But would Pak Lah listen, or is Najib gloating in silence? Are the medical deans fighting yet?
Did the medical deans have a sleepless night negotiating to allocate more seats?
Would the UM medical dean consider cutting seats for Perak College of medicine of students in favour of real worthy good STPM students who got denied?
Would the deans consider what Dr Abdul Latiff said today - to gauge their attitude and interview them before taking them in?
Anyway,.....
To those who complained because they get sent to UMS or UNIMAS, claiming that it was too far - GO FLY KITE!
You did not realise all the benefits of studying there. Shallow students you all.
To those who got medicine but not UM, and you are not happy - GO FLY KITE, silly boy! Stop the silly assumption that UM is the best. I say all local medical schools can produce great doctors. It depends largely on your attitude and your skills.
To those who thought they are on their way just because of straight As and filled up their choices without much thought and strategy - well, you have been complacent! You should have been more sceptical about the UPU and Professor Hassan. They are full of dirty tricks every year. Never fill in anything that you did not want to do.
128 pelajar cemerlang failed to get the course of their choice - MEDICINE
It is the time of the year again, when Prof Hassan would come out to bullcrap about the university admission. Just like any other year, some failed applicants with excellent results are very unsatisfied with the outcome.
The media today highlighted about the dissatisfaction. "Sorry, but too bad,.." I could almost hear the Higher Education Department say.
The cut-off points for popular courses like medicine and dentistry is 4.0, which is the perfect score. To me, this is absurd.
Here's why:-
1) Again, let me emphasise that high exam scores alone is not enough as a criterion to admit the really worthy medical students. This is especially true in the new medical curriculum that aspire to create holistic, ethical doctors.
Among the 128 denied who may have fallen short due to a poorer score in certain subjects, I am sure we can find better medical students, who can think and reason out cases better, deal with patients better and can weigh the balance between learning opportunities and patients' comfort and dignity. Scoring perfect in your STPM or college papers alone is not enough. Sure, diligence and intelligence is also a pre-requisite, but it is more than that.
Personally, medical students - who do not care much about the political scenario of the country, the parliament, the constitution, and have no slightest clue about the meaning of autism and ADHD till their 4th year Paediatrics posting- can be of the diligent and smart type also. But the fact that they are not well-read beyond the chemistry and physics textbooks proves the point that 4.0 alone is not enough.
On the other hand, someone with 3.75 and genuine interest who had volunteered for special children, old folks home, captained the school band, etc besides spending time in the library is a much better choice.
Bring back the interviews and good interviewers.
2) I do not agree that no matter how smart the mathematics can be, STPM can never never be made equal to matriculation, unless they cheapen the STPM syllabus. To score 3As 2Bs during my seniors' time is already a great feat, how much greater it is to score 5As. And to deny a 5As scorer in this current selection method is SILLY. How can someone who manage to do well in 5 difficult subjects be denied over someone who merely score 4.0? In Singapore, this chap may even have been offered to do a MBBS-PhD course.
Akhir kata:- I expected this to happen. Barisan Nasional can promise the sun and the moon of equality and all that - but in the end, THIS RECURRENT FIASCO shows that Barisan Nasional government, and the Ministry of Education especially, is still one big fat of B*LLS**T. I hope Lim Kit Siang and Karpal can make some noise about this, because highly unlikely our friend Ong Ka Ting would say anything except for, "err..nevermind, masuk UTAR..."
Do we have enough ears to listen and enough money to buy their records?
There is obviously an OVERCROWDING in talent search these days, thanks to the contagious success of American Idol.
We had Clarkson and Studdard, and Aiken, all three whom I have only heard of in recent days. Now we have Fantasia and Diana, 2 lovable singers awaiting singer-star success. When will Fox say - OKAY, we had enough Idols already...
Back here in Malaysia, the Idol (8TV) fever has just started. And that's not even just it, we also have the 2nd season of Akademi Fantasia, and then the copycat (but they have good judges) WHO Will WIn the Malaysian Topstar of NTV7 and Audition. Overcrowding, isn't it?
