Hi guys,

I am researching the possibilities of returning home from US as an interventional cardiologist in 2023. I know it is still early at this point but due to my visa restriction I have to make up my mind by early 2022, otherwise I will have to start looking for a J1 visa waiver job in the US early next year.

I have a couple questions here, and I appreciate any input from you guys.

1) Do I need to serve the government upon returning home? Or can I go to private directly? I was born and raised in Malaysia, went to India for medical school, followed by internal medicine residency and cardiology fellowship in the US. I have recently matched to an interventional cardiology position from 2022-2023. I used to hear that one needs to have "10 years experience" overseas before returning home to avoid compulsory government service. Does this still hold true?

2) How easy, or tough it is for one to join private practice in Malaysia. Do Malaysians (especially my colleagues and patients) appreciate a US-trained physician? I have not worked in Malaysia before and I am sure there will be a huge difference in the medical system back home. My concern would be how easy it is for me to develop my practice from scratch (learning the system at the same time).

3) Would you recommend me joining teaching hospitals for a couple years to learn the system before venturing into the private world? Like IJN for instance.
Thank you very much in advance! If there is anyone who went through the similar path that you know of, kindly let me know. Appreciate your help.