Then on 28 January, I finally completed the Assignment 2. I submitted it on 29 January which was the submission deadline. I was not very confident of passing it. On the same day, Stage 1 students were given assignments for TITAS and Hubungan Etnik.
30 January 2015 - 17 February 2015:
Although I still had to do the assignments for TITAS and Hubungan Etnik, I felt relaxed at that time because I did not consider those assignments to be very important. On 30 January, the results of the Mock OSCE was released. My percentage was 68.94% and I passed 2 out of the 3 stations. I got an overall pass for the Mock OSCE and I was satisfied about that. Then, my parents visited me on 1 February and took me to Johor Premium Outlets for shopping. I completed the TITAS and Hubungan Etnik assignments at night on 12 February. On 13 February, I and my group mates made a visit to Kiwanis Careheart Centre which was required for the Family Study project. After the visit, we had lunch together at Arabian Nights in Sutera Mall, Skudai. Later on that day, we went to the university to do a group presentation for TITAS and Hubungan Etnik. I submitted the assignments at that time. Then on 14 February, I and my study partner carried out our 4th and last visit to our study mother. My parents came to fetch me back to Subang Jaya on 17 February after class.
18 February 2015 - 22 February 2015:
The Chinese New Year for 2015 was on 19 February. My university had 4 days break from 19 February to 22 February. There was class on 18 February but I skipped it because it was the Chinese New Year's Eve. In the morning on 18 February, I and my parents went back to Kulim. We celebrated Chinese New Year there. My uncle, aunt and cousins also went to Kulim. On 22 February, my parents drove me all the way back to Johor. We arrived in Bukit Indah at midnight.
23 February 2015 - 11 March 2015:
My university reopened on 23 February. During that time, I was busy doing the Assignment 3 which is the Family Study project. Assignment 3 was lengthy compared to Assignments 1 and 2. However, Assignment 3 was more interesting and easier. Therefore, I did not feel very stressful doing it. On 3 March, the results of the Assignment 2 was out. I again got Green for Knowledge and Amber for Skills. I felt happy that I passed it. On 10 March, I finished doing the Assignment 3. Then, I submitted it on 11 March which again was the submission deadline. I was quite confident of getting a pass for it.
12 March 2015 - 27 March 2015:
I felt very relaxed at that time because I had completed the Assignment 3 and there was still quite a long time before the Progress 3 examination. On 15 March, my parents came to visit me. I drove from Horizon Residences to the university for the 1st time on 18 March. Previously, I either took the university's shuttle bus or followed my housemates. Then on 19 March, all Stage 1 students visited Hospital Sultan Ismail for the 2nd time. I and one of my friend had a long conversation with a patient there. We made sure that we would not go back to the auditorium late like the previous time. One of my group mate's birthday is on 22 March while my birthday is on 23 March. My group mates decided to celebrate our birthdays together on 24 March in AEON Bukit Indah. I drove 2 of my friends to AEON. That was the 1st time where my group mates sat my car. We initially planned to have dinner at Nando's, but we later changed our plan and we had dinner at Stonegrill instead. My group mates brought us a cake and made a birthday card for each of us.
28 March 2015 - 12 April 2015:
My university had 2 week Easter break from 28 March to 12 April. My parents came to Johor on 28 March and took me back to Subang Jaya. On 29 March, I went back to Kulim and stayed 1 week there. I returned to Subang Jaya on 5 April. During my 1 week stay in Subang Jaya, I met up with my Taylor's College friends on 7 April. Then on 11 April, I came back to Johor. During this break, I felt quite relaxed and did not study because I planned to start revising for the Progress 3 examination only after the break.
13 April 2015 - 20 May 2015:
On 13 April, my university reopened. The management of my university's cafeteria had been changed at that time. During that period of time, I was busy revising for the oncoming Progress 3 examination. I and my group mates had a visit to Klinik Kesihatan Sultan Ismail for the 1st time on 16 April. There, we observed the consultation between doctors and patients. After the visit, we initially planned to have lunch together at the Subway near our university, but it was closed. So, we decided to go to MH Beriani Tindih in Gelang Patah for lunch. I drove some of my group mates there. On 4 May, my parents came to visit me. The last lecture for Stage 1 was on 6 May. After class on that day, I and my group mates celebrated the birthdays of 2 of my group mates at Pizza Hut in AEON Bukit Indah. Again, I drove some of my friends there. From 7 May to 14 May, there were several revision sessions. Then on 19 May and 20 May, I practiced the OSCE with one of my housemate.
