KOTA BHARU, Sept 20 (Bernama) -- Nearly 40 percent of medical specialist trainees at the Microsurgical Skills Training Centre (MiST), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), have been certified to serve in real clinical settings at the Universiti Sains Malaysia Specialist Hospital.
USM Vice-Chancellor Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Rahman Mohamed said these doctors underwent training using simulation models at MiST before applying the acquired skills in actual clinical situations.
He noted that MiST, located within the School of Medical Sciences (PPSP), was developed through an allocation of RM1.6 million to provide more comprehensive and systematic microsurgical training facilities.
"MiST is a comprehensive and fully equipped microsurgical training centre and is the first of its kind among public higher education institutions in the country.
"This project involved the provision of a conducive training space meeting the needs of microsurgical training, including the addition of surgical microscopes, training stations, internet access, as well as surgical and learning equipment to support individual and group training," he told reporters after the launch of MiST here today.
Abdul Rahman said the project, which was completed on March 15, supports training across various specialty fields including ophthalmology, orthopedics, reconstructive and general surgery, otorhinolaryngology, head and neck, as well as obstetrics and gynecology.
He stated that besides providing training facilities, MiST also serves as a platform for organising courses, competency assessments, and research activities through collaborations with domestic and international institutions.
"MiST has the potential to be developed as a national and international reference centre for microsurgical training, thereby opening up more opportunities for collaboration in education, training, research, and innovation," he said.
According to him, the facility is capable of contributing to the development of quality human capital in specialised medical fields, while expanding the culture of lifelong learning and boosting innovation and research activities.
"This initiative is also in line with USM's commitment to ensuring that the provision of medical education and training remains relevant to technological developments and current needs," he said.
-- BERNAMA