Information about the NUMed MBBS course

LAST UPDATED: 16 March 2024

Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NUMed) is a medical school in Iskandar Puteri, Johor. It is the Malaysian branch of Newcastle University UK. I completed my MBBS course at NUMed and I worked as a teaching fellow at NUMed. If you are considering or planning to study MBBS at NUMed, here are some information about the course.

All information in this post are based on my personal experience in the course. I cannot guarantee that the information here is 100% accurate, and all information is subject to change from time to time. Therefore, in addition to this post, it is important that you also read the information on NUMed's website. The official website of NUMed is http://www.ncl.ac.uk/numed/ .

CURRICULUM

NOTE: The current curriculum is introduced for students who start the MBBS course in 2017 or later. This curriculum is significantly different from the old curriculum.

The MBBS course lasts for 5 years. All 5 years of the course are studied in Malaysia, but we can choose to study for a few months in UK during Year 2, Year 4 and Year 5. The course at NUMed is similar to that at Newcastle University UK.

In Year 1 and 2, we study several clinical cases incorporating anatomy and physiology of various systems of the human body, clinical science including pathology, immunology and microbiology as well as clinical reasoning and skills. The teaching sessions include lectures, seminars, clinical skills sessions, anatomy sessions and IT sessions. Most of the teaching is carried out at the NUMed campus. For both semesters of Year 2, there is the option to study at Newcastle University UK, but the number of places is limited.

The first semester of Year 3 consists of the following units:
- Essentials of Clinical Practice
- Medicine, Acute Care and Surgery

The second semester of Year 3 consists of the following units (for students who start the MBBS course in 2017, 2018 and 2019):

- Mental Health
- Reproductive Health
- Child Health

- Primary Care
- Student Selected Component 1

The second semester of Year 3 consists of the following units (for students who start the MBBS course in 2020 or later):

- Mental Health

- Reproductive Health

- Child Health

- Primary Care

- Clinical Decision Making

Year 3 is all about clinical medicine and we study about every disease in detail. Most of the teaching sessions are carried out in hospitals and community clinics. The focus is on taking histories from patients, performing physical examinations on them, determining the differential diagnoses, planning the investigations and planning the management.

The first semester of Year 4 consists of the following units:
- Clinical Decision Making
- Advanced Clinical Experience

The second semester of Year 4 consists of the following units (for students who start the MBBS course in 2017, 2018 and 2019):
- Clinical Decision Making
- Advanced Clinical Experience
- Student Selected Component 2
- Elective

The second semester of Year 4 consists of the following units (for students who start the MBBS course in 2020 or later):

- Advanced Clinical Experience

- Acute and Critical Care

- Elective

The teaching sessions in Year 4 are a mixture of lectures and seminars at the NUMed campus and sessions in hospitals and community clinics.

There is opportunity to do intercalation at Newcastle University UK after Year 2 or Year 4.

The first semester of Year 5 consists of the following units:
- Reproductive Health
- Child Health
- Mental Health
- Primary Care
- Good Medical Practice

The second semester of Year 5 consists of the following units (for students who start the MBBS course in 2017, 2018 and 2019):
- Acute and Critical Care
- Assistantships

The second semester of Year 5 consists of the following units (for students who start the MBBS course in 2020 or later):

- Assistantships

- Student Selected Component

Most of the teaching sessions in Year 5 are carried out in hospitals and community clinics.

For each Student Selected Component (SSC) and Elective, we choose a topic that we will study in detail. We can choose to do the SSC in Malaysia or in UK, while the Elective can be done anywhere in the world.

The hospitals and community clinics used by NUMed for clinical teaching include Hospital Sultan Ismail, Hospital Sultanah Aminah, Hospital Sultanah Nora Ismail Batu Pahat, Hospital Enche Besar Hajjah Khalsom Kluang, Hospital Permai, Hospital Kota Tinggi, Hospital Pontian, Hospital Segamat, Klinik Kesihatan Sultan Ismail, Klinik Kesihatan Mahmoodiah, Klinik Kesihatan Taman Universiti, Klinik Kesihatan Gelang Patah, Klinik Kesihatan Pasir Gudang and Klinik Kesihatan Pekan Nanas.

