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Medicine is both a science and an art. It is the science of uncertainty coupled with the art of probability. In fact, medicine is not just a Science that can be taught, but an Art that has to be learnt. The journey through medical school is an exciting teaching-learning experience which involves acquisition of knowledge of human structure and function in health and disease, and the application of the same in a clinical setting using critical thinking and problem solving skills. In the initial years of medical education, the science behind the intricate form and function of this magnificent engineering marvel of nature (that we call the human body) would be unraveled. The art of medicine is something that is acquired over a period of time, the learning of which starts at the portals of medical school and continues well after graduation. A career in medicine means lifelong learning and a lifetime of service towards the wellness of mankind. The process involves the subtle metamorphosis of the rather inexperienced and innocuous medical student into a compassionate, learned health professional with high standards of moral and ethical values, who cares about the communal health of the society, nation and the world.

The attributes of a “good doctor” have for long been discussed and debated. While the term may be difficult to define and the ultimate person fitting the description hard to find, what the public expects is a skillful diagnostician, competent in selecting and administering treatment, while being an effective communicator. Good doctors are also caring leaders and tireless team players in healthcare, with ethical emphasis, technological sophistication, strong self-discipline and professional proficiency. Proverbially, a good doctor ‘cures sometimes, relieves often and comforts always’. This age-old saying is applicable even today and may be relevant for all the years to come as doctors continue to champion the cause against disease, curing ailments, alleviating pain and offering physical and psychological consolation to patients.

The IMU with its unique partnership with world renowned Universities ensures the training of such doctors through its international benchmarking, high standards of academic quality, innovative curriculum and inculcation of strong social and ethical values.

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Please click the questions below to see details.

1. What is the structure of the IMU medical programme?
   The IMU medical programme is structured in two phases: Phase 1, Medical Sciences and Phase 2, Clinical Training.
   
   Phase 1 (Medical Sciences)
   This phase of 5 semesters (2½ years) focuses on the Medical Sciences and is undertaken at the University’s campus in Bukit Jalil. Completion of Phase 1 in Malaysia enables all students to become familiar with local health conditions and facilities in rural and urban settings. From the second Semester, students gain early clinical exposure at Hospital Tuanku Ja’afar, Seremban, Kuala Kubu Baru Hospital and other government health centres and private clinics in Negeri Sembilan and Selangor.
   
   Phase 2 (Clinical Training)
   On completion of Phase 1, students proceed to Phase 2 which focuses on clinical training. Students may choose to undertake this training either at the IMU Clinical School in Seremban or at a Partner Medical Schools (PMS) overseas. The overseas duration varies from 2 to 3 years.
   
   Note: Students are to choose where to take their Phase 2 option at the time of application and this option is indicated on the letter offering a place.
2. What are the aims and key features of the local MBBS (IMU) degree?
   Through its teaching, the IMU aims to produce "reflective medical practitioners" and "caring doctors". Students who wish to undertake a medical programme completely in Malaysia can join the IMU Clinical School in the Seremban subcampus for the final 2½ years.
   
   Key features of IMU programme include:

   • An adaptive curriculum
   • Outcome-based education
   • Technology-driven learning
   • Dynamic, experienced and eminent faculty
   • Clinical training in Hospital Tuanku Ja’afar, Seremban
   • Regular assessments and feedback
   • Well-equipped Skills Centre and a Learning Resource Centre comprising of a library, medical museum and e-learning resources.
3. What is the duration of the IMU medical programme?
   