21 May 2015 - 27 May 2015:
The Progress OSCE was on 21 May. It consisted of 7 stations. I was able to complete all stations without difficulties and I was confident of passing it. There were 2 papers in the Progress 3 examination where each paper consisted of 100 multiple-choice questions. Paper 1 was on 26 May while Paper 2 was on 27 May. Paper 1 was difficult as I could not answer many of the questions on anatomy, while Paper 2 was easier. I was confident of getting a pass for Progress 3. On 27 May, I and my housemates had lunch together at the restaurant near Horizon Residences before the examination. After the Progress 3 examination, I had completed Stage 1.
28 May 2015 - 4 June 2015:
During that time, I felt a bit worried because the pass list for Stage 1 would be released soon. 28 May marked the beginning of the 4 month Summer break of my university. On 30 May, my parents and grandparents came to Johor to fetch me back to Subang Jaya. On 4 June, the pass list was released. I successfully passed Stage 1 and would progress to Stage 2. I was very happy and relieved about that. The results of the Assignment 3, Progress OSCE and Progress 3 examination were also out at the same time. For the Assignment 3, I got Green for both Skills and Knowledge. For the Progress OSCE, my percentage was 74.61% and I passed 6 out of the 7 stations. For the Progress 3 examination, I obtained 68.34% which was Green.
In conclusion, my 1st year of Medicine course at NUMed Malaysia had been very interesting. The course itself, as well as the time I spent with my university friends, made Stage 1 interesting. After completing Stage 1, I am certain that I made the right choice to study Medicine at NUMed Malaysia.
If you find this story interesting, you may want to read these too:
http://daniellimjj.blogspot.com/2015/04/my-15-years-of-study-at-taylors-college.html
http://daniellimjj.blogspot.com/2016/12/my-2nd-year-of-medicine-course-at-numed.html
For information about the MBBS course at NUMed, go to this link:
http://daniellimjj.blogspot.com/2017/07/information-about-mbbs-course-at-numed.html
Daniel , I am sure you will be a conscientious doctor when you are a practitioner.
ReplyDeleteHi, I'm Sofiya, currently studying my Final Year Diploma of Medical Lab Technology at University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC). I want to ask something. OK, 1st of all, thanks for sharing your study experienced at NUMed. Actually, I intended to continue Bsc. Biomedical Science at NUMed after finishing my study at UMMC soon around this June 2016. So, my question is how do u apply to study at NUMed and my 2nd question, do u get any sponsored or scholarship during studying at NUMed?
ReplyDeletePlease visit NUMed's website for information on how to apply:
Deletehttp://www.ncl.ac.uk/numed/study/undergraduate/biomedical/index.htm
I am under JPA scholarship. However, the JPA scholarship only sponsors for MBBS but not Biomedical Sciences at NUMed.
Hi, just a quick question about the maths part. Was it difficult maths or really basic maths? Because i wil be starting there too and i am really bad at maths.
ReplyDeleteIt is basic Maths that is quite easy. I am sure you won't face problems with it.
DeleteThanks Daniel
Deleteand how are the accomodations at Horizon Residences?
ReplyDeletehi I wish to send my daughter to Newcastle as i heard it is a good school. is there any additional costs apart from tuition fees and accomodation + expenditure such as for medical books?
ReplyDeleteEvery student is given 2 books for free at the start of the course. Many other books are available in the library. You can buy more books if you need. There are no other costs.
DeleteActually, for the first 2 years of the course, there is no need to use any books. Just reading the lecture notes is enough to pass the examinations.
i heard that they sell stethoscopes. is it a good brand like littman? if its not i would like to buy mine before hand.
ReplyDeleteYes, the stethoscopes are Littman.