ASSESSMENT

NOTE: This assessment format is for the current curriculum introduced for students who start the MBBS course in 2017 or later. It is significantly different compared to the assessment format for the old curriculum.

There are several forms of assessment used in the MBBS course. You need to pass every form of assessment in order to pass a year and proceed to the next. An excellent performance in one form of assessment cannot compensate for a poor performance in another. You have up to two attempts for each assessment. The assessment at NUMed is identical to that of Newcastle University UK.

Year 1 and 2 are assessed by SBA, SAP, OSCE, in-course assignment, e-Portfolio and professionalism monitoring. Year 3 is assessed by SBA, WriSkE, OSCE, e-Portfolio and professionalism monitoring. Year 4 is assessed by SBA, WriSkE, MOSLER, e-Portfolio and professionalism monitoring.

For students who start the MBBS course in 2017, 2018 and 2019, Year 5 is assessed by WriSkE, MOSLER, e-Portfolio and professionalism monitoring.

For students who start the MBBS course in 2020 or later, Year 5 is assessed by SBA, WriSkE, MOSLER, e-Portfolio and professionalism monitoring. The SBA and MOSLER are part of the newly-introduced UK Medical Licensing Assessment (UKMLA).

The SBA consists of multiple-choice questions where for each question there may be more than one correct options while you have to choose the most appropriate option. The SAP consists of structured questions where the length of answer required depends on the number of marks allocated for the question. The WriSkE consists of questions that test your skills in prescribing and other related tasks. The OSCE consists of several stations where each of them tests on a particular clinical skill. The MOSLER has real patients where you have to take a history, perform physical examinations, determine the differential diagnoses, plan the investigations and plan the management. The e-Portfolio has several elements which you must complete to demonstrate your knowledge, skills and professionalism.

If you fail an assessment, you have to resit for it, usually a few months after the first attempt. Alternatively, you can choose to repeat the entire year. In any case, if you fail again after resitting an assessment or repeating a year, you will drop out of the course.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

You have to fulfill both academic requirements and English language requirements to get into the MBBS course at NUMed.

You need to have one of the following academic qualifications:

A Level: A, A, A in Chemistry, Biology and either Mathematics or Physics
STPM: A, A, A in Chemistry, Biology and either Mathematics or Physics
UEC: A, A, A, A, A in Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Advanced Mathematics I and Advanced Mathematics II
IB Diploma: Total of 37 points (including Theory of Knowledge / Extended Essay) with HL in Chemistry & Biology and SL in Mathematics or Physics
Ministry of Education Matriculation: CGPA of 4.0
NUMed Foundation in Biological and Biomedical Sciences: Overall average grade of 75% with 70% in English for Academic Purposes & Medical Studies and 75% in Biology 1, Biology 2 & Chemistry
Foundation courses: Monash University Foundation Year with a score of 85% or Foundation in Science courses from other universities with CGPA of 4.0
Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education: 5, 5, 5 in Chemistry, Biology and either Mathematics or Physics
Cambridge Pre-U: D3, D3, D3 in Chemistry, Biology and either Mathematics or Physics
Australian Year 12: ATAR score of 90
Canadian Year 12: Average score of 86%
American Advanced Placement: 5, 5, 5 in Chemistry, Biology and either Mathematics or Physics
Indonesian UNIPREP-UNSW: CGPA of 9
All India Senior School Certificate & Indian School Certificate: Average score of 85%

For all qualifications, subjects must include Chemistry, Biology and either Mathematics or Physics.

You also need to have one of the following English Language qualifications:

IELTS Academic: Overall Band 7.0 with no individual component lower than Band 6.5

MUET: Overall Band 4
O Level English Language 1119: Grade B

SPM English Language CEFR: Grade C1
IGCSE English as a Second Language: Grade B

IGCSE First Language English: Grade C

CAE/CPE: Scale score of 185

PTE Academic: Overall score of 69

TOEFL iBT: Total score of 100

If you resit for your academic or English Language qualification, it will still be accepted.

For all other academic and English Language qualifications not stated above, it may or may not be accepted by NUMed. You should contact NUMed to ask about that.

You are not required to take the UCAT or any other admission tests.

Meeting the academic and English Language requirements does not guarantee you a place, as the selection process also takes into account your performance in the interview, the quality of your personal statement and your reference.

