Dilemma about course to be taken after finishing pre-u

[esy]

I am now studying at lower six.The reasons of me opening this thread are to discuss with you all about the courses available for pre-u graduates and its prospect in the future,beside hoping useful advice from those who are experienced and updated with the current trend of this country.I intend to take pharmacy or biotechnology course after finishing stpm but i have been blurred by the comments given by my relatives and also some articles on the newspaper.They said something like 'you should take this course as it promises a bright future',only to be denied by another sources which have contrasting opinion with the former....Yesterday,the president of MCA advised the smart students to prevent taking medicine and pharmacy courses through newspaper,claiming that the number of practical doctors will be in excess after five years(He didn't state whether same situation happens to pharmacy course).As i am taking biology this means that there is a huge competition going on between students who take biology and those who take physics but plan to involve in bio-related fields which are limited.I am interested in biology but i realize the need of me to face the reality as the course i intend to take is one of the hottest courses in this country.Even if i manage to complete the course i may end up jobless.So can someone here give opinion on whether i should continue studying biology or choose physics which offers a wider range of choices?And if possible could you please share with us about the bio-related courses in our country which aren't as 'crowded' as medicine and pharmacy?

[frostbyte13]

I am now studying at lower six.The reasons of me opening this thread are to discuss with you all about the courses available for pre-u graduates and its prospect in the future,beside hoping useful advice from those who are experienced and updated with the current trend of this country.I intend to take pharmacy or biotechnology course after finishing stpm but i have been blurred by the comments given by my relatives and also some articles on the newspaper.They said something like 'you should take this course as it promises a bright future',only to be denied by another sources which have contrasting opinion with the former....Yesterday,the president of MCA advised the smart students to prevent taking medicine and pharmacy courses through newspaper,claiming that the number of practical doctors will be in excess after five years(He didn't state whether same situation happens to pharmacy course).As i am taking biology this means that there is a huge competition going on between students who take biology and those who take physics but plan to involve in bio-related fields which are limited.I am interested in biology but i realize the need of me to face the reality as the course i intend to take is one of the hottest courses in this country.Even if i manage to complete the course i may end up jobless.So can someone here give opinion on whether i should continue studying biology or choose physics which offers a wider range of choices?And if possible could you please share with us about the bio-related courses in our country which aren't as 'crowded' as medicine and pharmacy?

One thing I can advise you is that if you intend to take Biotech, be prepared to work overseas. Malaysia doesn't have any private firms in the biotech industry, all government owned. And the pay is extremely minimal. Very low job prospects locally to be put in other words. Advise to study physic as your major, because it certainly more applicable than biology. The best is still to study Chemistry. My friend also told me studying Pharmacy is not recommended too if you intend to work in Malaysia, unless you don't mind working with Watson with just average pay. She's working in Singapore now, still under Watson, but not just some pharmacist at their outlets.

[esy]

Breakdown of critical course
intake for Local universities 2008/2009.
Field Bumiputra Chinese Indian Total No. % No. % No. %
Medicine: Bumi(491 - 52.80%) Chinese(359 - 38.60%) Indian(80 - 8.60%) Total = 930
Dentistry: Bumi(119 - 58.05%) Chinese(79 - 38.54%) Indian(7 - 3.41%) Total=205
Pharmacy: Bumi(145 -50.00%) Chinese(140 - 48.28%) Indian( 5 - 1.72%) Total= 290
Electronic Eng: Bumi( 570 - 56.32%) Chinese(389 - 38.44%) Indian( 53 - 5.24%) Total = 1012
Chemical Eng: Bumi( 501 - 61.93%) Chinese(272 - 33.62%) Indian( 36 - 4.45%) Total = 809
Law: Bumi ( 203 - 58.67%) Chinese(116 - 33.52%) Indian (27 - 7.80%) Total = 346
Accountancy: Bumi (386- 39.59%) Chinese(543 - 55.69%) Indian (46 - 4.72%) Total = 975
Total : Bumi ( 2415 - 52.88%) Chinese(1898 - 41.56%) Indian( 254 - 5.56%) Total = 4567

Looking at this statistics i feel worry for those who take biology in stpm since the places in public universities for these three critical courses(medicine,pharmacy and dentistry) are very limited and there is a competition exist between those who complete their matriculation and stpm students.I wonder what will upu do to those students who fail to be granted a place in these three critical courses?I know they are other fields like biotechnology and biochemistry but from what i heard those fields are not very popular in Malaysia and you can only hope for an oversea job if you want to obtain a high salary.So is it true that many of them will be sent to teaching course and become a teacher eventually?Many people have expressed their opinion that students who take biology and don't take physics as fifth subject are at risk of being overlooked for the university intake(maybe only for that three critical courses) unless they have cpga of 4.0,fantastic co curricular marks and also a good muet result.Is this statement true?

[frostbyte13]

Breakdown of critical course
intake for Local universities 2008/2009.
Field Bumiputra Chinese Indian Total No. % No. % No. %
Medicine: Bumi(491 - 52.80%) Chinese(359 - 38.60%) Indian(80 - 8.60%) Total = 930
Dentistry: Bumi(119 - 58.05%) Chinese(79 - 38.54%) Indian(7 - 3.41%) Total=205
Pharmacy: Bumi(145 -50.00%) Chinese(140 - 48.28%) Indian( 5 - 1.72%) Total= 290
Electronic Eng: Bumi( 570 - 56.32%) Chinese(389 - 38.44%) Indian( 53 - 5.24%) Total = 1012
Chemical Eng: Bumi( 501 - 61.93%) Chinese(272 - 33.62%) Indian( 36 - 4.45%) Total = 809
Law: Bumi ( 203 - 58.67%) Chinese(116 - 33.52%) Indian (27 - 7.80%) Total = 346
Accountancy: Bumi (386- 39.59%) Chinese(543 - 55.69%) Indian (46 - 4.72%) Total = 975
Total : Bumi ( 2415 - 52.88%) Chinese(1898 - 41.56%) Indian( 254 - 5.56%) Total = 4567

Looking at this statistics i feel worry for those who take biology in stpm since the places in public universities for these three critical courses(medicine,pharmacy and dentistry) are very limited and there is a competition exist between those who complete their matriculation and stpm students.I wonder what will upu do to those students who fail to be granted a place in these three critical courses?I know they are other fields like biotechnology and biochemistry but from what i heard those fields are not very popular in Malaysia and you can only hope for an oversea job if you want to obtain a high salary.So is it true that many of them will be sent to teaching course and become a teacher eventually?Many people have expressed their opinion that students who take biology and don't take physics as fifth subject are at risk of being overlooked for the university intake(maybe only for that three critical courses) unless they have cpga of 4.0,fantastic co curricular marks and also a good muet result.Is this statement true?

Not sure, hope a senior comes back to you on this. My opinion is still that as a person who is planning to do a science based career except for engineering, it will be encouraged that you take all the 3 sciences as a precaution. Not only that, like you've said it yourself, it can be what makes you stick out in the UPU applications. Anyway, in my opinion, it is always beneficial to take Physics and/or Chemistry rather than dropping one of them.