Deletethanks Daniel. i know littman offers some special features such as engraving down your initials and what not. when they come to the school, can we request those features?
DeleteFrom what I know, those features are not available.
Deletethey provide buses to and fro from school right as well as to AEON rite? How about to the hospitals and clinics? i know numed allows early patient exposure from stage 1 so i was wondering whether transport is provided for the students to said places
ReplyDeleteNUMed always provides free transport to hospitals and clinics.
DeleteIs the shuttle punctual?
Deletehi Daniel. sorry for bothering you but i will be sending my daughter to your school soon. my daughters english isnt very good so im afraid that she will not pass the english test. may i know what was the english test about?
ReplyDeleteThe English test only tests on essay writing. For my year the essay title was 'The advantages and disadvantages of shopping on the internet'. We are required to write the essay in academic writing style instead of IELTS/MUET style. It is quite difficult to pass the test, only 18 out of about 120 students in my batch passed it. Students who do not pass the test have to attend English classes throughout Semester 1.
Deletei recently got my accomodation contract for HR. i was quite surprised that it only covered up to June. So what will i do to my belongings after that? it will be quite a hassle to bring all my stuff back.
ReplyDeleteYou can choose to leave your belongings at HR during the summer break. You don't have to pay extra for that as long as you continue staying at HR for the following year.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYou have quite a lot of easy grammatical errors in this blog of yours.How do you even pass the english test????Oh my gosh....You passed the test, are you being serious?
ReplyDeletecan you tell me more about progress 1 examiniations? as to what to focus on? im confused whether everything is the lecture notes is important and whether I need to find additional information and go really deep into the subject matter. please help
ReplyDeleteThe Progress 1 examination will test on everything that is taught up to right before the exam. The lecture notes are quite complete and almost everything in them is important. Just reading the lecture notes is more than enough to pass every Progress examinations in Stage 1 and 2. There is no need to look for additional information.
Deletecan you provide a breakdown on each of the progress exams?
ReplyDeleteThis is a nice and helpful article for students like to Study Medicine in Malaysia in English
ReplyDeleteDear Daniel, I'm planning to join Numed for Mbbs on Sept 2017. I would like to ask you lets say if you dont pass your Stage 1 examination, will you have a resit for it or do you have to repeat the sem ?
ReplyDeleteStudents who fail Stage 1 can choose to either resit the examination or repeat the whole Stage 1. Whether they choose to resit or repeat, it will be the final attempt, if they fail again, they will drop out of the course.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHi Daniel, what are the first few topics that will be taught in first year of the program?? Besides, is there any topic or book that you would recommend new students to read up first to get a headstart??
ReplyDeleteThere are many topics that will be taught, I can't list them here. I do not use any reference books for first year, I only read the lecture notes, so I am unable to recommend you any books.
DeleteHey Daniel, I have already been accepted into the MBBS program in NUMed. My course will start this September. Can u send me the soft copies of the lecture notes for Year 1? I would like to go through them first as I'm feeling quite restless at home. Thank you in advance.
ReplyDeleteSorry, but I am unable to send you the lecture notes because there are too many of them and because they are copyright protected. There is actually no need to prepare first before you start the course. Instead, you should fully enjoy your break now.
DeleteHi Daniel, sorry to trouble you. Need your opinion on Numed for MBBS course.
ReplyDeleteThe teaching and facilities at NUMed are excellent. However, the assessments can be quite stressful.
DeleteHi Daniel, do you know if NUMed accept applicants who have resat their A Levels? Can't seem to find any information on their website.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I know, NUMed does accept applicants who resat the A Level.
DeleteHi Daniel, Did you come across any Singaporean student registered MBBS program?
ReplyDeleteYes, there are a few Singaporean students studying MBBS at NUMed. However, please note that NUMed's MBBS degree is not recognised by Singapore.
DeleteHi Daniel,
ReplyDeleteHow diverse in NUMed? I'm from India, and I was wondering whether there are any Indian, Sri Lankan or Maldivian students studying at present?
