What Are The Possible Career Options After Graduation

1.       General practitioners.

A general practitioner attends to patients with common ailments such as cough and cold. For more difficult cases, the patients will be referred to a specialist.

2.       Specialists

There are a number of different fields that you can choose from such as cardiology, neurology and gynecology, to name a few. Becoming a specialist requires a lot of hard work and minimum training of at least four years.

However, the advantage is that you will be able to treat the patient at a level higher that what you can do if you are a general practitioner. You will be responsible for the patient’s progress right to the end.

As a specialist, you can opt to work in the Ministry of Health or join universities to become clinical lecturers.

3.       Lecturers in pre-clinical departments.

If you do not enjoy treating patients and find clinical work to busy, you can join universities to become lecturers at pre-clinical departments such as anatomy and physiology.

4.       Researchers.

If you are interested in research, you can branch into doing research in various reputable institutions in the country.

As you can see, there are many options to suit everyone’s interest and capability. The main thing is to become a doctor first. People’s interest may change with time according to the kind of exposure and working experience they obtain.

Of course, it is also determined by family circumstances. Most lady doctors try to opt for the less busy schedule such as becoming lecturers in pre-clinical departments where they do not have to be on call.

What Sort of Thinking Is Required to Become A Doctor?

Medical students should train themselves to be critical in their thinking. This is crucial as critical thinking is a skill that is required to become a good doctor.

Seeing things in a holistic perspective is one requirement of a doctor. A patient will come to you with a complaint about their health rather than a written diagnosis. The complaint may appear to come from a physical illness but it may be a manifestation of a psychological problem.

 So, if one is able to see a person a whole rather than just focusing on a symptom, then one will make a good detective at finding the underlining cause of the symptoms.

In fact, a doctor is very much like a private investigator who  is given a clue by the one symptom the patient complained of. It is his responsibility to look for the next clue to get the diagnosis using his adequate knowledge of the basic science and correlating it with the clinical signs.


Attributes of a critical thinker:

• asks pertinent questions.
• assesses statements and arguments.
• is able to admit a lack of misunderstanding or information.
• has a sense of curiosity.
• is interested in finding new solutions.
• suspends judgement until all facts have been gathered and considered.
• looks for evidence to support assumptions and beliefs.
• is able to adjust opinions when new facts are found.
• looks for proof.
• examines problems closely.
• is able to reject information that is incorrect or irrelevant.
• sees that critical thinking is a lifelong process of self-assessment.
• listens carefully to others and is able to give a feedback.

-Ferrett S (1997)-

Lower IQ Linked To Higher Attempted Suicide Risk, Large Swedish Study

A large scale study of over 1.1 million men living in Sweden that spanned nearly a quarter of a century found a link between lower IQ measured in early adulthood and higher risk of attempted suicide later in life.

The prospective cohort study was the work of Dr Finn Rasmussen, a professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, and colleagues from the UK and Australia. They wrote a paper about it published in the 3 June online issue of the British Medical Journal, BMJ.

As well as exploring the links between early IQ scores and attempted suicide, Rasmussen and colleagues wanted to see if psychosis made a difference and also how variations in early IQ might relate to methods of attempted suicide.

Described as the largest study of its kind, they examined the medical records of nearly 1,109,500 men aged between 16 and 57 years living in Sweden.

Of these Rasmussen and colleagues found that nearly 18,000 (1.6 per cent) had been admitted to hospital at least once for attempting suicide during 24 years of follow up (after having IQ tested).

They found that men with the lowest early adulthood IQ scores were almost nine times more likely to attempt suicide then those with the highest, and there was a stepwise increase in risk across the full IQ range, which was "evident for attempted suicide by any means and for seven specific methods".

The authors wrote that while adjustment for "childhood and adult socioeconomic status and, to a greater extent, education led to a reduction in magnitude", the links remained strong.

However, for men who had been diagnosed with psychosis before attempting suicide, a separate analysis showed there was no such link between IQ level and attempted suicide risk.

They concluded that "low IQ scores in early adulthood were associated with a subsequently increased risk of attempted suicide in men free from psychosis," and recommended looking more closely at the underlying mechanisms to see if they reveal opportunities to intervene and reduce rates of suicide among men.

Speculating on the reasons behind the link, they suggested perhaps because people with lower IQ tend to have lower socioeconomic status and income, they could face more social and financial hardship, leading to their having more suicidal thoughts and behaviours.

They also mentioned that unhealthy lifestyle (eg binge drinking) has also been linked with lower IQ, and this could also affect frequency of suicidal thinking, plus other studies have also linked lower IQ with lower problem solving skills, and this could affect resilience to stress.

Another possibility is some research suggests that exposure to violence in childhood, either as a victim or a witness, can hamper IQ development as well as influence future suicide risk.

