The College of Surgeons – Academy of Medicine of Malaysia said the parallel pathway curriculum follows the Malaysian National Postgraduate Medical Curriculum for Cardiothoracic Surgery.

“It also meets the cardiothoracic surgery specialty specific standards of the MMC,” it said in a statement.

The cardiothoracic surgeons trained under the parallel pathway programme linked to the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh have been put in limbo after the MMC refused to list them on the National Specialist Register (NSR).

Four of them have filed a suit against the MMC seeking a declaration that they are entitled to be listed on the NSR.

On May 16, British high commissioner to Malaysia Ailsa Terry said the GMC recognised all qualifications from the royal colleges in the UK, and confirmed that Malaysian parallel pathway cardiothoracic specialists may apply for registration as specialists.

In its statement, the academy said that while recognition of the parallel pathway qualifications by the GMC is important, the parallel pathway was set up to train doctors in Malaysia to become specialists, to work and treat patients in the country.

“Of greater importance to recognition by the GMC is the standards and quality of the specialist training,” it said.