Yes, there are several students from India and Sri Lanka as well as a few students from Maldives.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Daniel,
ReplyDeleteIts a 5 year course but there is no provision of housemanships for international students, now question is where will they go for housemanships? if University is not recognized in their country. Without housemanship one cannot get full registeration to my knowledge. What about the international students registeration with GMC? Please clear it.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteIs there any student from UAE or Pakistan/ as it is not recognized by them?
Yes, there are some students from UAE and Pakistan. I am not sure whether or not NUMed is recognised by UAE and Pakistan.
DeleteHi Daniel,
ReplyDeleteIts a 5 year course but there is no provision of housemanships for international students, now question is where will they go for housemanships? if University is not recognized in their country. Without housemanship one cannot get full registeration to my knowledge. What about the international students registeration with GMC? Please clear it.
International students are currently not able to do housemanship in Malaysia. It is possible for international students to do the Foundation programme in UK, but there is no guarantee of getting a place due to high competition. Without completing housemanship / Foundation programme / residency, we can’t practice Medicine in any country. If your country does not recognise NUMed, you should not study Medicine at NUMed.
DeleteHi Danieal
ReplyDeleteI am keen to pursue medicine as well in NuMED but its not recognized in Singapore.you were saying there are few other Singaporean so what's their take?' Like what made them go ahead?Can I know what's the intake size?
Some of the Singaporean students in NUMed are planning to take the USMLE. This will make it possible for them to practise Medicine in USA. They can then proceed with postgraduate medical studies which are recognised by Singapore.
DeleteThere are 2 Singaporean students in my batch.
How do I take the USMLE through Newcastle Malaysia? I thought only IMU offered USMLE?
DeleteIMU offers a course that specifically prepares students for the USMLE, while there is no such course at NUMed. However, NUMed students can still take USMLE, just like IMU students. To take USMLE, you have to register through the ECFMG website.
DeleteHi, may i know whether spm english 1119 can be used to apply for mbbs program ?
ReplyDeleteI am not sure about that, as NUMed's website does not explicitly state whether or not English 1119 is an accepted English language qualification. However, most MBBS students at NUMed did take IELTS or MUET before applying. You should contact NUMed to ask about that.
DeleteHi, I applied to NUMED from Canada and I have been accepted, I am just wondering if there are any Canadian or American students enrolled in the mbbs program or even middle eastern students. Also, are the accommodations up to date?
ReplyDeleteThere are several Middle Eastern students at NUMed. However, I am not sure if there is any Canadian or American students.
DeleteThe NUMed managed accommodation used to be at Horizon Residences, but starting from August 2018, it will be moved to EcoNest.
Hello, I am interested in studying in NuMed so I would like to ask a few questions. I was told that I could do the interview through Skype or walk-in-interview. I live in Sabah, so I might opt to do the interview via Skype as I am also interested in IMU. If the date of the interview for IMU and NuMed is far off from each other, I think I would interview through Skype because flying twice to Semenanjung is too costly for me. My question is, would it affect my chances of getting accepted and do you have any friends who also did the interview through Skype? How much is the living cost in Johor if I stay at the hostel provided?
ReplyDeleteI opted for walk-in-interview, but most of my friends had their interview through Skype. Regardless of the method of interview you choose, it will have no effect on your chances of being accepted.
DeleteThe living cost in Johor is about RM1000 per month, excluding the accommodation fees.
Thank you for replying. I might consider the Skype interview instead if the interviews don't align. Between IMUlocal and NUMed which would be a better choice. At first I had considered IMU as a first choice because it's the most longest private medical Uni in Malaysia so it would have more experiences with teaching and the likes. But from what I've read online, IMU only has classes once a day for about 2 hours at most and most of their good lecturers had left for Monash University Malaysia. This worries me for I'm afraid it may affect my studies.
DeleteHi..your blog is helpful.Pls can you share which year is housemanship .It must be mandatory to gradate right?and so where do international students do the same ?
ReplyDeleteHousemanship is not part of the MBBS course, it is done after graduating. International students who graduate from NUMed can do housemanship at University of Malaya Medical Centre, but not any other hospitals in Malaysia.
DeleteHi Daniel,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your whole experience. It really helps alot.
