MOU for the Cardiothoracic Quadripartite Examination

The training of Cardiothoracic Surgeons in Malaysia took a giant leap forward with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, U.K., and the Academy of Medicine of Malaysia, the College of Surgeons of Hong Kong, and the Joint Committee of Specialist Training of Singapore, establishing a Quadripartite Exit Examination in Cardiothoracic Surgery involving the four parties.

The MOU was signed, 15.9.18, in Hong Kong by Prof Michael Lavelle-Jones (President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh), Prof Dato' Dr Hanafiah Harunarashid (President of the College of Surgeons of Malaysia), Prof Paul Lai (President of the College of Surgeons of Hong Kong), and Prof Raja Amin Raja Mokhtar (President of the Malaysian Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery). It had also been signed by Dr S Sayampanathan and Assoc Prof Chen Fun Gee (Co-Chairmen of the Joint Committee of Specialist Training of Singapore). The signing ceremony was witnessed by Prof Dr John Chan Kok Meng (Honorary Secretary of the Malaysian Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, and the Malaysian Board of Cardiothoracic Surgery), Prof Malcolm Underwood (Chairman of the Cardiothoracic Examination Board of Hong Kong), and Mr Timothy Graham (Head of Professional Standards of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh).

This new Quadripartite Exit Examination in Cardiothoracic Surgery is a key part of the National Cardiothoracic Training Program which started in July 2016 with its first intake of 4 Training Fellows. A total of 13 Training Fellows have now been appointed with the aim of appointing 24 Training Fellows by 2021. The six-year structured training program in five national training centres is quality assured by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Training fellows will take the Quadripartite Exit Examination at the end of their specialist training and will be awarded Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in Cardiothoracic Surgery (FRCS Ed Cardiothoracic) on successfully passing the exams. A Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) will also be awarded by the Malaysian Board of Cardiothoracic Surgery on successfully completing the training program.