Program Transformasi Minda (PTM) untuk Pegawai Perubatan Siswazah (PPS)

Here I want to share, as briefly (hah!) as possible, my knowledge and experiences in PTM.

Introduction

Previously known as the induction course, Program Transformasi Minda (PTM) compulsory for all new government servants and the contents and activities differ based on your positions. The aim is to introduce you to the technicalities of being a government servant- the rules, administration, and other formalities that you should be aware of regarding service in the government.

For new housemen, or Pegawai Perubatan UD41, the title above is what is is called, and it is held in specified places depending on your state health department (Jabatan Kesihatan Negeri).

For several states, their PTM is held in another state as they have less training hospitals and thus less PPSes, so it's not as cost-effective for the Jabatan Kesihatan Negeri (JKN) to hold their PTM on its own for such a small amount of PPS. For example, Pulau Pinang PPSes join either the JKN Perak or JKN Kedah PTMs depending on whichever state the hospital is closer to. And Melaka (for which the only training hospital is Hospital Melaka) PTMs are combined with Negeri Sembilan.

What it ISN'T

It has little content regarding your CLINICAL life as a houseman i.e. junior doctor; this is something you should have learned in medical school or during pre-HO courses. So be aware of what you should be expecting, and don't expect people to tell you what to do during tagging and the indications of different colours of test tubes for blood-taking. Not in the scope at all. But sometimes the medical doctors who give talks could possibly talk a little about your working life, except they're usually way more senior and the system during their time is different from ours. Take note, alright?


Before the Course

You should be well-aware that as an official government program, almost the entirety of the program is in Bahasa Kebangsaan. From the offer letter to the instructions and forms to the talks, you are expected to understand and be able to converse in our national language. Despite what you may think, I am very fluent in our national language but I am more confident in writing in English for my own reasons.

As I have mentioned in my previous posts, the PTM offer letter arrives after choosing your hospital through e-Houseman and nowadays they do not send the personalized PTM offer letter until you go to the course. So after receiving the PTM letter, in preparation of the PTM please take note the following in your letter:

1) Date, time, and place of registration

2) Documents and other necessities (as listed in the PTM letter)

3) Attire to have for registration.
Don't forget your baju batik! It has to be the real, hand-drawn (expensive) batik and not printed batik (i.e the one that looks like the batik you use to bathe or run around the house in). Depending on your urusetia of the program, your failure to conform to the attire might get you kicked out of the program. Nicer ones would just let you off with a stern warning. Once you start service with the government, just buy a pair of formal batik clothing (baju kurung for ladies and long-sleeved batik shirt for the gentlemen). One is enough for now; you can always add to your collection every few months or years. For PPSes, after PTM you rarely will need to wear this due to your clinical work. Admin/office staff have to wear them every Thursday.

Make sure you have those needed things packed and ready to go when the day comes.
Additional things you may want to take care of:

1) Route to PTM venue using Google Maps

2) Toll/fuel costs

3) Snacks to bring (some PTMs do not allow you to exit the premises once you join so late-night hunger pangs have to be considered!)

4) Stationeries and a small notebook for note-taking
Colour pencils, oil pastels and colored markers/pens may be useful for group activities later.

5) Iron
My accommodation didn't have this in our rooms, so we had to borrow each other's. Or have your clothes all ironed out already


On PTM Registration Day 

The registration usually starts in the afternoon, although most people would already be there by noon. The registration counters for my place opened about 50 minutes prior to the official opening time. To register, we had to hand in the following:

1. 2 filled Appendix A forms (Borang Maklumat Diri) with passport photos 
2. 1 copy of IC
3. 1 copy of medical report
4. 1 copy of MMC registration certificate
5. 1 copy of SPA offer letter

The registration counter has several lines and you are required to line up according to the hospitals you will be serving. I had to be alert and ask the urusetia or the people in the lines as to the order, because they didn't have signages indicating this.

Once at the counter, I gave the required documents and signed my name on a list. They will confirm that they have all the necessary documents and hand my official (personalized) PTM offer letter, as well as the program booklet which includes the schedule for the entire program, among other things. Then I had to queue in another line to get my room keys and meal card and officially check-in to the accommodations. My room mate was already chosen; I got a room mate from another hospital.

I happen to love that roommate in the short time that we were together, and I wish we went to the same hospital :'(

Anyway. Once registration and room has been taken care of, I was free to unpack and settle into my given room. Apparently for our grade, we got 4-star accommodations (I thought it was more to 3) so I can't really complain as the rooms were very comfortable and spacious. I was one of the earliest people to register, so I entered the room before my room mate but she joined me shortly afterwards because she arrived rather early too. Since we arrived super early, we had about 2 hours to kill before the first briefing was scheduled.

We both did not notice that lunch was already being served for us on registration day. It was actually marked on the meal card but, alas, we were too full of excited energy to notice and only noticed when it was so close to the briefing that the lunch buffet was already closed. Boo :'(

Remember to check your meal card upon receiving it and to always bring it around with you as you need it to join the buffet queue! This usually applies for the main meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner); tea-time and supper are usually prepared outside of the main lecture hall and do not require meal cards.

Briefing was done later and we had our first few talks on the first night. Tea and dinner were served and were good, as expected. We slept rather early the first night, compared to the rest of the nights!


PTM in Brief

So what to expect in PTM?

• Morning singing - please try to memorize the KKM song called 'Kami Sedia Membantu' a.k.a. Budaya Korporat. You might even be required to memorize other 'motivational' songs or traditional dances, etc, depending on where your program is.
• Morning exercises - guys have to wear collared shirts. Girls wearing hijab can have normal shirts. Girls without hijab also have to wear collared shirts. Rule of thumb: If your neck is visible, prepare collared shirts. 2 will do (the exercises are not that heavy but they do make you sweat).
• Talks - of many varieties. A lot of the speakers gave very meaningful talks.
• Group activities - can test your mettle. Be proactive and considerate; be vocal.
• More talks -  some may make you nod off, but do remember that you are already considered a government servant by the time you register and you are PAID to attend the talks physically and mentally. That may restrain you from full-on sleeping (nodding off sometimes can't be helped) and help you pay attention. It is your responsibility.
• Creative, artsy and drama activities - Let your inner artists shine!
• Dressing formally until 8.30 p.m. daily - Please prepare at least 5 pairs of formal clothing including batik.
• Leadership - ALL OF YOU.
• Emceeing - In Bahasa, so keep note.
• LOTS OF FOOD - Mm mmm. 5 to 6 times per day of meals. Do indulge before you are expected to skip meals later. Don't worry about the calories gained, you'll lose them within the next few weeks... Hehehe.
• Assessment - at the end of PTM you are required to take a (rather simple) assessment based on the topics covered during the 5 days of talks. Therefore, make sure you pay attention and take notes! The questions for my session were MCQs and there were 20 of them. I heard tell that they may be subjective.

I will not say more for fear of spoiling the experience for anyone else.

Participation in PTM apparently carries marks. They emphasized several times that we are required to partake and be proactive, and follow the rules and regulations because it IS possible to fail PTM, in which case you have to rejoin the next PTM (and thus have your service delayed by at least 2 months). So yes, although this is a no-brainer, participate in PTM with your body and soul. 

Because the moment you join, you are an official penjawat awam, with the title: 

Pegawai Perubatan Siswazah Gred UD41.

All the best!

P.S.: I am having palpitations for tomorrow as I will finally be going to the hospital for the REAL thing. All those talks... Ugh. Now to prepare and re-check all documents!