I am planning to study at Numed, but had few questions.
Q1)How easy is it to get 10% vice chancellor award(10%)
Q2)Are the lecturers mainly from britain?
Q3)How is the course outline, is it blocks? Like for example in cardiac block we will take everything anatomy, physio, histology, embryology of heart. Or is it different?
Q4)How are the exams, are they all MCQs? Please if you can also comment on their difficulty level.
Q5)Which language is mainly spoken at hospitals, considering I am an international student. will I have any problem in communicating with patients and getting clinical experience?
Q6)Do you know if international students can do housemanship in malaysia?
Q7)approximately how many number of students are there in one batch?
Q8)How is the student atmosphere? Hope it is friendly
Thank you very much for your time. May God bless you, For making student's life easy by sharing your wonderful experience. Eacha nd every student owes you.
1. The Vice Chancellor's Merit award is very difficult to get. I strongly advise against aiming for it, due to several reasons as stated here:
Deletehttps://daniellimjj.blogspot.com/2017/02/thoughts-on-mbbs-merit-award.html
2. About one-third of the lecturers are from Britain. The remaining are from countries such as Malaysia, India, Philippines, Myanmar and Egypt.
3. For Year 1 and 2, it's basically blocks like what you have said.
4. During my time, all written exams in Year 1 to 4 are MCQ. They are difficult, and quite a number of students fail them each year. Now, a new curriculum has been introduced, where the written exams have MCQ as well as structured questions, which is even more difficult.
5. Malay language is mainly spoken in the hospitals, and many of the patients can't speak English. You will usually need other students to translate for you.
6. International students can only do housemanship at University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC).
7. There are about 120 students in my batch. For the latest batch, the number has increased to about 180.
8. The student atmosphere is great. Students generally have a good relationship with each other.
For more information about the NUMed MBBS course, read this:
https://daniellimjj.blogspot.com/2017/07/information-about-mbbs-course-at-numed.html
hi, any idea how to get the
ReplyDelete`20% alumni discount'?
Thanks
I am not sure about that. You can contact NUMed for more information.
DeleteHi Daniel.
DeleteIt was very useful blog for us sharing ur experience in NuMed.
Can we know for International Students:
1. What will be the cost of living, accommodation cost.
2. We are residing in middle east and Indian nationality. For housemanship is it possible to do in India or in middle east hospital, kindly share some detail .
3. Is it safe for girls staying in hostel.
4. For International Students what is the duration of housemanship program.
5. After completing the program can we register in GMC and work in UK.
Thanks and appreciate your response. God bless you.
1. The accommodation cost is about RM1250 per month for single room and RM930 per month for twin sharing room.
Delete2. The NUMed MBBS degree is officially recognised in India, so it should be possible to do housemanship in India. It is not clear whether the degree is recognised in Middle Eastern countries, so you should check with the medical council of the countries to find out whether or not you can do housemanship there.
3. The security at the NUMed accommodation is really good, so it is definitely safe for girls.
4&5. International students can do housemanship only at University of Malaya Medical Centre and only for 1 year. After completing it successfully, you will be able to gain full registration with the UK GMC.
Thanks Daniel for your reply.
Delete1. For International Students which one is best option staying in Johar Baru and traveling to university or staying at Econest (university provided Accommodation)
2. For medical study in Malaysia which university is best with regards to career
3. After completing full registration (if the housemanship is done in Malaysia) can the students start practicing in UK or they have to appear for any Exam.
4. How are the lecturers and coachin .
5. Can the students prepare their own food inside hostel or canteen is available.
1. I recommend staying at EcoNest as it has excellent facilities and is located quite close to NUMed.
Delete2. All universities should be equal with regards to medical career, as long as they are recognised.
3. After gaining full registration with UK GMC, there are a few options to practice Medicine in UK. You can apply to join the Foundation Year 2 Standalone Programme in UK. However, there is no guarantee of getting a place due to high competition. Alternatively, you can consider some of the widening access specialty training programmes in UK, which is less competitive. There are also some other options, but I don't have much information for those.
