Not many wants to be cardiothoracic surgeons, Dr Annuar says on proposal to open UiTM to non-Bumis

SIBU (May 18): The proposal to temporarily open up Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) to non-Bumiputera students for the cardiothoracic surgery master’s programme requires the consideration of the number of doctors wanting to be trained in the field and the objective of the university’s establishment.

Education, Innovation and Talent Development Deputy Minister Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee opined that not many doctors choose to train as cardiothoracic surgeons due to the tough, tedious, and long training hours.

“As a starting point, my view is that we need to look into the objective of establishing UiTM in the first place; it is meant for Bumiputera students. If you want to change their massive policy, there will be numerous implications involved.

“With regards to the lack of cardiothoracic surgeons, it happens everywhere and not solely in Malaysia.

“People must know that training as a cardiothoracic surgeon takes a long time. Firstly, one has to become a general surgeon, following which one must go through a sub-specialty which is cardiothoracic surgery and that takes around four to five years.

“My gut feeling tells me that not many doctors are choosing to become cardiothoracic surgeons due to the tough and long training hours,” said Dr Annuar.

He was speaking to reporters after officiating at the ‘Jom Masuk U’ (JMU) Sarawak Zone programme at University of Technology Sarawak (UTS) here today.

Also present were UiTM Sarawak deputy rector (academics and international affairs) Dr Mohammad Isa Mohamadin, and UTS vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Khairuddin Ab Hamid.

Dr Annuwar was asked to comment on Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii’s recent statement regarding healthcare with the provisions of adequate and quality care to patients as it should not be politicised nor looked at from a racial lens.

Dr Yii said that the issue at hand is the severe lack of specialists, in particular those in Caridothoracic Surgery, and thus an option was proposed to allow UiTM, that is more advanced in formulating a cardiothoracic surgery master’s programme, to be opened temporarily to non-Malays before being transferred to Universiti Malaya (UM) once their master’s programme is fully developed.

On this, Dr Annuar said training as a cardiothoracic surgeon requires an individual to be extremely dedicated given the tedious training involved.

“I know this because I am a trained cardiologist (by profession). I work together with cardiothoracic surgeons and my wife is a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist. We know how cardiothoracic surgeons work and how they are trained.

“So honestly, how many of us (doctors) want and choose to be cardiothoracic surgeons? That is the big question.

“My gut feeling says no. Furthermore, the advancement in the treatment for coronary artery disease, which results in numerous complicated cases, no longer requires operation.

“The patients can be referred to a cardiologist for balloon angioplasty and heart stenting. In other words, the market for cardiothoracic surgeons is shrinking,” said Dr Annuar.

Given the development, he said the number of doctors keen to be trained as cardiothoracic surgeons need to be ascertained should UiTM choose to open up to non-Bumiputera students.

“If there are a huge number of doctors wanting to be trained as cardiothoracic surgeons and the country is in need of such specialists, then why not open the doors?

“I was told that UM will have similar courses in the future. If there is this form of agreement that it is merely temporary, then why not wait for UM’s programme to be fully developed?” he said.