"Psychosis alters association between IQ and future risk of attempted suicide: cohort study of 1 109 475 Swedish men."
G David Batty, Elise Whitley, Ian J Deary, Catharine R Gale, Per Tynelius, Finn Rasmussen.
BMJ 2010;340:c2506 
Published online 3 June 2010
DOI:10.1136/bmj.c2506

Source: BMJ.

Written by: Catharine Paddock, PhD 
Copyright: Medical News Today 

Motion Graph

Motion graphs can tell you how far a body has travelled, how fast it is moving and all the speed changes there have been.

Distance - time graph ( s-t graph )

Distance of a body from start point is measured. Here are 4 examples of the motion of a car represented by 4 s-t graph

Case 1 : A car is travelling at constant speed
	Case 2 : A car is travelling with increasing velocity
Case 3 : A car is travelling with decreasing velocity
	Case 4 : A car is at rest (stationary)

In a s-t graph, the velocity at any time is given by the slope of tangent to the graph at the instant. If the speed is uniform, the graph inclined straight line.

Speed - time graph ( v-t graph )

v-t graph gives the velocity of a moving object at different time. Here are 4 v-t graph representing the motion of 4 cars:

The acceleration at any time is given by the slope of tangent to the graph at that time

The area enclosed by the graph between a certain time interval represent the displacement of the car travelled during that time interval.

Many students may get confused when they deal with the above graph. We are going to explain it region by region.

• ab : Object increases its velocity from rest. (Acceleration)
• bc : Object decreases its velocity to zero. (Deceleration)
• cd: Object INCREASES its velocity from rest but it travel in REVERSE direction. (ACCELERATION)
• de: Object DECREASES its velocity to zero and it travel in REVERSE direction. (DECELERATION)

Acceleration - time graph ( a-t graph )

The a-t graph gives the acceleration of a moving object at different times.

Here are 3 examples of a-t graph representing the motion of 3 different cars

Case 1 : From this graph, we know that the speed is increasing and the s-t graph should also be increasing with a concave downward shape.
Case 2 : From this graph, we know that the object should either travel in constant speed or at rest.
Case 3 : From this graph, the v-t graph and s-t graph are all increasing with concave downward shape.

The area enclosed by the graph between a certain time interval represents the change in velocity during that time interval.

Oh, the graph with this shape again!!!. This time, it is a a-t graph. Let's see how to interpret it.

• ab : Increasing acceleration (Velocity increases and the rate is faster and faster)
• bc : Decreasing acceleration (Velocity still increases but the rate is slower and slower)
• cd : Increasing deceleration (Velocity decreases and the decreasing rate is faster and faster)
• de : Decreasing deceleration (Velocity decreases but the decreasing rate is slower and slower)

Can I be A Doctor One Day?

This morning I woke up quite early. As saying goes the early bird catches the worm, so if I were a bird of course now I’m flying over here and there looking for worms. But as  humankind I’m ‘flying’ through internet searching several things to write on. Huhu I don’t know what kind of thing should I ‘voice out’ in my personal blog. After all I remember that I got something that  to do; it should be beneficial if I continue writing on about “How to Become A Good and Successful medical student.  In accordance to  the title stated above it is something that I’m truly don’t know whether I’m in a right track or not. So let’s see what Prof said about it.

If you are determined and remain focused in your goal, have a strong discipline in your study methods and maintain a healthy attitude in your study and course work, you will succeed to become a doctor. You must be positive in your attitude during the process of becoming a doctor.

Recall the time in school when you were doing so well and were the teacher’s pet. (How can I recall if in my previous school I had never been my teachers’ as I always play truancy ). Recall how confident you were to speak in public and answer question intelligently in class. In every person there is tremendous potential and Allah permitting nothing or no one can come in your way from achieving your primary ambition.

Studying medicine requires that you remain organized, consistent, disciplined and interested throughout the five years of study. Each year in medical school may require different components of your capability in varying proportions such as the capability for understanding, synthesizing, evaluating, public speaking and communicating.

The list is too long to describe but you can rest assure that the training in medicine will make you become a wholesome person possessing good values and social skills.

1. Have I chosen the correct field?

According to this book the author assumed that the fact you are reading this book is an indication that you are aiming to become an excellent doctor. If you are person who is concerned about the well being of others and is always happy to lend a helping hand, then you are in the correct profession. Hmm it's that true of what did she wrote?? This is because i'm still wondering why i chose medical field as my choice. It's ok maybe there is 'something' that I couldn't find in myself why i chose it..because of money?interested in?fardhu kifayah? Of course the last one is true as it is good n useful for well being n it is indeed a profitable deeds.