4. The teaching at NUMed is excellent. Most lecturers are able to explain everything very well.
5. Cooking is definitely allowed in the NUMed accommodation and many students do so quite often. There are several restaurants within walking distance from EcoNest, and there is a canteen in NUMed.
I have 3 college for consideration which one to select kindly advice 1. NuMed 2. Quest 3 .Mahsa
DeleteI definitely recommend NUMed. NUMed is the Malaysian branch of Newcastle University UK which is ranked within the top 150 in the latest QS World University Rankings. NUMed also has excellent teaching and facilities.
DeleteHi Daniel, I did my Foundation in Numed and I'll be starting my Stage 1 there this September. In regards to the Maths sessions, I know that that only certain models of calculators are allowed. Which model would you recommend?
ReplyDeleteFor my batch, we are allowed to use all models of calculators, as long as our calculator has a sticker which states that it is approved by the NUMed SO. The calculator I use is Casio FX-570ES Plus.
DeleteHowever, starting from the following batch, NUMed only allows 3 models of calculators which are Casio FX-83GT Plus, Casio FX-85GT Plus and Casio FX-115MS. I would recommend using the FX-83GT Plus or FX-85GT Plus.
hi, I am looking to start my foundation year next year in either NUMED or IMU where I will be taking the PMS pathway afterwards so can you tell me exactly about the difficulty of the foundation course at NUMED and how hard is it to get the required grades to progress to medicine
DeleteDaniel, thank you for sharing your experience. I am considering to take up medical course, contemplating between NUMED and MONASH. Personally I like NUMED. But I have learnt from graduates from NUMED that the course there is tough. Some students couldnt complete the degree. This concerns me because I am afraid if I cant make it after studying for few years, I will waste my parents hard earn money. They also intend to borrow money for my education. Please give me your honest opinion
ReplyDelete1. what is the failure rate in this NUMED?
2. Is it common for student to redo year 3 or year 5,
3. are there many drop out from uni because he/she failed after resit for papers?
4. Or, are there many students that take 6 or 7 years to complete the course because they fail in some subjects ?
5. Are the lecturers there helpful to support students that need acedemic assistance (or, they expect students to be independent) ?
6. Do you have any comment on Monash ?
The assessments for the NUMed MBBS course is indeed difficult. There are multiple forms of assessments and you need to pass every one of them in order to pass each year. The scary part is that students who fail an exam are given only one more opportunity, either by resitting the exam or repeating the year.
DeleteNUMed is really strict with the pass mark set for each exam. If you miss the pass mark, even by just 0.1 mark, you won't be allowed to pass no matter what. However, NUMed doesn't set a proportion of students to fail each year, meaning that it's possible to have a 100% pass rate if everyone does well enough.
The most common cause of students failing is the written exam. The questions in the written exam really require you to know and understand everything very well and to think critically. However, if you prepare well for it, it's actually not difficult to pass.
On average, about 10% of the students fail each year, including year 3 and 5. The exact percentage varies slightly from year to year. For those who have to resit the exam or repeat the year, majority of them do get through. Every year, about 1 or 2 students fail a second time and end up dropping out of MBBS.
In the new curriculum for students who enter NUMed in 2017 or later, students who fail year 3 or 5 are able to resit for the exams without having to repeat the entire year. However, this is not necessarily a good thing as repeating the year gives a better chance of passing compared to just resitting the exams.
As a matter of fact, I was supposed to graduate last year, but I failed the year 5 final exam and had to repeat year 5. A total of 22 students in my batch failed year 5, which was a record high. While many of them failed because of the written exam, I passed the written exam and failed the clinical exam instead. For the clinical exam, most of the lecturers are quite strict in the marking.
Now, I have passed the repeat year of year 5 and graduated successfully. Therefore, I spent 6 years to complete the MBBS course. There are a few students who spent 7 years as they repeated both year 3 and 5.
The lecturers at NUMed are generally quite helpful if you approach them for help. I don't know much about the medical course at Monash so I can't comment about it. However, I would say that Medicine is a difficult course so it won't be easy no matter which university you choose.
I'm currently preparing for my first SBA and SAP, stage 1. Any advices because I'm really stressed out and I'm not sure if I'll pass.
