A preliminary programme offering observership opportunities for Malaysian surgical trainees in the UK has officially been launched.
The initiative was marked by a ceremony held at the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, during which a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was exchanged between the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), and Universiti Malaya (UM) to establish the Malaysia-United Kingdom Travelling Fellowship (MUTF).
Professor Rowan Parks, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, said:
“Through this programme, we’re hoping to improve healthcare systems by spreading good surgical practices and helping our members and affiliates learn new skills, foster positive relationships, and encourage long-term affiliations.
“Exposure to different learning environments is a fantastic way to achieve surgical training aims in different healthcare systems which trainees otherwise would not have had access to.”
The event was attended by The Rt Hon Ian Murray MP, Secretary of State for Scotland, and HE David Wallace, acting British High Commissioner to Malaysia, who served as witnesses to the proceedings.
The Rt Hon Ian Murray MP said the following regarding the programme:
“The UK is recognised for its longstanding and world-class professional healthcare education, and Scotland has some of the leading institutions in various surgical specialties and dentistry.
“The Fellowship which sees the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh collaborating with top Malaysian universities is another testament of the modern partnership between both countries. There is a huge potential for cross-border cooperation in the healthcare sector, and I hope to see this Fellowship programme expand to different surgical specialties in the future.”
As part of RCSEd’s dedication to fostering surgical collaborations between the UK and Malaysia, the MUTF will enable Malaysian surgical trainees to gain experience at leading surgical centres in the UK.
The first participant of the programme, Dr Wong Sui Weng of UM, will begin her fellowship at London’s St. Mary’s Hospital in 2025.