Continue.. Prof in addition said that if u are ready to work hard n strive to know as much as possible about the human body so as to be able to relieve another human suffering, then you are off to a good start and will receive all the blessings of Allah. According to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) there are five things that are very much encouraged to be performed.One of them is relieving the suffering of others. There is no job in trying to achieve this than being in the medical field, as people who come to you are those with some form of suffering, as it physical or mental.

Imagine the change you can make to the lives of others. As an example, imagine a person who is blind in both eyes due to bilateral cataract being able to see the very next day after surgery.

According to Prof's experience, she have seen many patients who are in tears after being able to see their loved ones once the eye bandage is removed following a cataract surgery. For many of them who appears morose before the operation, their facial expressions entirely change and their level of activity at home improves.

As a doctor you have the ability and opportunity to make a difference in people's lives.

Another hadith states that whenever a person leaves his house with the intention of helping another human being, Allah will give him the blessing equivalent to someone who performs "iktikaf" (meditates in the mosque) for a month.

So, a doctor who leaves his house to help other people will get the blessing from Allah all day long, provided he is sincere and does not expect any direst reward drom the person that he helps.

I (Prof) am sure by now you have realised that having a strong spiritual conscience would increase a person to become a doctor and help the needy.

How to become a good & successful medical student.

Yesterday my father bought me a motivational book on title "How to become a good & successful medical student". I thought that this book is really supportive n helpful for medical students n not only for them , I think it is good also for other students to follow though. As what at the front book displayed n written 'a holistic approach', it is of course useful for students due to its accomplished collection of discussion n custom problems raised faced by medical students is enthusiastically answered by the book author Prof. Dr. Muhaya Haji Mohamad M.D.,Ph.D of UKM. I have gone through the book and i think it is good if i could share with readers concerning the method n steps suggested by her. I hope that I won't do copyright infringement as i'll state along the resources n of course it is not done for money interest..



Title: HOW TO BECOME A SUCCESSFUL MEDICAL STUDENT ~A Holistic Approach
Author: Prof. Dr. Muhaya Hj Mohamad M.D, Ph.D
No of Pages: 116
Approach: simple & islamic. Simply understood language
1st Printing : 2005

Prof Dr Muhaya Hj Mohamad (Currently is the Coordinator of the Postgraduate Opthalmology Training 
Program, and Chairperson of the Reserach Committee of the Department of Opthalmology, UKM)

Below I provide for you the readers the chapters n FAQ contained in this book :

CHAPTER 1: Have I Made the Correct Decision?
1. Have I chosen the correct field?
2. Can I be a doctor one day?
3. What sort of thinking is required to become a doctor?
4. What are the possible career options after graduation?

CHAPTER 2: Getting Ahead of Time
5. Can I study and lead a reasonable life at the same time?
6. How do I manage my time and plan an effective study schedule?
7. Should I involve myself in many co-curricular activities?

CHAPTER 3: Potential Traps for Meddical Students
8. What are the common problems for First Year medical students?
9. What are the common traps of studying?

CHAPTER 4: I Sure Love Those Lectures
10. How do I get the maximum benefit from the lectures?
11. What do I do when the subject is really boring and I do not understand the lectures?

CHAPTER 5: Am I Doing It Right?
12. What are the effective study habits?
13. How do I study smart?
14. How to read quickly?
15. How do I overcome the frustration of studying difficult subjects?
16. How do I remember what I have studied?
17. Must I have a study group?

CHAPTER 6: Am I a Good Friend?
18. How do I deal with friends who are always depending on me for lecture notes?
19. How do I deal with friends who are always asking me to teach them?
20. How do I overcome envy of other people's achievements?

CHAPTER 7: Facing the Examinations
21. How can I pass all the examinations?
22. How do I prepare for MCQs?
23. How do I write a good essay?

CHAPTER 8: Can I Do it?
24. How do I overcome inferiority complex?
25. What do I do if I lose the motivation to study?
26. How do I keep my interest in medicine going?
27. What do I do if I do not feel like following other people's advice and want to do things my own way?

CHAPTER 9: Can I Be a Good Clinician?
28. How do I clerk a case well?
29. How do I present well in case presentation?
30. How do I get the patients to cooperate with me during ward work and clinical examinations?
31. How do I make full use of my clinical sessions in the clinic?
32. How do I correlate the basic sciences to the clinical subjects?

CHAPTER 10: Assets of A Good Medical Student

APPENDIX
1- Effective note taking
2- Paying attention in class
3- MURDER study system
4- Speed reading & comprehension
5- Effective reading & comprehension
6- Taking notes from a textbook
7- Flip card technique to enhance your memory of a subject
8- Ten tips for test taking
9- Point to ponder

After sometimes, I will provide the link for each chapter when I manage to finish the description of particular 
chapter or topic above. You only have to hover over the particular one n it will direct you to the link.
Ok..that is for this times..