The Defense Services Medical Academy (DSMA) ( my, တပ်မတော် ဆေး တက္ကသိုလ်, ), located in
Mingaladon
Mingaladon Township ( my, မင်္ဂလာဒုံ မြို့နယ် ) is located in the northernmost part of Yangon, Myanmar. The township comprises 31 wards, and shares borders with Hmawbi Township in the north, North Okkalapa Tow ...
,
Yangon
Yangon ( my, ရန်ကုန်; ; ), formerly spelled as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar (also known as Burma). Yangon served as the capital of Myanmar until 2006, when the military government ...
, is the University of Medicine of the
Myanmar Armed Forces
Tatmadaw (, , ) is the official name of the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include th ...
. One of the most selective universities in the country, the academy offers
M.B., B.S. (equivalent of the
M.D.
Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. T ...
) degree programs. Upon graduation, most DSMA cadets are commissioned with the rank of
Lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
in the
Myanmar Army Medical Corps
The Myanmar Army Medical Corps (MAMC) is a specialist corps in the Myanmar Army which provides medical services to all Myanmar Army personnel and their families. The MAMC forms the Myanmar Armed Forces' essential military medical services under t ...
. The military physicians are to serve the healthcare needs of rural people when they are assigned in the country's remote regions where access to healthcare is poor.
History
The DSMA was founded in 1992 as the Defence Services Institute of Medicine (DSIM) to develop physicians to serve in the
Tatmadaw
Tatmadaw (, , ) is the official name of the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include th ...
Myanmar Armed Forces
Tatmadaw (, , ) is the official name of the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include th ...
. Prior to the founding of the academy, the Tatmadaw had recruited its medical and dental officers from civilian medical school graduates, who had to undergo a month-long basic military training program at the Medical Corps Center. While the medical corps of the Tatmadaw had always been short of physicians, by the early 1990s, the shortage became more pronounced as the
military government
A military government is generally any form of government that is administered by military forces, whether or not this government is legal under the laws of the jurisdiction at issue, and whether this government is formed by natives or by an occup ...
, fearing student unrest, had shut down most civilian universities, following the
8888 Uprising
The 8888 Uprising ( my, ၈၈၈၈ အရေးအခင်း), also known as the People Power UprisingYawnghwe (1995), pp. 170 and the 1988 Uprising, was a series of nationwide protests, marches, and riots in Burma (present-day Myanmar) th ...
in 1988. Most civilian universities were closed off and on for much of the 1990s.
The military run universities essentially became the only venue for those who wished to continue university education inside the country.
The DSIM was operated by the
Ministry of Health and the
Directorate of Medical Services. The purported "aim of the DSMA is to produce good Medical officers endowed with brilliant physical and mental ability to safeguard The Three Main National Causes" espoused by the military government.
The first batch of 47 cadets from the DSIM were commissioned as lieutenants on 17 December 1999, after six years of study and a year as house-surgeons. Through nine intakes, the DSMA produced a total of 1525 medical officers. As of 2008, the DSMA had produced seven Doctor of Medical Science degree holders. The academy is only source of medical officers for the DMS. In terms of Master of Medical Science, by the early 2008, the DSMA had produced 335 specialists, including 48 physicians and 41 surgeons.
Nowadays, many army doctors' clinics can be seen in Yangon and specialists of army hospital are also practicing at many private hospitals and clinics. Army doctors are serving the country both in rural and urban regions in the form of private and public practice.
Admissions
The academy accepts approximately 400 students annually. Unlike at the country's other four civilian medical schools, the selection process goes beyond high
University Entrance Examination
The University Entrance Examination or Matriculation Examination ( my, တက္ကသိုလ်ဝင်တန်း စာမေးပွဲ) is an academic examination administered to 10th standard students at all schools in Myanmar, includ ...
scores. All prospective candidates must be male and must have high enough college matriculation exam scores to enter any civilian medical university. In addition, the prospective student must sit for another entrance exam as well as physical and psychological exams. After 2010, the matriculation examination marks are not considered for entrance. Personal interview becomes the most important step for entrance. The academy has accepted fewer than 100 students a year since 2010, and only 40 students are accepted to DSMA in 2012.
