Medical school graduates barred from becoming doctors

Student hard work amounts to nothing when universities & professional councils can't coordinate on professional licensing exams.

EDUCATION & REGULATION OF PROFESSIONS

Medical school graduates barred from becoming doctors

Students' studies amount to nothing when universities & professional councils can't coordinate

You worked hard at university for several years to become a doctor, dentist, veterinarian, accountant or engineer.

Then you are told when you finish your studies that it will be impossible for you to become the doctor, dentist, or whatever profession you studied to become.

You are barred from taking the exam needed to get the license to legally practice the profession.

It's not your fault though.

It's because of a lack of coordination between your university and the organization governing doctors, dentists or some other profession in Thailand.

It is unclear which organization is at fault, probably both, but it is clear who suffers: you, the student.

Now that you've wasted four years of your life, it's just tough luck, go back to the beginning and start over again.

Better luck next time.

GRADUATED BUT CANNOT QUALIFY TO PRACTICE

From: Dumrongkiat Mala

To restate this chronic problem that is afflicting higher education in Thailand.

A growing number of university graduates are finding themselves unqualified to practice their intended vocation or profession.

They cannot qualify because their courses are not certified by professional organisations.

Many are finding that their years of intensive study and training amount to nothing.

It is worth noting that professional licensing and occupational licensing are forms of regulatory law and that many scholars have written on the history and typical problems encountered in professional licensing (for some representative writings see here, here, here & here) .

ATTEMPTS TO GET PROFESSIONAL COUNCILS TO AGREE TO RULES

The Office of the Higher Education Commission (Ohec) earlier tried to make a deal with 13 professional councils to work out rules to certify university degrees.

The professional councils could not agree to rules, according to permanent secretary for education Kamjorn Tatiyakavee.

A new law governing higher education is being drafted and this should ensure course content would be agreed upon by both Ohec and the councils.

Under the new law, Ohec would be in charge of academic work and professional councils would be obliged to certify the degrees, he said.

Councils will not be involved with the course arrangement.

The councils expected to be called to meet are:

1.   Medical Council of Thailand.
2.   Dental Council.
3.   Nursing Council.
4.   Pharmacy Council of Thailand.
5.   Medical Technology Council.
6.   Physical Therapy Council.
7.   Veterinary Council.
8.   Federation of Accounting Professions.
9.   Council of Engineers.
10. Architect Council of Thailand.
11. Lawyers Council of Thailand.
12. Professional Tourist Guide Association and Khurusapha.

MEDICAL SCHOOL GRADUATES WHO CANNOT BECOME DOCTORS

In 2008, five institutes opened medical courses and let students enrol although the institutes had not been certified by the Medical Council of Thailand.

This led to graduates being barred from sitting an exam to obtain licences to practice medicine.

DENTAL SCHOOL: FIRST TOO FEW STUDENTS, THEN TOO MANY

The latest case involves Western University in Pathum Thani.

The Dental Council last month decided to disqualify the curriculum of the university's faculty of dentistry for the 2016 academic year, saying the lecturer - student ratio failed to meet the council's criteria.

Council president Paisan Kangvonkit said Western University launched the dentistry course in 2009, but the curriculum was not certified until 2014.

The council then agreed to retroactively certify the curriculum to help senior students after the university upgraded its curriculum to meet the council's requirements.

"In the first period, there were 20 to 30 dentistry students at the university, which is not a lot."

"After the council certified its curriculum, the university expanded with the number of seats for students jumping to 120 each year, which is too many," said Mr Paisan.

"This does not comply with the teaching resources and number of lecturers. The council limits the number of the students at 80 per year."

Following the council's decision to disqualify the curriculum last month, students who enrolled in dentistry courses this year, starting in August, would not be allowed to sit the exams to obtain dentistry licences, Mr Paisan said.

"This means the graduates can't become dentists," he said.

REGULATIONS GOVERNING UNIVERSITIES VS. REGULATIONS GOVERNING PROFESSIONS

The problem stems from the differences between regulations governing universities and those regulating the profession.

Private universities stick to the Private University Act, which underlines only broad curriculum requirements, inappropriate for courses such as medicine or dentistry, he said.

"We consider the medical curriculum needs high standards as befits a matter of public health."

"The lecturer-student ratio should not be higher than 1:4 to ensure close monitoring," said Mr Paisan.

Students need at least 2,000 hours of training before they are allowed to treat patients.

STUDENTS HELD AS HOSTAGES?

Mr Paisan said allegations have emerged that professional councils were trying to interfere with curriculum arrangements in universities in a bid to gain benefits with "students being held as hostages".

"I want to make it clear that the dental council plays a role in protecting people who receive dental treatment and the matter has nothing to do with seeking benefits," Mr Paisan said.

"Therefore, the service providers must be qualified under certified education for the sake of health and safety."

PROBLEMS IN VETERINARIAN MEDICINE

Another example is the Veterinary Council that specified that universities which want to open veterinary courses must establish an animal hospital first to accommodate the training of students.

This is said to be unnecessary because the universities can form an arrangement with other animal hospitals where students can receive training.

On the other hand, councils are concerned about the teaching standards of universities, particularly private ones, which are seen to focus solely on making money, Mr Suchatvee said.

Councils fear universities will accept too many students, causing the quality of tuition to fall short.

"A way to tackle the problem is to bring both sides to talk and work on the rules, to ensure each curriculum is acceptable to all parties," King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) rector Suchatvee Suwansawat, who is a board member of the Council of Engineers, said. The various councils are likely to be called to discuss the matter soon.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1100889/lack-of-certification-stranding-students

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