   DURAT ION OF MEDICAL PROGRAMME Full duration of study: 4½ to 5½ years (depending on the University)
   	Phase 1 (IMU)	Phase 2	TOTAL
   MALAYSIA International Medical University	2½ years	2½ years	5 years
   AUSTRALASIA University of Adelaide, Australia University of New South Wales, Australia University of Newcastle, Australia University of Tasmania, Australia University of Western Australia, Australia University of Western Sydney, Australia	2½ years 2½ years 2½ years 2½ years 2½ years 2½ years	3 years 3 years 3 years 3 years 3 years 3 years	5½ years 5½ years 5½ years 5½ years 5½ years 5½ years
   NORTH AMERICA Dalhousie University, Canada Jefferson Medical College, USA*	2½ years 2½ years	2 years 2¼ years	4½ years 4¾ years
   UNITED KINGDOM University of Aberdeen, Scotland Brighton-Sussex Medical School, England University of Dundee, Scotland University of Edinburgh, Scotland University of Glasgow, Scotland University of Keele, England University of Leeds, England University of Leicester, England University of Liverpool, England University of Manchester, England University of Nottingham, England Queen’s University of Belfast, Northern Ireland University of Southampton, England St George’s University, England	2½ years 2½ years 2½ years 2½ years 2½ years 2½ years 2½ years 2½ years 2½ years 2½ years 2½ years 2½ years 2½ years 2½ years	2¼ years 3 years 3 years 3 years 3 years 3 years 3 years 3 years 3 years 3 years 2½ years 3 years 3 years 3 years	4¾ years 5½ years 5½ years 5½ years 5½ years 5½ years 5½ years 5½ years 5½ years 5½ years 5 years 5½ years 5½ years 5½ years
   IRELAND National University of Ireland, Galway	2½ years	3 years	5½ years

   DURAT ION OF MEDICAL PROGRAMME Full duration of study: 4½ to 8½ years (depending on the University)
   OPTION A	Phase 1 (IMU)	Phase 2	TOTAL
   AUSTRALASIA Australian National University, Australia * University of Queensland, Australia **	3½ years 2½ or 3½ years	2 years 2 years	5½ years 4½ or 5½ years
   UNITED KINGDOM University of Warwick, England **	2½ or 3½ years	2½ years	5 or 6 years
   OPTION B	Phase 1 (IMU)	Phase 2	TOTAL
   AUSTRALASIA University of Melbourne, Australia *** University of Sydney, Australia ****	3½ years 3½ years	4 years 2+3 years	7½ years 8½ years

4. What are the semester contents?

   Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 3	Semester 4	Semester 5
   Foundation I Course (15 weeks) Includes Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Statistics, Behavioural Sciences Community Oriented Project (3 weeks) Foundation II Course (8 weeks) Includes Pathology, Microbiology, Immunology, Parasitology, Pharmacology, Community Medicine/Clinical Skills	Foundation II Course (4 weeks) Includes General Pathology, Microbiology, Immunology, Parasitology, Pharmacology, Community Medicine/Clinical Skills First Professional Exam	Cardiovascular System (5 weeks) Respiratory System (4 weeks) Haematology System (4 weeks) Gastrointestinal System (6 weeks) Rotations (5 weeks) Elective (3 weeks) Second Professional Exam	Endocrine System (4 weeks) Reproductive System (5 weeks) Renal System (4 weeks) Selectives (3 weeks) Clinical Rotations (5 weeks) General Practice Posting (1 week) Integrated Medical Seminar	Community Health Survey (2 weeks) Musculoskeletal System (5 weeks) Nervous System (6 weeks) Integrated Medical Seminar Hospital Visits Third Professional Exam

5. What are the semester contents for Phase 2 (Clinical Training) in the IMU Clinical School?
   

   Semester 6	Semester 7	Semester 8	Semester 9	Semester 10
   Clinical rotations in: Internal Medicine (7 weeks) Surgery (7 weeks) Family Medicine (7 weeks)	Clinical rotations in: Obstetrics and Gynaecology (5 weeks) Orthopaedics (5 weeks) Paediatrics (5 weeks) Psychiatry (5 weeks) End of Semester Exam	Specialised postings (8 weeks): - ENT - Dermatology - Emergency Medicine Ophthalmology (2 weeks each) Selectives & Electives (8 weeks) Second rotation of major postings Family Medicine (4 weeks) Orthopaedics (2 weeks) Psychiatry (2 weeks)	Clinical rotations: Internal Medicine (4 weeks) Paediatrics (4 weeks) Surgery (4 weeks) Obstetrics and Gynaecology (4 weeks) Anaesthesiology (2 weeks) Radiology (2 weeks) End of Semester Exam	Senior Clerkship (20 weeks): Internal Medicine (5 weeks) Surgery (5 weeks) Paediatrics (5 weeks) Obstetrics and Gynaecology (5 weeks)

6. What are the teaching/learning approaches used?
   
   The IMU has an integrated systems-based curriculum for its medical programme and uses a variety of approaches to its teaching and learning activities. These include lectures, problem-based learning (PBL), practical classes, independent learning, clinical skills sessions and clinical training with patient contact at the Hospital Tuanku Ja’afar, Seremban and other health clinics in Negeri Sembilan and Selangor.
   