The selection criteria are:
* Males/Females not more than 18years of age
* DSMA entrance exams on 1.
biology
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...
,
botany
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...
and
zoology
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...
and 2. English
* Physical fitness
* Teamwork and comradeship screening
* Psychometric assessment
* General interviews
* Medical checkups
The entrance selection including physical fitness tests, teamwork and comradeship screening, psychometric assessments and general interviews process takes about five to seven days at Officer Testing Team. Only those who pass all the tests and steps above are admitted to the DSMA. Students are eligible for state scholarship programs.
The benefit of being a student at DSMA is to get a stipend after acceptance to the school and faster career development than civilian medical doctors. The salary is higher than civilian doctors.
Programs
The DSMA offers courses for both basic and advanced degrees in medicine and surgery, and runs 20 graduate programs in medical sciences.
*
Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United Kin ...
(M.B., B.S.)
*
Diploma in Medical Science (Dip.Med.Sc.)
* Master of Medical Science (M.Med.Sc.); Physiology, Anatomy, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Pathology, Public Health, Forensic Medicine, Internal Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Pediatrics, Orthopedics, Anaesthesiology, Radiology, Otorhinolaryngology, Ophthalmology, Mental Health, Rehabilitation medicine, Radiation oncology.
* Doctor of Medical Science (Dr.Med.Sc.); Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Pediatrics, Orthopedics, Cardiac surgery, Cardiology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Radiology, Anaesthesiology. Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology, Urology, Renal Medicine, Forensic Medicine, Gastroenterology, Paediatric surgery, Rehabilitation Medicine.
*
Ph.D.
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...
* Diploma in Medical Education
Nowadays, many army doctors are studying in public health master's degree locally as well as internationally. The new generation army doctors are likely to take the duty at Ministry of Health and influence the Myanmar health system set up.
The DSMA is equipped with lab materials, modern textbooks, and training resources. As intern surgeons, the students must take a field practical tour of duty at military hospitals, where they get field training from professional surgeons. The academy is open year-round, and is in session for eleven months of study in an academic year—ten months of medical science coursework plus a month of military science and military leadership. Some DSMA graduates continue their post-graduate education in the UK, India, Thailand, Russia, United States, Germany, Belgium and Singapore.
Coursework
The M.B., B.S. coursework extends for 7 years and is the same as the major coursework of civilian medical schools such as the
University of Medicine 1, Yangon
The University of Medicine 1, Yangon ( my, ဆေးတက္ကသိုလ်(၁) ရန်ကုန် ; formerly the Institute of Medicine 1), located in Yangon, it is the oldest medical school in Myanmar. The university offers M.B., B.S. ( ...
and the
University of Medicine 2, Yangon
The University of Medicine 2, Yangon ( my, ဆေးတက္ကသိုလ်(၂) ရန်ကုန် ; formerly, Institute of Medicine 2) is a university of medicine, located in North Okkalapa, Yangon, Myanmar. The university offers M.B., ...
.
Subjects
First M.B., B.S.
Language & Communication
*
Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
*English
*
Mathematics
Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...
&
statistics
Statistics (from German language, German: ''wikt:Statistik#German, Statistik'', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that concerns the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of ...
*
Physics
Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...
*
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...
*
Basic Computer Science
*
Biology
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...
(
Botany
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...
and Zoology)
*
Behavior Sciences
*
Introduction of Human Anatomy,
Physiology
Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical ...
and
Biochemistry
Biochemistry or biological chemistry is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology and ...
Second M.B., B.S.
*
Anatomy
Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having its ...
*
Physiology
Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical ...
*
Biochemistry
Biochemistry or biological chemistry is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology and ...
Third M.B., B.S.
*General Human
Pathology
Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in ...
*
Medical Microbiology
Medical microbiology, the large subset of microbiology that is applied to medicine, is a branch of medical science concerned with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases. In addition, this field of science studies various ...
*
Clinical Pharmacology
Clinical pharmacology has been defined as "that discipline that teaches, does research, frames policy, gives information and advice about the actions and proper uses of medicines in humans and implements that knowledge in clinical practice". Clinic ...
