Editor's letter [Medi-Scope : issue 11 editorial]

Abstract

This year marks the tenth anniversary of an unexpected re-orientation of medical studies which has had and is still having frustrating repercussions till the present day. In 1977 reforms in tertiary education were implemented despite strong protests by university students and the medical profession. Many students had no alternative but to persue their studies under the new scheme. The various subjects were covered in great depth during the very long hours of lectures, holidays were reduced and students struggled to study after working or lecturing hours. Never was a minute lost. University life was reduced to a purely academic one. Foreign professors lectured and examined students as was done in the past. The standard of medical education in Malta was maintained at the highest level. Never was it allowed to faulter despite what the BMA and the GMC(U.K.) were given to understand by some people who appear to have had, themselves, misjudged the whole situation. This resulted in the British Medical Authorities withholding the recognition of the Maltese M.D. degree despite the involvement of their own professors in final examinations and correction of papers. The consequences have been most unfortunate - we have been denied the right for further education in Great Britain unless we requalified in the U.K. after spending one year of pre-graduate training incurring enormous debts for the exaggerated tuition fees, board and lodging. At the end of all this we are then entitled to only limited registration enough to be able to complete one year pre-registration period as housemen. It is after these two years (at least) that we are then able to commence our post-graduate training. This applies to doctors who qualified between 1977 and 1986; those who qualified after this time, although having had identical training as their predecessors, have been exempted from the financial scourge and can requalify by sitting for the PLAB (or its equivalent) without the need to be adopted by a British university for one year. It would be interesting to know by what criteria was 1986 chosen as the dividing line. The afflicted doctors are further discriminated against by the different regulations of the different Royal Colleges. The Royal Colleges of Physicians, Obstetricians and Gynaecologists are allowing Maltese candidates to sit for the MRCP and MRCOG examinations. However, surgically orientated doctors can only do the prifTlary of the FRCS(Ed) requiring GMC(U.K.) registration to sit for the final part. Sub-specialities like radiotherapy, radiology, ophthalmology, etc. are faced with similar problems if not worse. Discussions abroad since May 1982 by Maltese Medical delegations and local meetings have yet to yield fruit.