ReplyDeleteYou should focus on revising the resources on the MLE and ensure that you understand them fully.
DeleteWhat are you currently doing after graduating?
ReplyDeleteI am working as a teaching fellow at NUMed.
DeleteHi Daniel, hope you are well and fine. Can you help me with below questions
ReplyDelete1. After doing MBBS year1 at NUMED, can i do my year 2 onwards at University of NewCastle in UK ?
2. After completing 5yrs MBBS at NUMED, can i do my housemanship in the UK?
3. Is NUMED MBBS recognized by Singapore ? I mean, can i further study or work in SG ?
1. No, you can't transfer from the MBBS course at NUMed to that at Newcastle University UK. You may have the opportunity to study at Newcastle University UK for a few months during Year 2 and 4 of MBBS, but you still have to return to NUMed for the remainder of the course.
Delete2. Yes, NUMed graduates can do housemanship in UK (which is known as the UK Foundation Programme).
3. The NUMed MBBS course is not recognised by Singapore. However, it's possible for NUMed graduates to practise medicine in Singapore if they have the postgraduate MRCP(UK) or MRCP(Ireland) qualification.
Hi Daniel, just wanted to ask, what is the learning style like at NUMed? Just curious. Thankyou in advance.
ReplyDeleteFor year 1 and 2, students study mainly by reading the lecturer's notes. For year 3, 4 and 5, the emphasis is on self-directed learning where students read textbooks and online resources.
DeleteHi Daniel, just wanted to ask, why do you prefer NUMed over Monash and IMU? Thank you in advance.
ReplyDeleteI was under the JPA scholarship. JPA doesn't sponsor for twinning courses so the IMU twinning programme wasn't an option for me. The IMU local programme is largely recognised only in Malaysia, while NUMed and Monash are also recognised in UK and Australia respectively. Newcastle University and Monash University are highly ranked universities for Medicine, unlike IMU.
DeleteI completed my A Level in June 2014, but Monash's intake is only in March. If I chose Monash, I would have to wait 9 months. Monash also didn't accept forecast results for Medicine applicants. By the time my actual A Level results was released in August 2014, I had already accepted the offer from NUMed. I did apply for Monash at that time, but the interview would be held in November 2014 which was after the start date of NUMed. It would be way too much risk for me to give up NUMed's offer in hopes of getting an offer from Monash, more so when I wasn't quite good at interviews.
The NUMed campus is much more beautiful compared to IMU or Monash. NUMed students get to utilise the campus for all 5 years of the course, while IMU and Monash students have to move to the clinical school from the 3rd year onwards. I also have a personal preference for a UK degree over an Australian degree.
hi Dani what happens if one cannot get a housemanship opportunity just after the completion of mbbs degree .Is it ok to have a gap?
ReplyDeleteHow long one has to wait for UK housemanship normally after completion of course at NUMed
Housemanship in UK is known as UK Foundation Programme (UKFP). Currently, most NUMed graduates can get a place in the UKFP. They usually start UKFP in early August, less than 2 months after they graduate. Those who are not successful in getting a place and those who wish to take a gap year can reapply for UKFP and start in August of the following year. However, for those who are starting UKFP 2 years or more after they graduate, they will be required to take the UKFPO Clinical Assessment, which is difficult, troublesome and expensive.
DeleteHi Daniel! I’m currently on a gap year and is planning to enrol in numed this coming September. I have some questions regarding the degree and I hope you can answer them!
ReplyDelete-if you don’t mind me asking, what are your plans now that you have finished your MBBS degree?
-did a lot of your peers from numed managed to go to UK for their housemanship? Would you say that there’s a high chance?
-i heard there’s an opportunity to get a MPhil/ Bsc after the 4th year, would you recommend to go for this extended programme? And are there a lot of students who opted to do it?
-is it true that you’ll be able to go overseas for your electives? And may I know where did you go for yours if thats true?
-over all how did you find the student life in Johor in general?
- I am currently doing my housemanship at Kluang hospital. My ultimate aim is to become a medical school lecturer.