How is Vince (AK1 champion) and B'yu (Malaysian Popstar group) doing in their records sales anyway?
Probably the best person to teach about ethical standards in the medical profession is not the chairperson of the ethics committe of the hospital or some professor who self-claim to be an expert in ethics, but the housemen and the humble young lecturers who teach us something new about the art of medicine everyday.
Rumsfeld the idiot is still unrepentant about the Iraqi abuse.
Does it change anything even if he did take responsibility ?
Abdullah (who is increasingly becoming more like his former boss, much to my disappointment) has denied of abuse by the police. Either he is a permanent state of denial like many ministers or he is one naive CHUN DAN.
This show the incidences of torture of individuals under detention by the police.
Now that the whole of Ipoh's parliamentary constituencies are under DAP MPs, I wonder who our beloved alma mater ACS IPOH, would invite for their annual events - Speech Day, Canteen Day, Sports Day, etc ?
Would they still invite HO CHEONG SING or THONG FAH CHONG (favourites in their lists of guest over the years), although they now have added titles - BEKAS AHLI PARLIMEN.
or would they have the guts to risk the wrath of Tajol Rosli and JPN by inviting genuine MPs from DAP like LIM KIT SIANG, or FONG PO KUAN or KULASEGARAN ?
The second possibility is of course slimmer than none. And slim has just walked out the door.....
Guess which country is this? This country has a jumbo-sized Cabinet. The population of merely 2.3% of that of India, but with more ministers than India.
a few things I noted over the weekend via the net and the media:-
1) The Abdullah family control a.k.a. Khairy on the rise is the talk of town now. The tauke wonders if NST is doing the right thing by justifying Khairy's 'appointment'. 2 things to think about here:-
a) it may be true that Khairy is not an empty vessel but quite capable
b) However, there must be lots of capable people out there, far more experienced and 'older' than Khairy. Probably, the reason they are not recognised as potential COO or CEO is that they are not as prominent as being the PM's son in law. Anyway, this kind of 'shit' happens, just look down south.
2) Malaysian badminton players - the mentally weak with hypokalaemic limbs. Indonesia's team this year was one of the weakest I've ever seen. I have been following badminton since standard 1 like many eighties babies. Surely this is one Indonesian team the Malaysian could have beaten.
But look at how Choong Hann and Roslin played. 2 words - like shit. They played as if the net and the lines were Indonesian too. Some people said I should not be so critical of them as they were playing in a very Indonesian-noisy stadium. But hey, they are paid handsomely to play professional badminton - don't tell me they have not trained to ignore such STRESSful factors. Look at China and Denmark - both teams beat the Indons convincingly, despite the crowd.
Let's learn something from the Chinese - they slumped after the 1990 win, and LiYongBo and gang managed to build a new winning team. And they are still controlling the Uber cup. This is one thing we should emulate - ensure consistent supply of talents with no stupid excuses for losing. The last time we won the cup was when I was in Standard 5. Probably they want to wait for me to get married before they want to win again. That would be when I am 38. Go wait some more la.
Learn something from the Danish too - Kenneth JOnassen, though I hate his guts, is most probably the best fighter and the most valiant loser of the competition. He lost most of the games, but played well till the end. Probably he could have beaten Roslin 15-2, 15-6 if they ever met in second singles. The Danes were truly the second best currently.
3)Abdul Kadir is saying ASTRO should stop showing violent and sexual shows. BM papers: ASTRO patut henti siarkan filem ganas and lucah.
WHAT???!!! Hello???? what sex? What lucah???? Abdul Kadir unfailing uttered another piece of crap. Perhaps Malaysian TV shows the least sexual content compared to other countries. But yet, do we see an association with less sex crimes over here?
Kadir's definition of lucah and sex must be a tasteless joke. With something called National Broadband plan on the papers, it is ironic that we have such a shallow definition of what is lucah and what is not.
