I think I want to quit Malaysian housemanship and take a gamble on moving overseas. Am I being unreasonable?(sorry very long)
I’m currently on day 6 of housemanship, tagging in O&G, and I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about my future.
I’ve had a rough week, and yes, there have been complaints about me being slow. But honestly, that’s not why I’m considering quitting. Being left to figure things out is something other HOs have experienced too, and I know housemanship is supposed to be challenging.
I’ve just realised that I don’t think working in the Malaysian government healthcare system is the life I want for myself.
I know that might sound like a stupid reason to leave, especially when I’ve only just started. But I don’t want to get several postings deep, spend more time and energy building a career in a system I already feel disconnected from, and only then realise I should have explored other options earlier.
I graduated in June and started working almost immediately. Looking back, I think everything happened too quickly. My parents encouraged me to keep moving forward, and I’ve spent most of my life playing it safe, following the expected path and doing what I was supposed to do.
I’m 27 now, and I think I’ve been putting too much pressure on myself to get everything done by a certain age. I kept telling myself I was running out of time, but lately I’ve started wondering why I’m rushing through my own life.
I have an Irish medical degree, so I’m thinking of exploring the AMC pathway to Australia, as well as my options in the UK and Ireland. I know none of these routes is guaranteed, and I still need to confirm my eligibility, registration requirements and the practicalities of each pathway.
My current thought is to resign before I get further into housemanship, take some time to study and explore my options, and potentially find another job while preparing for the exams.
If things don’t work out, I can reassess my options, including whether returning to housemanship is possible. I know I need to clarify the reapplication rules before making any decisions.
I’m aware that leaving a secure, conventional path for something uncertain is a risk. I might struggle, things might take longer than expected, and I might eventually have to return to the path I’m on now.
But for once, I want to take a gamble on myself. I don’t want to make every decision based on fear, my age, my parents’ expectations or the idea that I must progress as quickly as everyone else.
I want to explore my options and see what kind of life I could build elsewhere. If it takes longer, so be it. I’d rather give myself the chance to try than spend years wondering what would have happened if I had.
Has anyone here left Malaysian housemanship to pursue Australia, the UK or Ireland? I’d especially appreciate hearing from Malaysian graduates with Irish medical degrees who have explored these pathways.
I’d also like to hear from anyone who left a conventional career path, took a risk and had to figure things out along the way.
I’m not looking for people to tell me housemanship is difficult. I know that. I’m trying to work out whether it’s reasonable to recognise that a particular career path may not be right for me and explore alternatives before committing more years to it.
I know it’s a gamble. I just think I’m finally ready to take one.