It is possible to transfer from the NUMed Biomedical Sciences course to the MBBS course after completing 1st year. However, there is a limited number of places available.

If you transfer from another university to NUMed, you usually have to start the MBBS course from 1st year. It is not possible to transfer from the MBBS course in NUMed Malaysia to that in Newcastle University UK.

FEES AND SCHOLARSHIPS

The study fees is RM 100,600 per year for Malaysian students and RM 121,000 per year for international students. This fee does not include accommodation or living costs.

NUMed does not offer scholarships or loans. However, the following scholarships and loans may be available for the MBBS course at NUMed:

- Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman (YTAR) Scholarship

- Biasiswa Kerajaan Negeri Sabah

- Pinjaman Kerajaan Negeri Sarawak

- Dermasiswa Yayasan Perak

- Pinjaman Yayasan Sarawak

- Pinjaman Yayasan Terengganu

- AFFIN Education Financing
- MARA loan
- PTPTN loan

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

The intake for the MBBS course is in September every year, but the application opens as early as December of the year before. You must have completed pre-university before starting the course. However, you can apply before completing pre-university using your forecast or trial examination results. The application process involves many steps such as writing a personal statement, getting a reference and attending interview, so it is advisable to apply early.

For international students, the application deadline is on 30 June. For Malaysian students, there is no specific application deadline, but the application closes when all places have been filled up. I would recommend that all students apply no later than June. However, students who are UK citizens are not eligible to apply to NUMed.

To apply, you have to go to the official NUMed website and create an online account. You can then fill up the online application form. You need to scan your identity card/passport and the transcripts or certificates of your actual/forecast/trial pre-university (A Level, STPM, UEC, IB etc.) results, your IELTS/MUET results and your SPM/IGCSE results to your computer. You have to attach the documents to the application form.

You will need to write a personal statement in the application form. In your personal statement, you should talk about yourself, the reasons you want study Medicine, the positions and responsibilities you held in school/college and your hobbies. It is similar to writing a UCAS personal statement, except that there is no word limit and you can focus on one course and university. You can search on the internet for more guidance on that.

You have to ask a teacher or the principal of your school/college to write a reference for you. They will need to send the reference to NUMed by post or email, and this should be done soon after you submit the application. In the application form, it is stated about the information that needs to be included in the reference. You need to fill in the details of the person writing the reference in the application form.

After you submit the online application form, NUMed will inform you if you have been shortlisted for interview. You can choose to have the interview either at the NUMed campus or through video calling. It may also be possible to have the interview at other centres in Malaysia (such as certain education fairs) or at Newcastle University UK. Most of the questions asked during the interview are the usual interview questions for medical schools. The interview is an individual panel interview and it lasts for about half an hour. You can search on the internet for guidance.

A few days after the interview, NUMed will inform you whether or not are successful in being offered a place. If you are offered a place, you need to accept the offer and pay a deposit of RM20,000 within 6 weeks. You should also start applying for the accommodation. More information on accommodation can be found at the section below.

If you used your forecast or trial pre-university results when applying to NUMed, the offer will be a conditional offer. After your actual pre-university results is released, you need to scan the transcript or certificate and e-mail it to NUMed. If your actual results meet the entry requirements, the conditional offer will be converted into unconditional offer. You need to accept the unconditional offer.

NUMed will inform you of the additional steps that you need to do if you are an international student. A few days before the start of the course, you will move into the accommodation. NUMed will also send you a Welcome Pack by e-mail at that time. Then, you will register at NUMed on the start date of the course.

ACCOMMODATION

NOTE: The NUMed managed accommodation was previously at Horizon Residences. Since August 2018, the NUMed managed accommodation has been moved to Eco Nest.

You should start applying for the accommodation after you have been offered a place at NUMed. Basically, there are two options of accommodation available which are Eco Nest and Student Village.

Eco Nest is managed by NUMed and has better facilities. However, it is about 10 minutes' drive away from NUMed and is more expensive. The price is about RM1250 per month for single room and RM930 per month for twin sharing room. NUMed does provide free shuttle bus that runs between Eco Nest, NUMed campus and AEON mall. If you choose this option, you can apply to NUMed through its website. You need to pay a deposit of RM3000 when applying. If you want to park your car at Eco Nest, you have to pay an additional RM450 per year.