Contrary to what a dungu thinks, nurses are much more important than doctors, I think. They are the ones doing the dirty work, and carrying out most of the orders by the medical officers. In short, doctors cakap, they do it. Imagine a ward that is short of staff nurses. Chaos. Housemen will cry, students will be fried, patients will ......
So, dear nurses, Selamat menyambut Hari Jururawat, sambil makan kek tu, jangan la lupa tolong Dr.K*** buat PD.
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So, while there are renewed calls for salary increment for government doctors, why are the nurses keeping quiet? I think the nursing community must be treasured "like mad". Without them, 80% of the healthcare system tak jalan. It is high time to offer nursing as a professional and lucrative career option. The recent news about a nursing college in Manjong that failed to pay lecturers is a piece of embarassing healthcare news.
I remember a good friend, who is now a medical student, told me this:
"I had thought of nursing too, besides medicine."
I asked: "Then, what happenned?"
She said:"My mom, she's a nurse advised against it. She said it was hell."
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And yeah, by the way, there are quite a number of pretty nurses in Klang Hospital. : )
hmmm...some 'good friends' disagree with my 'loser' lament - I thank them for the 'encouragement'. Sorry if I made you guys feel bad too.
Well, perhaps the way I define the meaning of a loser is somewhat different?
A loser may not be obviously one. Isn't it?
Appearances are merely superficial, thus deceiving. Certaint things can be overrated, thus, misleading.
The defeats that are not obvious to all and the mistakes that the loser admit but preferred them kept as secrets - they can define the condition of a loser too.
Genuine victory is when you can look yourself in the mirror and knows you are doing the right thing, and knowing well how to do it. That's winning.
If not, perhaps, a loser we all will be.
Sorry for the 'discouragement'. Perhaps it is true I have been underrating myself and as a result, indirectly underrating(insulting) others too. Well, at least that's better than overrating yourself. That is a worse way of being a loser. :)
Case 1:
Got a message informing me about the death of a young fine Christian UM senior, that I had the honour of knowing for a very short period in my first year in campus. I was not close to him, but surely he has touched many many people, and would now be in grief.
I do not know how to respond. How do I tell those that are saddened that he has only returned to the Lord? How do I show that I am also saddened despite the mere acquaintance?
Whatever it is, I will remember his 'cute-ness' when being forced to dance on stage 2 Christmases ago.
Case 2:
A patient with filariasis and lung disease told me he was just waiting to go to US to look for an evangelist who would definitely heal him through the Lord in prayer.
How do I tell him that I share the same faith in the Lord, but not the promised miracles? That we do not need to have miracles, of healing of our diseases to have a fulfilled, prepared life for Him?
Case 3:
Did I think correctly at all?
Did I make the right decisions?
When will I stop being a loser in thoughts and deeds?
I do think American Idol is a nice show, especially the bad singing (even the finalist) and Simon Cowell, sometimes Paula Abdul when she is not lip servicing.
I also think Malaysians generally can sing better, even the karaoke competition in towns are equally impressive.
However, do we need a show like - The Malaysian Idol?
After all, we already have search talent contest like Akademi Fantasia, and Popstar. All modelled after some foreign shows. Not to mention copycats like WHo Wants to be a Millionaire, Famili Ceria, and all that. This kind of franchise, to me, is quite a bomb to local TV pride. Are we really that bankrupt in ideas that we have to follow other people's idea?
Everything, from the show format to the kind of judges is designed according to the original contest.
Perhaps we should stop following other people, especially the Americans. Yeah, the show is great, but no need to idolise them.
Perhaps, the only thing that we should model after them is the freedom of speech, where the president gets bashed for his stupidity and gets praised only when he does thing right.
*W.I.B is the personal blog of fooji. He works for the ministry of health seven days a week, skips his breakfast and looks forward to a good dinner at the end of the day.
w.I.b:warung ikan bakar:
