In medical education, conformity with international standards is essential for ensuring consistently high levels of care to patients. The UK Medical Licensing Assessment (UKMLA) seeks to consolidate this, requiring all doctors in the UK to meet high standards. Regulated by the UK's General Medical Council (GMC), the UKMLA is a new test that evaluates the fundamental knowledge, skills and behaviours required to practice safely.
All graduating UK medical students from the 2024-25 academic year onwards will have to pass this test before they can be registered to practice medicine in the UK. Being the overseas branch campus of the highly regarded Newcastle University in the UK, Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NUMed) is the sole medical school in Malaysia that incorporates the UKMLA into its Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) course of study, opening up a smooth route for prospective doctors to lay the foundation for their careers in the UK.
"By integrating the UKMLA into our MBBS programme, NUMed is not just paving the way for our graduates to become successful in the UK but also improving the overall quality of medical education in Malaysia", says NUMed academic affairs dean Prof Joanna Matthan.
The UKMLA enhances professional competencies of graduates so that they have the right knowledge and practical skills needed to excel in varied real-world medical environments. The attainment of the UKMLA increases medical graduates' employability, which provides them with opportunities to practice medicine in not only the UK but also in other nations where the standards of medicine in the UK are of high value.
Apart from that, it ensures that physicians are adequately prepared to deliver safe and effective treatment to patients and help improve patient safety and quality of care in the health sector. "We are excited to be the first university in this part of the world to be directly involved in the creation of the UKMLA. Some of our lecturers are actively working with the UKMLA team, offering guidance and assisting in its overall framework refinement. In a way, we are being used as a pilot institution, which is a great chance to help shape its development," says Prof Matthan.
Amongst other things, the UKMLA question type defocuses away from complexity in language, favouring a centre on understanding subjects instead. Especially for use internationally, this is critical where students hail from a wide variety of different languages. The format of questions ensures that every pupil, whether of first or foreign language origin, can read perfectly well and has their understanding rather than decryption competence tested.
This pattern has been incorporated into all the tests for MBBS students at NUMed so that they are exposed to the single best answer pattern demanded by the UKMLA from the very start. "All of our exam content now conforms to this pattern, with each question written around simple, direct lead-in statements". It is a significant advantage for our students, as they are thoroughly prepared for the UKMLA right from the start of their medical education.
“In my view, this level of preparation is a distinctive strength of our programme and certainly a unique selling point”, Prof Matthan explained. NUMed clinical affairs dean Prof Dr Harinarayan Radhakrishna said the university's MBBS programme is already designed to churn out safe doctors as demanded by the GMC and Malaysian Medical Council (MMC).
"With the launch of the UKMLA, we have made the necessary minor adjustments, which involved moving some courses in advance", he says.
Indeed, at NUMed, the UKMLA is graduation mandatory, a testament to its commitment to graduating well-rounded, capable doctors who are well-equipped to provide effective and empathetic care from the very beginning of their careers.
"NUMed students will not need to take any further exams or tests since the UKMLA will be their final year exams. It saves the trouble of traveling to the UK for a specific test after graduation", says Prof Dr Harinarayan.
NUMed's first batch of Year 5 MBBS students passed the UKMLA in January 2025 with a pass rate of almost 95%. This impressive performance is an indication of the students' sustained capacity to go beyond the passing mark. NUMed equips its graduates for successful careers locally and globally by providing them with the tools and support necessary to successfully navigate the UKMLA.
