Rehabilitation Medicine Department

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Master of Rehabilitation Medicine Degree

Type of Programme: 
The Master of Rehabilitation Medicine programme is a clinical coursework programme in which the research component comprises less than thirty (30) percent of the whole programme of study.

Entry Requirements:

1. Entry Qualifications

The degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery of the University or an equivalent medical qualification approved by the Senate; and
At least two years of post-registration clinical experience approved by the Senate of which at least one year is spent in in-patient care.

2. Other Requirements

Qualifies for registration as a medical practitioner under the Medical Act 1971 (Act 50) of Malaysia; and
Satisfies the Department responsible for the candidate’s programme of study in an Entrance Evaluation recognised by the Faculty.

Duration of Study:

1. The minimum duration of study shall be four years.
2. The maximum duration of study shall be seven years.

Structure of Programme of Study:
The programme of study comprises two stages as follows:

1. Stage I in the first year of study covering:

1. Basic Sciences of Rehabilitation Medicine.
2. Principles and Practice of Internal Medicine and General Surgery.
3. Introduction to Principles, Concepts and Practice of Rehabilitation Medicine.
4. Rotational postings in disciplines related to Rehabilitation Medicine.
5. The keeping of a log book by the candidate to document tasks undertaken.
6. Assignments.
7. Continuous assessments as prescribed by the Department.

2. Stage II in the second, third and fourth year of study comprising:

1. Rotational postings in specialised Rehabilitation Medicine disciplines and disciplines related to Rehabilitation Medicine of which six months can be in a rehabilitation facility outside the University recognised by the Faculty.
2. Research report.
3. Assignments.
4. The keeping of a log book by the candidate to document tasks undertaken.
5. Continuous assessments as prescribed by the Department.

Place of Study:
The Faculty may on the recommendation of the Department responsible for the candidate’s programme of study permit a candidate to undertake part of his training programme in another institution, centre or place recognised by the Faculty and approved by the Senate.

Research & Development

The staff members are involved in numerous research projects in various fields of rehabilitation medicine and its related fields.

The department also has been involved in international research collaborations namely with University of Melbourne and University of Indianapolis.

In 2001, the department was appointed as the official Collaboration Centre of the WHO ICF (International Classification of Functioning) Research Branch in Malaysia and is still actively involved in ongoing international multicentre research projects.

In 2006, the department started a 6 monthly research dialogue for the purpose of assisting the department’s master students in their research projects to ensure quality research output. This is done in collaboration with the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine and Health Research and Development Unit (HERDU).

The department currently has 20 trainees in rehabilitation medicine who go through a 4 year clinical master programme which also incorporates a research component.

Clinical Services

1. Recurrent services provide in department:
2. General Services
3. Rehabilitation Medicine Consultation
4. Physiotherapy
5. Occupational Therapy
6. Wheelchair Management Service

Specialized Services

1. Specialty Clinics - Rehabilitation Medicine Consultation
2. Neuro-surgical Rehabilitation
3. Neuro-medical Rehabilitation
4. Diabetic Footcare and Wound Management Consultation
5. Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation
6. Amputee Rehabilitation
7. Paediatric Neurodevelopmental Rehabilitation
8. Geriatric Rehabilitation
9. Sports Rehabilitation
10. Upper Limb and Hand Rehabilitation
11. Burns Rehabilitation
12. Diabetic Footcare and Wound Management
13. Orthotics and prosthetics
14. Pre-Driving Assessment
15. Work Resettlement
16. Psychosocial Rehabilitation
17. Swallowing
18. Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation
19. Scoliosis
20. Women's Health
21. Cardiac Rehabilitation
22. Wheelchair Seating Clinic
23. Vestibular Rehabilitation

Department Activities

Support Group Activities:

Apart from providing the core rehabilitation services, the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine is also involved in co-ordinating various activities such as the following:

1. Stroke Support Group
2. Amputee Support Group
3. Active Spinal Rehabilitation Camp
4. Paediatric Support Group
5. Cerebral Palsy Network
6. Persatuan Douglas Bader Kuala Lumpur

Medical Rehabilitation Welfare Fund:
In view of the pressing need for financial assistance in purchasing aids and equipment as well as other general needs for the under-privileged patients, the Medical Rehabilitation Fund was established on 8 January 1999. For further information with regards to contribution in monies and kinds to the Medical Rehabilitation Fund, the Operations Chairperson (Mr. Soh Say Beng) can be contacted at 03-79492594.

Current and Future Developments

With the progress and expansion of the unit in both the academic and clinical fields, the Rehabilitation Sciences Unit put up a proposal in 2006 for the formation of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, a clinical department which is involved in teaching, clinical service and research

With the formation of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and the formalization of the merger of its academic (FOM) and clinical services (UMMC) it is hoped that the field of Rehabilitation Medicine and its multidisciplinary components is better understood and its image and function more prominent.

Apart from strengthening and optimizing current clinical services, the department also plans to introduce new services as well as collaborate with other departments in the areas of vestibular rehabilitation, pulmonary rehabilitation, chronic pain management, rheumatological rehabilitation, lymphoedema management service and others.

As rehabilitation medicine is a multidisciplinary discipline, the department has put in its long-term planning, academic programmes in the areas of Prosthetics and Orthotics (in collaboration with Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya), Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and other related fields.

The department currently has 20 trainees in rehabilitation medicine who go through a 4 year clinical master programme which also incorporates a research component.

With the expansion of clinical services and the increasing number of trainees in the Master of Rehabilitation Medicine programme, the department is constantly reinforcing its faculty and other staff members. The department is also very fortunate to be identified for further development in the form of a one-stop comprehensive rehabilitation medicine complex in the 9th Malaysia Plan.