“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Confucius, Chinese Philosopher & Politician
Career Possibilities in Law for Doctors Part I
YB Dr. Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen, Medical Doctor, Member of Parliament & Lawmaker and DAP Youth Leader stands by the above quote as one of his most important advice to doctors considering a career change. Dr. Yii is no stranger to Malaysians. Having gained his medical education and training and his APC, he moved into the field of law as he projected that cases of negligence would be on the rise in the country. This is based on two factors: i) the insufficient hands-on training opportunities for the many doctors in the system upon completion of their housemanship and, ii) a public that is more aware of their medical rights because of the internet.
Dr. Yii obtained his LLB and his LLM simultaneously which was quite a feat in itself. Upon graduation, he served as a consultant in a law firm providing guidance on cases of medical negligence. But life had other plans in store for him. His education in law opened the door for him to enter the field of politics. He is presently the MP for Bandar Kuching and DAP’s Youth Chief. These days in Parliament, Dr Yii often speaks on policies, issues, and laws governing medicine and healthcare. Dr Yii took time despite his busy schedule to speak to MFM regarding a career in law for doctors.
According to Dr Yii, there are lawyers looking at cases of medical negligence, but few have a medical background. It was this realization that served as an impetus for him to get into the field of law. He also felt this would be his niche in the field which obviously had a great potential for growth. Besides, currently, medical negligence and medical ethics are growing fields in the region.
His LLM degree was sufficient to aid him in his role as a Consultant with regard to medico-legal matters. There were piles of medical documents and case notes which he needed to scrutinize. Because he had medical knowledge and experience he was in a position to better identify issues and even verify if medical negligence was involved. He was also able to ascertain if a doctor had fully complied with all relevant requirements in a particular case.
The expertise, knowledge, and education needed for doctors who want to transition to the field of law
A Masters in law offers a medical doctor a certain foundation in medical negligence which is a tort law – a subsection of law. The Master’s degree enables doctors to consult in a legal firm.
But doctors wishing to practice law and enter a court of law to defend clients or bring lawsuits must possess a basic law degree (LLB).
The Roles and Functions Available for Doctors in the Field of Law
Doctors who do not possess a Masters law degree and don’t plan to practice law (which requires a basic law degree) but are interested in the legal process, could become an expert witness in court. An expert witness as the title implies is a doctor who is an expert in his/her medical field. He/she is hired by a law firm or a lawyer to provide testimony for or against a certain case. Often the fields that expert witness come from are pathology and psychiatry but it could also involve other medical fields.
An expert witness will determine if the accused is fit to stand for trial and whether he/she understands the nature of the trial that is brought before him/her. They also determine if he/she possesses the mental capacity to commit a particular crime and so forth. These are some of the scenarios where an expert witness could play a role in the field of law.
With a Masters of Law (LLM), medical doctors could be consultants or hospital administrators/managers. As a consultant, doctors could be hired on an ad hoc or full time basis and would offer their expertise in medical negligence. There are law firms which specialize in medical negligence cases that often hire these consultants.
Additionally, private hospitals are sprouting in Malaysia and their main concern is not just the business/economic aspect of hospital management but also the legal impact of medicine upon their business. This is where the expertise of hospital administrators /managers come in. As hospital owners are concerned about negligence lawsuits, this field is an open door for doctors who are interested in the field of law. According to Dr. Yii if a doctor has a business sense, leadership abilities and a Master’s degree in law, they make the best candidate to run a hospital or manage relevant departments within that organization.
With a Masters of Law, a doctor could also become an academic. With an LLB, medical doctors can practice law in a court of law.
Stay tuned to learn about the prospects for doctors entering the field of law from YB Dr. Kelvin Yii on Thursday…
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the doctors Disruptive Doctors has interviewed and are based entirely upon the information provided to us by them. Disruptive Doctors is not responsible for any inaccuracy of the information conveyed to us.
