Im interested in the human body since i was a kid, really like reading books about those. & during secondary school, i was in stjohn club, constantly participating in public first aid duties, enjoyed it very much, although stjohn is rly tough but still somehow enjoyed it. i think that’s why i want to study med.
But..Is it that bad to be a doctor in msia? I've heard many stories abt ho/mo, and almost everyone online advice not to study mbbs. Are there anyone who actually does not regret being a doctor?? I'm so clueless right now helppp

If you're asking, I doubt you would want to be a doctor.

I think what's important as a doctor is attitude and passion. If you're into money, better be a businessman. To me doctor is an honorable job, but people take it as a profession to boast their ego.

It can be very tiring to be a doctor but it would be rewarding when you realise that you have saved a life.

My son is a doctor , he loves his job. It is not that bad as everyone perceived . Many have made it & become successful . Follow your heart ..

Doctor in Malaysia typically facing few issues:
1. High educational cost if you are not Malays
2. Long working hours
3. In contract term
4. Lack of opportunities to pursue further studies (specialist) if you are not Malays
5. Pay is not as generous as other fields
6. Harsh working environment

I think the worst part is even you become a doctor you still need lots of money to support your study. And government won't sponsor you unless you are Malay. I believe you know cardio specialists news, you will likely be one of them. generally, I won't recommend you pursue it unless your family is rich.

To be successful or happy in any job, you need passion for it. The moment you have lost that passion, every job is a drag. So ask yourself would you still be passionate about being a doctor after working in it for 30 years and facing lots of hardships along the way. Or you prefer a more relaxed, less stressful job environment, one where you are not held responsible for another person’s life or wellbeing. A doctor is definitely a noble profession but not everyone can be one, be they rich or smart.

I agree with what you said.

I'm a civil engineer and civil engineers are paid very bad. I like what I do, that's the only reason I stay at a lowly paid job for a career with such a high responsibility.

Passion in a job is underrated and not given enough weigh.

At least your pay is higher than a scientist .. We get paid peanuts and slog ourselves in the lab. No grant no job. No students no money ..

How much do you think civil engineers are paid?

Not sure, maybe about 4 to 5k? At least better than being a researcher getting paid 2k right?

Do agree with all the points above except for no 5. If u are a specialist in private, the money is lucrative...of coz for normal doctor, pay is just average...

You'll need a conducive, tolerable environment to become a specialist. At the current moment it seems to be a major obstacles for many.

This depends on:
(1) How many years of working experience
(2) Company background
(3) Graduated from which university
(4) Bacholor's or Master's degree

And how much do you think they're paid?

I'm a civil engineer. I'm curious what people outside the industry thinks.

I heard around RM 5000 per month as a medical doctor at the General Hospital

As Civil Engineer without working experience, I think RM2500 to RM 2800 to start, also depends on you graduated from which university
I was told you cannot call yourself engineer until you join the Civil Engineering Association, even you have a bachelor's degree
Just like lawyer needs to join the Association

No.

Everybody's an engineer. The difference is whether you're qualified to be a Professional Engineer (Ir), which qualifies you to endorse drawings for construction. There is a high bar to overcome to attain the title, but that would be a topic for another day.

The so-called 'Civil Engineering Association' would be Institute of Engineer Malaysia (IEM), which is not compulsory and most people don't bother to join. Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) is a regulatory board. You would need to be registered to be an engineer, but it is purely administrative. Other than requiring a recognised degree, BEM cannot prevent you from being registered as a 'graduate engineer'.

That being said, for RM2,500-RM2,800/month salary and yet being responsible for the safety of a structure for its entire working duration (up to 50 years), kinda low of a compensation, don't you think?

And just not long ago it's been reported the country severely lacks engineers. I wonder why.

This post has been edited by Just Visiting By: Jun 8 2025, 02:00 PM

I know some people did not graduate from University, but their name cards are printed "Engineer".

I mean RM2,500-RM2,800/month salary is for fresh graduates without any working experience.
In the US, a degree from a reputable university is a stepping stone to work for a big company.

Learning something about Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) and the Institute of Engineer Malaysia (IEM) today.