On the other hand, Student Village is not managed by NUMed and has less facilities. However, it is located within walking distance from NUMed and is cheaper. If you choose this option, you have to apply to the management of Student Village.

CAREERS

The MBBS degree by NUMed is officially recognised in Malaysia, UK, Australia, Ireland, Thailand, India, Pakistan, Mauritius and Maldives. As for other countries, they may or may not recognise the NUMed MBBS degree, depending on their policy.

Note that having a degree that is recognised by a particular country does not automatically guarantee that you will able to practise Medicine in that country, as there are often other requirements that you will need to fulfil.

If you are an international student, it is very important that you check with your country's medical council to ensure that you can practise in your country after graduating from NUMed.

While majority of NUMed graduates go on to do full-time clinical practice, there are also non-clinical career options available, such as in teaching, research, scientific journalism and non-medical fields.

To practise Medicine in Malaysia:

After completing the MBBS course at NUMed, you will be able to gain Provisional Registration with the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC). NUMed graduates are exempted from sitting for the Examination for Provisional Registration (EPR).

You can then apply to join House Officer training at a public hospital in Malaysia. It usually takes around 4 months to get a place. Note that non-Malaysian citizens are not eligible to join House Officer training in Malaysia.

After completing 2 years of House Officer training, you will be able to gain Full Registration with the MMC. That will enable you to practise as a Medical Officer in Malaysia and apply for Master's or Parallel Pathway programmes for specialty training. Note that applications for specialty training Master's programmes are extremely competitive.

To practise Medicine in UK:

After completing the MBBS course at NUMed, you will be able to gain Provisional Registration with the UK General Medical Council (GMC). You will then have a few options.

You can join the 2-Year UK Foundation Programme (UKFP). After completing Foundation Year 1 (F1), you will be able to gain Full Registration with the GMC and proceed automatically to Foundation Year 2 (F2). After completing F2, you will be able to apply for specialty training programmes in UK.

Alternatively, you can undergo 1 year of House Officer training at one of the eight approved hospitals in Malaysia, which include University of Malaya Medical Centre, Hospital Sultan Ismail, Hospital Sultanah Aminah, Hospital Enche Besar Hajjah Khalsom Kluang, Penang General Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kota Kinabalu, Kuching General Hospital and Hospital Sibu. After completing that, you will be able to gain Full Registration with the GMC. Note that non-Malaysian citizens are not eligible for this option. For more information, go to this link:

https://daniellimjj.blogspot.com/2022/04/malaysian-house-officer-training.html

You can then apply for the Foundation Year 2 (F2) Stand-alone Programme in UK. After completing F2, you will be able to apply for specialty training programmes in UK. Alternatively, you can choose to complete the 2nd year of House Officer training in Malaysia, after which you can apply for specialty training programmes in UK directly.

NUMed graduates are exempted from taking the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) test when applying for Provisional Registration or Full Registration with the GMC. NUMed graduates are also not required to take the IELTS or Occupational English Test (OET). However, if you are applying to join the UKFP more than 2 years after you graduate, you have to sit for the UKFPO Clinical Assessment.

Since October 2019, applications for UKFP, F2 Stand-alone and specialty training programmes are no longer subject to the Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT). This means applicants who are not citizens of UK or EU countries are now considered on equal footing with applicants who are citizens of UK or EU countries. Therefore, NUMed graduates have a much better chance of getting a place compared to previously. Nevertheless, there is no guarantee this will always remain the same in the future. Applications for F2 Stand-alone and specialty training programmes are becoming more and more competitive.

To practise Medicine in Australia:

NUMed graduates can apply for Provisional Registration with the Medical Board of Australia through the Competent Authority Pathway or Standard Pathway.

To be eligible for the Competent Authority Pathway, you must have completed Foundation Year 1 (F1) in UK and gained Full Registration with the UK General Medical Council. The Competent Authority Pathway does not require you to take any examinations.

If you do not fulfill the requirements for the Competent Authority Pathway, you can only apply through the Standard Pathway, which will require you to take the AMC CAT MCQ Examination and the AMC Clinical Examination.

