For patients seeking care in public hospitals, especially beyond Klang Valley, the chances of being able to see a specialist immediately are usually slim. For years, Malaysia has been plagued by a shortage of specialists across various disciplines, and unequal distribution throughout the country. The former is related to the training of specialists, and seems to be on increasingly precarious ground with recent news that the parallel pathway programme is facing problems. We dive into a 101 on the parallel pathway programme with Professor Dr Rosmawati Mohamed, Master, Academy of Medicine Malaysia.