All cadets are posted for 18 weeks each to the medical and surgical wards for clinical training at the school's teaching hospitals in Yangon.
Final M.B., B.S. Part I
*
Forensic Medicine
Forensic medicine is a broad term used to describe a group of medical specialties which deal with the examination and diagnosis of individuals who have been injured by or who have died because of external or unnatural causes such as poisoning, assa ...
*
Preventive and Social Medicine (with three weeks residential field training in the rural areas)
*Systemic
Pathology
Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in ...
and
Haematology
Hematology ( always spelled haematology in British English) is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of the cause, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases related to blood. It involves treating diseases that affect the produc ...
Students attend lectures and clinics in medicine, surgery, child health, obstetrics and gynaecology and are posted to teaching hospitals, including urban health facilities as part of preventive and social medicine teaching.
Final M.B., B.S. Part II
*
Child Health
Pediatric nursing is part of the nursing profession, specifically revolving around the care of neonates and children up to adolescence. The word, ''pediatrics'', comes from the Greek words 'paedia' (child) and 'iatrike' (physician). 'Paediatrics' i ...
*
Medicine
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...
*
Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Obstetrics and Gynaecology (also spelled as Obstetrics and Gynecology; abbreviated as Obs and Gynae, O&G, OB-GYN and OB/GYN) is the medical specialty that encompasses the two subspecialties of obstetrics (covering pregnancy, childbirth, and t ...
*
Surgery
Surgery ''cheirourgikē'' (composed of χείρ, "hand", and ἔργον, "work"), via la, chirurgiae, meaning "hand work". is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a person to investigate or treat a pat ...
Students study the allied specialties: eye, ear, nose and throat diseases, urology, neurology, tuberculosis, venereal diseases, orthopaedics and traumatology, skin diseases, mental health and psychiatry, oro-maxillo-facial surgery, radiology, radiotherapy, nuclear medicine, anaesthesiology, thoracic surgery, and paediatric surgery.
A summative examination is held at the end of the final M.B., B.S. Part II course. Problem based learning, task based learning, community based learning, and behavioural science are incorporated, as relevant.
House surgeon training
All students, after a successful completion of Final Part 2 MBBS Examination, continue on to hands-on training for one year as house surgeons in the recognized teaching hospitals in Yangon and/or the state and division hospitals.
Only after the completion of house-surgeonship is the student awarded the M.B., B.S. degree.
Every DSMA cadet also studies military science and military leadership for one to two months per year from First M.B., B.S. to Final M.B., B.S. Part I. After graduation, every medical officer has been trained as a platoon commander.
Medical Officers are trained in military hospitals for one-year duration.
After studying one year as a medical officer, they become a regimental medical officer and serve for the country. There is one and half year refresher course at military hospitals every three years.
Teaching environment
*Defence Services General Hospital, Yangon (1000 bed, Mingaladon)
*Defence Services General Hospital, Naypyitaw (1000 bed, Naypyitaw)
*Defence Services Obstetric, Gynaecological and Children's Hospital, Mingaladon, Yangon (300 bed)
*Defence Services Orthopaedic Hospital, Mingaladon, Yangon (500 bed)
*Defence Services Liver Hospital (500 bed, Mingaladon, Yangon)
*No. 2 Military Hospital (500 bed, Myoma Street, Dagon, Yangon)
*Defence Services Obstetric, Gynaecological and Children's Hospital, Naypyidaw (300 bed)
*Defence Services General Hospital, Pyinoolwin (700 bed)
*Defence Services General Hospital, Meitila (500 bed)
*Defence Services General Hospital, Aungban (700 bed)
*National Health laboratory
*Directorate of Medical Research (lower Myanmar)
See also
*
List of universities in Myanmar
*
Medical Universities (Myanmar)
References
External links
Location: on Google MapList of Universities registered under HINARI, WHO A Collaborating Centre of the Joanna Briggs Institute, MyanmarNagao Foundationmyanmar.gov.mm
{{authority control
Universities and colleges in Myanmar
Universities and colleges in Yangon
Medical schools in Myanmar
Military academies of Myanmar
Military medical installations
1992 establishments in Myanmar
Educational institutions established in 1992