After gaining Provisional Registration with the Medical Board of Australia, you can join internship training in Australia. After completing 12 months of internship training, you will be able to gain General Registration with the Medical Board of Australia and proceed to specialty training or unsupervised practice in Australia.

To practise Medicine in Ireland:

NUMed graduates are not eligible to apply for Medical Internship posts in Ireland. However, NUMed graduates may apply for General Registration or Trainee Specialist Registration with the Irish Medical Council after completing Foundation Year 1 (F1) in UK or 2 years of House Officer training at any hospital in Malaysia.

You are exempted from taking the Pre-Registration Examination System (PRES) test when applying for General Registration or Trainee Specialist Registration with the Irish Medical Council. However, you are required to take IELTS Academic or Occupational English Test (OET) Medicine. You have to get a minimum Band score of 7.0 overall and 6.5 for each component in IELTS Academic or a minimum grade B for each component in OET Medicine.

General Registration allows you to practise Medicine unsupervised in Ireland, while Trainee Specialist Registration allows you to apply for specialty training programmes in Ireland. Note that applications for specialty training programmes in Ireland are very competitive and places are allocated first to applicants who are citizens of Ireland or EU countries.

EXIT QUALIFICATIONS

In the case where you drop out or choose to quit before you have completed the MBBS course, you may be eligible to be awarded an alternative qualification. The qualification you are awarded depends on the number of years you have successfully passed in the course.

If you have successfully passed 1st year, you will be awarded a Certificate of Higher Education in Medical Studies. If you successfully passed 2nd year, you will be awarded a Diploma of Higher Education in Medical Studies. If you successfully passed 3rd year, you will be awarded a Bachelor of Medical Studies. If you successfully passed 4th year, you will be awarded a Bachelor of Medical Studies with Honours.

OTHER INFORMATION

The teaching at NUMed is excellent. Most of the lecturers are able to explain everything very well. They also try to make the teaching more interesting. The lecture slides and other learning resources provided are really helpful for revision.

NUMed provides good student support services that we can refer to if we encounter any problems. In 1st, 2nd and 3rd year, NUMed provides transport at no additional charge for travel to and from the hospitals and community clinics. Whenever we are posted to the hospital in Batu Pahat or Kluang, accommodation is provided with no additional charge.

There are good facilities at NUMed. NUMed has lecture theatres, seminar rooms, clinical skills lab, wet teaching lab, anatomy lab, IT lab, library, cafeteria and recreational room. Free WiFi is available throughout the campus. The food served at the cafeteria is satisfactorily good and is reasonably priced.

For teaching sessions at the clinical skills lab, hospitals and community clinics, the dress code is full formal wear with lab coat. All students are provided with a lab coat at the start of the course. However, for other teaching sessions at NUMed, there is no particular dress code and we can wear casually.

The MBBS course is challenging and can be quite stressful. There are multiple assessments that we need to pass. We need to really put in our efforts to pass the assessments. However, there is a great student community at NUMed. Students know each other well and there is good relationship between students. Students often have interesting activities together, which helps in reducing stress.

It is very important that you have a computer throughout the course. In particular, you need a computer to access the online learning resources and to complete assignments. Most correspondence with the university is also done through e-mail. All students are provided with an active Office 365 subscription for the duration of the course.

If you want to drive your car to NUMed when studying the course, you will need to apply for a car park permit which costs RM150 per year. When applying, you need to submit a copy of the car insurance cover note and your driving license.

To read about my experience in the MBBS course, go to the following links:
http://daniellimjj.blogspot.com/2015/09/my-1st-year-of-medicine-course-at-numed.html
http://daniellimjj.blogspot.com/2016/12/my-2nd-year-of-medicine-course-at-numed.html
http://daniellimjj.blogspot.com/2017/08/my-3rd-year-of-mbbs-course-at-numed.html
http://daniellimjj.blogspot.com/2018/08/my-4th-year-of-mbbs-course-at-numed.html

http://daniellimjj.blogspot.com/2020/11/my-6th-year-of-mbbs-course-at-numed.html

http://daniellimjj.blogspot.com/2021/08/my-teaching-fellowship-at-numed.html

For more information about the MBBS course, go to the official NUMed website http://www.ncl.ac.uk/numed/ . If you have any questions, you should contact NUMed. The contact details are available on the NUMed website.