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Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NUMed) says 69.6% of its medical graduates have secured placements in the UK's Foundation Programme
The placements come months after a new UK law changed how international medical graduates are prioritised for postgraduate training.
The university said its graduates secured UK Foundation Programme placements across 12 National Health Service (NHS) regions.
NUMed did not state how many graduates the 69.6% figure represents, or how many of them had initially been placed on the UK Foundation Programme reserve list.
The development comes after the UK's Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 effectively changed how graduates from medical schools outside the UK are prioritised for Foundation Programme places.
In May, NUMed confirmed to SAYS that all 103 of its graduates who applied for the 2026 UK Foundation Programme had initially been placed on the reserve list
This was despite the graduates holding a UK medical qualification recognised by the country's General Medical Council (GMC) and meeting the relevant academic and regulatory requirements.
Under the new system, UK Foundation Programme places are offered to UK-based graduates and other defined priority groups first, with reserve list applicants considered afterwards.
Being placed on the reserve list did not mean the graduates were automatically excluded from UK training. However, the change significantly altered their position compared with previous years, when NUMed graduates had regularly progressed into the UK Foundation Programme.
At the time, NUMed said the allocation process remained ongoing and that it was possible some of its graduates could still receive Foundation Programme posts.
The university did not provide figures at the time showing how many of the 103 reserve-listed graduates had subsequently been allocated places.
NUMed's latest statement places greater emphasis on the idea that its MBBS programme is not intended to prepare graduates solely for careers in the UK
Professor Dennis Wong, Newcastle University's Regional Provost and Group CEO for East and Southeast Asia, said the fact that a majority of graduates secured UK Foundation Programme placements was an encouraging outcome.
He also stressed that the UK Foundation Programme represents only one pathway available to medical graduates.
"Our MBBS programme does not aim to prepare students for a single destination, but equips students with the knowledge, clinical competence, and professional attributes to succeed internationally," Wong said.
The university's latest messaging follows an earlier statement in which it said the changes to UK postgraduate medical training should be viewed as a UK workforce planning issue rather than a reflection of the academic value of a medical degree.
NUMed had also acknowledged that the progression of many graduates into the UK Foundation Programme in previous years had shaped expectations among students and their families.
The degree remains accredited in Malaysia and the UK
NUMed's MBBS programme is accredited by both the GMC and the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC).
The university said students follow the same curriculum, learning outcomes and assessment standards as their counterparts at Newcastle University in the UK, and graduate with the same degree.
Eligible students can also undertake a study exchange at the UK campus during their second year, while summer electives provide opportunities for clinical exposure in different healthcare systems.
The programme includes clinical placements in hospitals and community healthcare settings, alongside training in areas such as teamwork, communication, leadership, ethical practice and lifelong learning.
NUMed has also been highlighting alternative career pathways following the changes to UK postgraduate training
In May, the university said it was supporting students in exploring alternative routes to GMC registration, as well as international medical careers and opportunities outside traditional clinical practice.
A careers event organised by NUMed included information on pathways such as the US Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), Australian medical licensing, pharmaceutical-sector careers and the Malaysian Armed Forces Medical Corps.
The university said its graduates could pursue careers across different healthcare systems rather than relying on the UK Foundation Programme as their sole route into medicine.
One 2026 graduate, Solomon Khit Jun Wei, who was placed at James Cook University Hospital in the UK, said his experience studying and completing clinical placements there gave him a better understanding of the NHS environment and the UK healthcare system.
Another graduate, Edwin Fong Zhong Yi, who is currently at Yeovil District Hospital in the UK, said student activities, including clinical skills workshops, mock Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), revision sessions and career talks, had also helped prepare him for his career.
NUMed's next MBBS intake is scheduled to begin in September.