   The early exposure of students to clinical experiences emphasises the importance of the basic sciences to its clinical application and serves to stimulate students’ interest in medicine.
7. When do students get clinical exposure?
   
   Clinical exposure to real-life patients starts as early as the first year. Students will have patient contact one day a week at Hospital Tuanku Ja’afar, Seremban, Port Dickson Hospital, Kuala Kubu Bharu Hospital and various community health centres in Negeri Sembilan and Selangor. These hospitals are approved by the Ministry of Health for the clinical teaching of the IMU students.
8. What is the aim of the clinical exposure?
   
   The aim of the clinical exposure is to ensure that students gain sufficient interviewing and examining skills before transferring to the clinical course provided by the IMU Clinical School or the Partner Medical Schools (PMS). In addition, they will obtain experience in the common presentation of diseases in Malaysian patients. This is important for their practice of medicine in Malaysia.
9. Where are the IMU Clinical Schools?
   
   IMU has three clinical schools, one in Seremban, one in Batu Pahat and the other in Kuala Pilah. The IMU Clinical School in Seremban is a purpose-built 5-storey teaching block located next to Hospital Tuanku Ja’afar, Seremban. This building with a built-up area of about 62,000 sq ft is linked to the Hospital via a walkway.
   
   Hospital Batu Pahat became an additional teaching facility for IMU in 2003 and currently Semester 10 students undergo their 6 months of Senior Clerkship at Hospital Batu Pahat. During this semester, students work in wards as junior house officers under the supervision of senior clinicians, in order to prepare them for their house officer posting. This is important for the students as they will be provided the opportunity of incremental responsibility for independent patient management.
   
   In 2008, Hospital Tuanku Ampuan Najihah (HTAN) in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan was sanctioned by the Ministry of Health as an additional teaching hospital for the IMU. An IMU teaching resource was set-up at a building near the hospital.
10. What are the teaching facilities in the Clinical School?
    
    The teaching facilities include:

    • Airway Research Laboratory
    • Library
    • On-call Rooms and Rooms Doctors’ On-call
    • Clinical Skills Unit
    • Navigator Research Unit
    • Problem-based Learning Rooms(PBL)
    • Conference Room
11. What teaching hospitals/clinics are used by the IMU?
    
    Besides Hospital Tuanku Ja’afar, Seremban, the other teaching hospitals used are Hospital Port Dickson, Hospital Batu Pahat, Hospital Kuala Pilah, Hospital Kuala Kubu Bharu, Hospital Gombak and Hospital Kluang. Students are also taught at district hospitals as well as community health clinics, government health clinics and family practice clinics in Negeri Sembilan and Selangor.
12. Who are the teaching staff?
    
    Most of the academic staff (which include local and overseas trained lecturers) are full-time. Through arrangements with our Partner Medical Schools (PMS), experienced academic staff come as visiting lecturers to teach specialised subjects on a rotational basis at IMU. In addition, experienced academicians and clinicians from Malaysian medical schools and research institutes, as well as consultants in private practice are also invited to teach the students.
13. What is the medium of instruction?
    
    The medium of instruction is English. Students who come from a system of education in which the medium of instruction is not English are strongly recommended to improve their proficiency in English by making their own arrangements to attend additional English Language classes before entering the IMU.
    
    It is compulsory for students to attend a course in Bahasa Malaysia as the national language is used in both community health work and the practice of medicine in Malaysia.
14. What happens after I graduate as a doctor?
    
