How to become an oncologist in Malaysia?

This is a common question I get from fellow doctors who are considering oncology as a career.

In Malaysia there is only training in clinical oncology ( i.e. we do both medical and radiation oncology). There are a few medical oncologists in the country and they were all trained abroad e.g. Singapore, this is consider a sub specialty training within internal medicine.

There are two pathways to qualify as oncologist in Malaysia.

1. Masters in Clinical Oncology awarded by Universiti Malaya.
This is the main pathway and I strongly recommend this route.
Duration - 4 years
Institution - Universiti Malaya (the only university that offers this)
Hospitals - UM medical center, UKM medical center, Institut Kanser Negara in Putrajaya, Hospital Kuala Lumpur ( rotate between these hospitals)
Number of candidates per year: 16 in the latest cohort, has been increasing over the years.

Entry requirement (not exclusive, just highlighting the key points here)
- For Hadiah Latihan Persukutuan (scholarship from MOH): Minimum 3 years SKT, 85 marks and above ( full year means that the SKT was given to a full year of service, if one of the SKT was given to an incomplete year then it doesn't count). You must have this BY THE TIME OF APPLICATION

- For Universiti Malaya: Minimum 1 year of non-oncology experience (as a medical officer) within internal medicine, surgery, O&G or pediatrics (sub specialty within these fields also counted). Can be 1 year in 1 department, combination of different postings. This 1 year experience must be done within the last 5 years. You must have this experience BY THE TIME OF ENROLLMENT. (which means you may be in the midst of this non-oncology posting by the time you APPLY, and that's OK)
Oncology experience is PREFERRED.

Application opens around July every year, for enrollment in the subsequent June. If shortlisted you will be called for an interview in December or January by the faculty. Application is via HLP and not via UM. Search HLP KKM regularly to check.

2. Fellowship in Royal College of Radiologist (FRCR - Clinical Oncology)
This is an external examination offered by the Royal College of Radiologist. We are governed under the same Royal College as the radiologists but it's not the same exam.

FRCR - Clinical Oncology has 3 parts i.e. part 1, 2a and 2b.

There are two ways to go about this if you're based in Malaysia.

A) Sit for all 3 parts on your own. That's if you're very determined. Part 2a and 2b can be challenging without UK experience. (that's what I heard anyway, I am not there yet) I have only heard about 1 person passing all parts without UK experience. Upon passing the whole FRCR, you may apply to gazette as an oncologist.

For me I feel this pathway is very difficult as there's no formal training. Clinical oncology training involves a lot of skills development ( a bit like surgeon) in radiotherapy planning. It's unlike any other Royal College examination that you just study and pass.

B) Sit and pass part 1 on your own, then apply for an overseas HLP. Only very few candidates have been through this pathway. Essentially the idea is MOH let you go off for 2 years in the UK (you will need to secure the position in UK on your own) and pass part 2a and 2b within those two years and return to Malaysia.

I feel there are a few limitations with this pathway. Mainly the budget constraint. MOH has cut down a lot of overseas HLP due to budget constraint and given that the UM Masters is getting more established, it's very uncertain whether this pathway will be readily available. Imagine investing all your effort in this path, and then you get denied by HLP, or unable to get a training position in UK... the possibility seems quite high.

Many people asked me about FRCR. My personal take is do not depend on FRCR alone. My guess is many people are trying to avoid masters altogether, the stress, the relocation, the exams plus thesis, family commitment etc. But I think it just make sense to do masters, 'cause oncology training is a bit like surgical training, the skill development is so important. An oncologist who doesn't know how to do radiotherapy is like a surgeon who doesn't know how to cut.
Aim to do the masters in clinical oncology in UM ( reason being it's a safe option and training is structured). And if you want to do both masters and FRCR, you're more than welcomed to.

I will blog about how to study for FRCR part 1 in the next post, stay tuned.