You can consider to take MBA, but this MBA school needs to be a good school, at least well known than your undergraduate school.

Rm4k plus at general hospital. Considering the super duper heavy workload, working on weekends and public holidays, multiple oncalls in a week and getting scolded by superior frequently. Not worth the salary we are getting paid. Go for business route will get rich faster if money is the main aim

Studying medicine or becoming a doctor doesn’t limit u to just clinical practice. There are also roles in research and scientific communication, where u may be involved in training or educating other doctors. i know of a doctor who pursue that path and become very good at it. He get to go other countries to conduct training when his company a pharmaceutical producer come up with new meds.

Just Google “scientific communicator role” and ull see the type of doctors who pursue that path.

This post has been edited by Red_rustyjelly: Jun 9 2025, 01:02 AM

Not only salary, a government doctor has many welfares, benefits and allowances

Very very true

This post has been edited by Jened: Jun 9 2025, 10:19 AM

Yeap, banyak category allowance ...and other welfares ....sometimes ppl just look at basic salary only...

And not all hospital busy one...some can chill one....

I'd say that if you plan to be a doctor, get it from a university whose cert / degree / bachelor of medicine & surgery / specialisation / etc that is recognizable in other countries...

This will give you a leeway to jump out of Malaysia to become a highly-skilled, highly-paid workforce...

You will still need to sit for the stated country's medical license examination to enter beforehand (to determine that if you truly know the stuff that's needed and taught)...

This was the case with someone I know personally... who left the Malaysian medical field to join elsewhere and his salary jumped at least 5x what we are paid here...

Personally, I do not subscribe to the local working culture, especially with the medical field here with its inhuman long hours of work...

You should do what you feel like doing, because no one else will live your life except you. And remember, you will be paying your own bills soon enough so best you do what you love...

Cheers, OP...



Edit - 21th June, 2025: Rephrasing.

This post has been edited by Hastebreak: Jun 21 2025, 01:12 PM

This is the gist of the problem of those getting stucked in our country where their primary medical school qualifications are not recognisable by medical councils of more prosperous countries like Singapore/UK/Australia etc.

Don't study to be a doctor in Malaysia. It's a thankless profession which does not pay well. If you have set your heart on it, and have the brains for it, go to an internationally recognised medical degree from a well ranked university. A friend, whose child (non-Malay) graduated with a medical degree from the University of Malaya, was recruited by the Singapore government to train and work as a junior doctor in Singapore. I understand that almost all of his medical cohort from the University of Malaya and University of Science, Malaysia, had been similarly recruited to work in Singapore. They received properly structured training as well as a starting salary of around SGD6,000 plus allowances of up to SGD2,000 (for accommodation, travelling, food). Compare that to a MAXIMUM salary of MYR5,000 for junior doctors in Malaysia. It is no wonder that our best and brightest are being lured overseas, especially to Singapore. Global talent which Malaysia nurtured and financed, and which Malaysia desperately needs.

This post has been edited by xenotzu: Jun 29 2025, 11:16 AM

Unlike UM and UKM medicine degrees which are listed in the Singapore Medical Council Second Schedule as registrable, USM medical degree is not registrable as per their Second Schedule.

Mind elaborating further on USM medicine graduates gaining training posts in Singapore?

Through the pathway of acquiring membership in UK Royal Colleges?

Our private uni medical graduates may gain entry to Singapore health service as 'Service' doctors, which does not entitle them for a training post in Singapore, unless things have changed.

There is no problem for UM and UKM medical graduates to be considered for training posts there.

This post has been edited by zeng: Jun 29 2025, 03:09 PM

U mentioned u like treating people in St John, there is the curiosity and passion there. A good start
but do u like studying and life long learning. can u sit down to study while your other frens in other courses are partying. Do u hv the stamina for year of studying and training till becomes a specialist. If Yes ,, go ahead and chase your dream to be a doctor.
Life as a specialist is good ..

we can get doctor from india/ indonesia?
if not enough local doctor to serve the ppl.

If you see the workload in healthcare institutions etc, you will know that many patients are not getting the best care due to lack of doctors. We need more.

Flip the question. What is better than being a doctor?