The final exams for Stage 5 2019/2020 of my MBBS course at NUMed were supposed to be held from 18 May 2020 to 3 June 2020, and the final results was meant to be released on 11 June 2020.
In mid March 2020, due to the Covid-19 situation, several medical schools in UK decided to cancel their final exams and allow final year students to graduate straight away. Shortly after that, the Movement Control Order (MCO) was implemented in Malaysia, so the NUMed campus had to be closed and all teaching had to be moved online.
At that time, NUMed mulled the cancellation of all Stage 5 final exams including the End of Stage MOSLER, SBA and WriSkE. However, the NUMed MBBS degree is regulated by both the UK General Medical Council (GMC) and Malaysian Medical Council (MMC), and it wasn't known whether the MMC would allow final exams to be cancelled. Therefore, NUMed advised everyone to continue studying for the final exams as usual.
Later, the MMC released a statement that medical schools must carry out final exams. On 28 April 2020, NUMed announced that the Stage 5 final exams would have to go ahead, but it would be held at a later date when the NUMed campus could be reopened. In addition, they planned to have 2 weeks of campus teaching before the final exams.
The final results surely couldn't be released on 11 June 2020. However, that day still turned out to be a rather important day, as it was the day NUMed announced the definite dates of the final exams. The WriSkE will be on 13 July 2020, the SBA will be on 15 and 16 July 2020, while the End of Stage MOSLER will be on 22 to 28 July 2020. The final results will be released in August 2020.
To be honest, I was really delighted when I first heard of the possibility that the End of Stage MOSLER would be cancelled. After all, the End of Stage MOSLER was my weak point which caused me to fail Stage 5 2018/2019. It would be very lucky for me if I could skip it.
However, I don't like the idea of cancelling the SBA and WriSkE. I have several aims for Stage 5 2019/2020, among them are getting great results for the SBA and WriSkE. Graduating straight away without sitting for any final exams would be an anticlimactic and unsatisfying ending to my MBBS course at NUMed.
I am quite happy with the decision NUMed has made regarding the exams, even though it means I will have to sit for the End of Stage MOSLER. I have been working hard to improve on my weak point throughout the year, and I have been studying consistently since March 2020. I really hope that I and everyone else will do well in the final exams.