For many, being a doctor seems like a high-paying, stable career. But for countless young doctors, the reality is far from that.
Recently, a doctor shared his story on “XUAN,” revealing that after six years studying medicine abroad, he returned home to start his internship at a government hospital. Despite enduring 28-hour shifts, sleepless nights, and overwhelming workloads, he still couldn’t afford his own home.
During his rotations, he worked in pediatrics, orthopedics, surgery, obstetrics, and internal medicine. He said internal medicine was the toughest, with so many patients that there was barely time to rest. “It really felt like being at war,” he recalled.
His daily routine started at 5 or 6 a.m., preparing patient reports, followed by ward rounds with the medical team, then a nonstop cycle of reports, calls, prescribing medication, drawing blood, and checking on patients.
He also frequently worked “red shifts”: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., rest for four hours, then back from 9 p.m. to the next day at noon. “Sometimes I worked nearly 28 hours straight. I even fell asleep while writing discharge reports,” he said.
After completing his internship, he officially became a doctor, assigned to a department without interns. With no backup, all responsibilities fell on him, and his working hours grew even longer. He averaged one shift every five days, including weekends, handling outpatient clinics by day and emergencies and ward duties by night. Procedures like intubations, CPR, and critical care left no time off.
“I work over 70 hours a week, yet years later, I still can’t afford a house,” he said. “With current property prices, a regular home costs RM3,000 a month in installments. My salary simply can’t cover it.”
He explained that his parents had spent nearly all their savings to send him abroad, so he didn’t want to let them down.
Eventually, he chose to leave the government hospital in search of better opportunities. His story reflects the reality many young professionals face: working tirelessly to earn a living while barely having time to take care of themselves.
