Pharmacist is used to be a very high demand low supply job. Used to be... several years ago... Then everyone start taking pharmacy courses because it seemed to have a guaranteed employment. And now, there are too many pharmacy graduates. Personally, I don't think it's right to say that there are too many pharmacists because we have not reach the ideal ratio of 1 pharmacist to 2000 patients.

So then why the current scenario in the government healthcare sector? Read: My previous post about Contract Provisionally Registered Pharmacists (PRP)

Well, you can guess the reason. Heard that recruitment was frozen in ALL government sectors, not just in the Ministry of Health.

Anyway, lemme explain on this pharmacist employment saga that's still ongoing in our country.

First, you have to know that few years ago, every pharmacy graduate who applied for PRP training in government hospitals would get recruited 100%. Even though they had to attend interview, it's just a formality. The failure rate of the interview was 0.

Things changed when it came to our batch. We were the first batch who had to go through this saga. We were called the 'lab rats' because we were the ones who would have to walk this new path with so many uncertainties and our juniors just follow our footsteps.

First time in Malaysia's history that 50% of the pharmacy graduates failed the interview. Some were given the title --- lantikan simpanan, which means they didn't fail the interview but their posting was on hold. They were given the 'lantikan tetap' a few months after the first batch of lantikan tetap started their PRP though. And the 50% who failed the interview had no idea why they failed and what happens next.

Some cannot wait anymore and decided to join the private sector. Many still hold on to the hope that government will accept us. I was one of them who waited till the end.

Then, they held a second interview which resulted in ALL of the interviewees got absorbed... but there's a catch --- we became the first batch of Contract PRP. Read: My previous post about Contract Provisionally Registered Pharmacists (PRP)

So, the first batch of Contract PRP had gone through their training for one year and got their FRP certification. And we expected to know whether we got permanent post (lantikan tetap) or not at this point of time. But there was no news. Nobody knows what was the situation, even the SPA didn't know. Now that I read back my old post about what we learned in PTM, we were supposed to be evaluated in the first PRP year and get our results before we start our second year of service as FRP.

But that's not what happened. We were introduced Borang UF-01 and UF-02 which were new evaluation forms that they created out of the blue. These were not mentioned at all during PTM. And frankly these forms were quite ridiculous. I mean, who would manage to get Excellence Award during their PRP training? =.=

After we submitted all our logbooks, evaluation forms and documents, we waited aimlessly for our FRP posting. We've done this around December 2017 which was precisely one year after we started PRP.

We only got our FRP posting around February, which means we floated in our PRP hospitals for around 2 months. We still didn't know whether we got absorbed as permanent FRP. We were only told that every Contract FRP had to stay in the same state government because of the troublesome procedures of changing states.

So, just like that, we worked as Contract FRP for another one year... without knowing anything about the permanent posts. Every now and then, the goverment would hold meetings or talks regarding this issue with some of the Contract FRP but it seemed that they always change something in what they said.

Finally, at the END of November (28 Nov precisely), they released the results. Only 162 Contract FRP got absorbed as permanent FRP out of 500 people. Nobody knows how they chose the 162 FRP. What we can see is a pattern where most of the FRP who did their PRP in big hospitals didn't get, while many of them who did PRP in small district hospitals got it.

So, naturally, there's some dissatisfaction among those who didn't get. Even the Chief of Pharmacists of the big hospitals were unhappy with the results too. They've demanded the MOH to give them transparency on how they choose. This is what currently happening and we're still waiting to see what'll happen.

Well me, I'm one of the 162 who got absorbed. And honestly I feel it was all based on my luck. Maybe I was lucky that I made the right choice 2 years ago when I chose HKKB. I was lucky that I have a good boss and preceptors who are generous in giving marks. And I know why those who didn't get feel what they're feeling now. If I didn't get, I would feel the same way too because it's obviously an unfair system.

In fact, everything has been unfair for us since the beginning. Since the first interview, we were evaluated by different interviewers at different places. We failed the interview without knowing the reasons. So, honestly if I didn't get the permanent post this time, I would just accept the unfairness and just moved on. I'm already used to it in this country and heck... already expected it.. Don't think I would react so extremely like some... but I guess they really did work really hard and had high expectation to get the permanent post. But I think they really deserve it. And I think I also deserve it because I worked hard too. Nevertheless, I couldn't deny that luck helped me this time..

And I couldn't imagine what I gonna do if I found out I didn't get absorbed. I had to start going for interviews and searching for jobs OMG.

However, not everything goes in my favour. Those who didn't get absorbed automatically will retain in the same facility for another one year contract but those who got absorbed didn't know their place of posting yet. Around one week (5 December) after the announcement of permanent post, we got our posting results.

As expected, I GOT SABAH. 

Bight side is, my PRP partner Sikin and another friend from IMU also got Sabah.

Hahah I kept telling Sikin that we most probably will get Sabah because during interview we filled Sabah as second place that we want to get posted to (in hope that it would give us higher chance of passing the interview)... And we really got posted to Sabah!

When I first got to know I got posted to Sabah, I didn't feel any intense emotion. I just felt unlucky. Only 4 people got Selangor, 2 people got Negeri Sembilan, 3 people got Melaka.... Basically those popular states only had few people got posted there.... But I felt those who got Pahang (around 20 people) also luckier than me coz at least Pahang is still in West Malaysia even though there are many 'kampung' places in Pahang also..

After 3 days, I started to feel sad wtf. Coz people told me that those who got posted to Sabah very hard to transfer back to West Malaysia. Some even worked there for 6-10 years already. I thought of the days I could spend with my parents.... my dog... become so little... so sad. What happens if my dog become ill when I'm working in Sabah? Would I be able to take long leave to accompany my dog hrough the last few days of her life? All of this is so sad. What if I got posted to 'kampung' place that doesn't have internet? Will I be bored to death?? All the more sad!

Still, I didn't cry thinking all of these..... until I watched the new Chinese TV show about celebrities and their parents. Hahaha.

There's so much to prepare to move to Sabah. I'll maybe talk about it in another post. OMG I haven't even finish my Taiwan Travelog T.T and a travel video pending!

But I must pen my feelings down about going to Sabah before I forget it.

I'm taking 2 weeks long leave now to clear my off-time before going to Sabah. I still have to go back HKKB for the farewell 'jamuan' though. But I already start missing KKB. I've stayed there for 2 years after all. Everyone in KKB was nice to me and KKB really is a nice and peaceful place although a bit far from home. Heck I even think I would miss the 1.5 hours drive to KKB from home. When I work in Sabah, the only way to get home is by airplane!

When I was driving home today with all my stuffs in my car, I was driving very slow compared to normal days. I guess I was reluctant to leave KKB. I wanted to bid farewell to the 'mixed rice' aunty who always talked to me and gave me fruits, but she didn't open her shop these few days for unknown reason. Awww I really hope I get to see her when I'm going back to KKB for the last time.