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IN the world of medical education, alignment with global standards is integral for the provision of consistently high quality of care to patients. The UK Medical Licensing Assessment (UKMLA) aims to reinforce this, ensuring that all doctors in the country meet rigorous requirements. Governed by the UK’s General Medical Council (GMC), the UKMLA is a new assessment that tests the core knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to practise safely.
All UK medical students graduating in the academic year 2024-25 and beyond will need to pass this assessment before they can be registered to practise medicine in the country. As the international branch campus of the acclaimed Newcastle University in the UK, Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NUMed) is the only medical school in Malaysia that integrates the UKMLA in its Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) curriculum, providing a seamless pathway for aspiring doctors to establish their careers in the UK. “By incorporating the UKMLA into our MBBS curriculum, NUMed is not only setting the stage for our graduates to succeed in the UK but also enhancing the overall quality of medical education in Malaysia,” said NUMed academic affairs dean Prof Joanna Matthan.
The UKMLA strengthens graduates’ professional competencies, ensuring that they possess both the necessary knowledge and practical skills required to succeed in diverse real-world medical settings. Obtaining the UKMLA enhances the employability of medical graduates, opening doors for them to practise medicine not only in the UK but also other countries where the UK’s medical standards are highly regarded. Besides that, it ensures that doctors are well-equipped to provide safe and effective care to patients and contribute to higher levels of patient safety and quality of care within the healthcare system.
“We are proud to be the first university in this region to have a direct role in the development of the UKMLA. “Several of our academic staff are actively collaborating with the UKMLA team, providing feedback and helping refine the overall framework. “In essence, we are serving as a pilot institution, which presents an exceptional opportunity to influence its evolution,” Prof Matthan added.
NUMed’s first cohort of Year 5 MBBS students completed the UKMLA earlier this year, which included the Clinical and Professional Skills Assessment (CPSA), a performance-based evaluation. Among others, the UKMLA question format shifts the focus away from language complexity, centring on subject comprehension instead. This is particularly important in an international context, where students come from diverse linguistic backgrounds.
The question style is designed so that all students, regardless of their first language, can clearly understand the statements and are tested on their knowledge, not their ability to decipher complex phrasing. This format has been integrated into all assessments for MBBS students at NUMed, ensuring that they are consistently exposed to the single best answer format required by the UKMLA from the very beginning. “All of our exam content now follows this model, with every question designed around clear, straightforward 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. According to Prof Matthan, NUMed is the first university in the region to be directly involved in developing the UKMLA.
NUMed clinical affairs dean Prof Dr Harinarayan Radhakrishna noted that the university’s MBBS programme is already tailored towards producing safe doctors as required by the GMC and Malaysian Medical Council (MMC). “With the debut of the UKMLA, we have made the necessary minor accommodations, which included shifting some courses earlier,” he added. In fact, at NUMed, the UKMLA is a requirement for graduation, reflecting its dedication to producing well-rounded, competent doctors who are prepared to deliver effective and compassionate care from the outset of their careers.
“NUMed students won’t have to sit for any additional exams or assessments as the UKMLA constitutes their final year exams. This eliminates the need to travel to the UK for a separate assessment after graduation,” noted Prof Dr Harinarayan. In January 2025, NUMed’s first cohort of Year 5 MBBS students completed the UKMLA, achieving a pass rate of nearly 95%.
This commendable performance reflects the students' consistent ability to exceed the passing threshold. NUMed prepares its graduates for thriving careers both locally and internationally by equipping them with the resources and guidance needed to successfully navigate the UKMLA. Find out more about its MBBS and other programme offerings at http://www.
newcastle.edu.my , email admissions@newcastle.
edu.my , call 07-555 3800, or WhatsApp 011-1231 5411/012-784 9456. Prospective students are invited to join NUMed’s on-campus Open Day on May 3 to meet with students, faculty and staff, as well as explore the purpose-built campus.
Visit https://www.ncl.ac.
uk/numed/study-with-us/get-to-know-us/open-days/ for more details..
