not all are bad, depends on where they are trained. Worse case just write a referral letter just in case you missed something subtle, but generally a good history+examination should lead you somewhere.

I thought they issued a freeze a while ago?

Well, anything's possible, I heard people with Ds in their SPM getting into some Russian medical school. With money, you can pretty much do anything. Heck, people even pay others to write their Ph.D thesis. Blame the regulation body for their lax regulation. In the end, these students get the fame/money(unless they got fired), and the only ones suffering are the patients, which will be you guys out there. Also, the pay in Govn hospital ain't that dandy as the ones in private, so most of the so called good and experienced doctors are shifting themselves to private hospitals. So there's an imbalance and unfairness to the access of health care. Whose fault is this?

Reducing the numbers to 15 would be a big BIG step. But lets be realistic, that won't happen. Not when there's politics involved, and with a bit of $$$ makes the world goes round. I'm not condemning every single new medical unis out there, but with a lack of good lecturers nowadays even in well established unis, what is left for those newly established ones? And w/o good lecturers/clinicians to teach, how can there be new promising doctors?

I've visited a doctor back home prob 2-3 years back. This is how he conducted the consultation. I walked in, sat down. and he goes, so what meds do you want? =) Isn't it lovely? I bet he's famous with addicts =P p/s he's not my general GP. My GP is super wonderful, and meticulous physician. =)