Delete- Almost all of my peers who applied for the UK Foundation Programme got a place successfully. Currently, NUMed graduates have a high chance of getting a place, but there's no guarantee this will always remain the same in the future.
- NUMed students can intercalate for a BSc after 2nd year or for a Masters after 4th year. I strongly recommend you to go for it if you are interested, as it will broaden your horizons. I didn't do intercalation and I regret that now. Unfortunately, very few NUMed students do it every year.
- During 4th year, NUMed students can do the Student Selected Component in UK and the Electives anywhere in the world (including UK). I did my Student Selected Component in UK and my Electives in Malaysia. I regret not doing my Electives in UK as well.
- Overall, I really enjoyed my student life at NUMed. NUMed has a great student community, where the relationship between students is good and we often have interesting activities together.
Hey Daniel! Hope you are well. Glad that I found your blog! I intend to apply next year, I’m a Singaporean. I understand that it’s not recognised in Singapore and I don’t plan to practise here. Saw that you got 2 friends in your batch that are from Singapore and planned to take USLME. Was that a success? Is it true international students can do UKFP? Thanks so much. There’s so many misinformation out there, hope to hear from NUMed grads.
ReplyDeleteBoth of them eventually changed their minds before taking USMLE and they are doing UKFP now.
DeleteCurrently, all NUMed graduates have a very good chance of getting a place for UKFP. NUMed graduates are not required to take PLAB, IELTS or OET when applying for UKFP. Since 2020, all UKFP applicants regardless of nationality or right to work status are considered equally. However, nobody can guarantee that it will always remain the same in the future.
NUMed graduates who have the full MRCP (UK) qualification can practise Medicine in Singapore.
Hye Daniel, may i ask What is Mock OSCE ?what did you do during the mock OSCE ?
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of mock OSCE is to enable students to practise for the real OSCE. The mock OSCE is held by the university in the same manner as the real OSCE, except for the fact that the marks you get for the mock OSCE will not have any effect on your final results for the year.
DeleteHowever, since the introduction of the new curriculum in 2017, there is no longer a mock OSCE.
Hi Daniel. I have the following questions here:
ReplyDelete1) More and more British junior doctors moved to Australia after foundation year 1 (or 2). Any of your classmates currently practicing in Australia?
2) How challenging are MRCPUK, MRCPI and USMLE exams?
3) Say if a British student did his studies in numed, would he be guaranteed to be able to complete his foundation years in UK?
Thanks.
1. NUMed graduates can practice Medicine in Australia through the Competent Authority Pathway after they have gained full registration with the UK GMC. While a few of my peers have expressed interest in working in Australia, none of them have applied to Australia as of now.
Delete2. The exams are quite challenging. The pass rate for MRCP(UK) and MRCP(Ireland) is about 50-60% while the pass rate for USMLE is about 85-90%. Note that MRCP(UK) and MRCP(Ireland) are postgraduate examinations while USMLE (except for Step 3) is an undergraduate examination.
3. According to Newcastle University's regulations, British citizens are not allowed to enter the MBBS course at NUMed Malaysia. In any case, even British citizens who graduated from medical schools in UK are not guaranteed a place for the UK Foundation Programme (UKFP). Since 2020, all UKFP applicants regardless of nationality are competing on equal grounds.
Daniel, Thanks for your excellent blog. Do you have any information on the NUMED foundation in Biological and Biomedical Science on how the assessment is done whether it's certain percentage on coursework and exam?
ReplyDeleteApart from that any idea on the scope of curriculum especially on Chemistry, Biology and Maths?
I understand you did not do foundation in NUMED but hope you had info from your colleagues who did it there.
Thanks again.
Hi Daniel, I am planning to apply to NUMed. I am just wondering how intense and difficult 1st year 1st sem would be (or even first year as a whole)? Looking at your blog I am kind of frightened haha though I did A levels
ReplyDeleteis numed a good university? what about the staffs and what about the education is it comparable to the newcastle uk? what r the cons in studying here in a branch institute as an international student who aspires to do pg in uk and get settled there
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I really enjoyed reading your perspective. Looking forward to more posts like this.
ReplyDeleteNEBOSH courses in Dubai