1 in 4 specialists mulling exit from public service, warns Schomos

PETALING JAYA: Nearly one in four government specialists whose applications for sub-specialist training were rejected, are considering leaving public service, according to a survey by the section concerning house officers, medical officers and specialists (Schomos).

Schomos, which operates under the Malaysian Medical Association, said a survey of 100 affected specialists found that at least 23 wanted to quit, with 51 undecided on whether to continue in the public healthcare system, and only 26 indicating they would reapply next year.

It said the survey was conducted informally among doctors affected by the health ministry’s decision to reject their applications for the advanced specialist training programme, also known as the sub-specialist programme, for 2026/2027.

“As long as the health ministry does not issue complete official data, this is the only picture available,” the doctors’ body said in a Facebook post.

Schomos said most of the affected doctors were specialists who obtained their qualifications through the master’s pathway, which classifies them as being on paid study leave throughout their training.

It claimed that 98% of the 307 successful applicants came from the parallel pathway programme, despite both pathways requiring trainees to perform the same clinical duties in hospitals during their training.

When contacted by FMT, a Schomos spokesman said the health ministry and the Public Services Department (JPA) had rejected the applications on grounds that the doctors were considered to have been on study leave.

This means the doctors did not have the three consecutive years of annual performance evaluation required for admission into the advanced training programme.

“Although they were on study leave, they were performing all the duties of a doctor in the wards. They also carried out on-call duties, among others. So whose fault is it that they were not evaluated?” the spokesman said.

“No one stayed home throughout the programme to study. You need the clinical experience. This is a technical snag that the JPA and ministry must rectify.”

The spokesman said that the rejections could deal a significant blow to the public healthcare system, noting that the affected doctors had an average age of 38 and had collectively contributed almost 1,100 years of specialist service.

“To make matters worse, about 23% were from Sabah and Sarawak, where the specialist shortage was very critical.

“Not only will the waiting period in hospitals increase, but surgeries too will have to be postponed if these specialists quit, ” he said.