    All medical graduates have to complete an internship or housemanship after graduation. This can be done in Malaysia or in some overseas countries. The IMU student who graduates from any of the Partner Medical Schools (PMS) can apply to the Ministry of Health for a housemanship position in Malaysia. In Malaysia, the internship is for 2 years.
    
    Those who graduate from the UK can apply for a house officer position there. Graduates from Ireland can apply for housemanship positions in Ireland or take the Proficiency & Language Assessment Board (PLAB) examination and apply to workin the UK.
    
    Graduates from Canada and the United States can apply for internship positions in the United States after they have passed the USMLE Step 1. However, they must also pass USMLE Step 2 before taking up the position. IMU Canadian graduates cannot undertake their internship in Canada.
15. Are students allowed to do their housemanship training overseas?
    
    Presently, those who graduate from the UK are eligible to apply for housemanship positions in the UK. Those who graduate from the United States and Canada can apply for residency positions in the United States if they pass the USMLE Step 1 and Step 2.
    
    Upon successful completion of the medical course, all students who graduate as doctors through the IMU, including non-Malaysian students are eligible for housemanship positions in Malaysia. Please note that the laws pertaining to employment are subject to change.
16. How can I do postgraduate training overseas?
    
    Doctors who have completed their house officer positions in the UK may apply to work as Senior House Officers (SHO) in the UK and sit specialist examinations e.g. membership/fellowship of the various medical professional colleges in the UK or Ireland.
    
    In the United States, when you apply for an internship position, you are also applying for a residency (postgraduate) position.
17. How can I undertake postgraduate training in Malaysia?
    
    The present programme for postgraduate specialist training for doctors has been on-going for nearly 20 years. The Malaysian Universities which run this professional Masters programme are UM, USM and UKM. It is a four-year training programme.
    
    Many Malaysian doctors who attend the local course also sit the membership examinations of the UK colleges and thus end up with postgraduate qualifications from the UK as well.
18. Do I have to serve the Malaysian Government?
    
    It is compulsory for all Malaysian doctors who want to practise in Malaysia to serve the Government for three (3) years.
19. How do I register to work as a doctor?
    
    The Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) is the professional body in Malaysia which regulates and issues the "Annual Practicing Certificate" (APC) to all doctors.
    
    All applications for registration and for renewal of APC are made to the MMC. The MMC is also responsible for gazetting doctors as specialists.
20. When should I apply?
    
    You can apply using your forecast or actual exam results.
21. Who will award the medical degree?
    
    The IMU will award the medical degree of MBBS (IMU) to students in their Clinical School. This degree is recognised by the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) and accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) formerly known as National Accreditation Board (Lembaga Akreditasi Negara or LAN). The degree is listed in the World Health Organisation (WHO) directory of medical schools.
    
    The Partner Medical Schools (PMS) will award degrees to students in their respective training programmes. Degrees from these schools are recognised internationally and locally by the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) for full registration.
22. When do I attend a student interview?
    
    All applicants who have pre-university qualifications that meet IMU’s minimum requirements have to attend an interview. The interview is to gauge the students’ aptitude and motivation for pursuing a career in Medicine as well as communication skills in English. Students will be informed of the date and time of interview after the application forms and all other necessary documents are received by the IMU.
23. Does IMU accept international students?
    
    The IMU welcomes international students. International students applying for the medical programme are required to check with the respective professional bodies in the countries they wish to work in on accreditation issues.
24. What should a potential student do to prepare for the medical training?
    
    All potential candidates are advised to try and obtain practical experience related to their intended career:
    (a) Voluntary work in charitable organisations, eg. Spastics Home
    (b) Hospital/clinic/pharmacy attachment for a period of 4 to 6 weeks
    (c) Talk to students and practitioners about the profession and life as a student
25. Compulsory subjects
    
    The Private College Act (Section 34(3) Act IPTA 1997) under the Malaysian Education Policy requires students to attend a course of instruction in Bahasa Kebangsaan (National Language), Pengajian Agama/Moral (Moral and Religious Studies) and Pengajian Malaysia (Malaysian Cultural Studies). At the end of the courses, Malaysian students are required to sit for the examinations. Students must pass all the papers during their time at the IMU. International students are not required to take the compulsory subjects.