45% medical students plan residency abroad

Limited seats in Indian medical colleges, better lifestyle and job satisfaction abroad are the main reasons behind undergraduate students opting for medical education abroad.

A nationwide survey on preference of Indian undergraduate medical students to go abroad for higher studies and residency was conducted by Department of Surgery and Department of Internal Medicine of Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana: Department of Paediatrics, KB Bhabha Hospital, Mumbai, medical students of DMCH, Ludhiana; and Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Deoghar, Jharkhand.

The Indian undergraduate medical students of all professional years, including those undergoing internship, were surveyed.

Of the 1,199 participants, including 51.1% male and 48.9% female, 45% had planned to pursue their residency abroad, while 33.8% wanted to stay in India and 21.2% were undecided. Better lifestyle and higher pay grades overseas were viewed as the most significant barriers to staying back in India and a key influencer in decision making among the maximum number (412 or 76.3%) of students. On the other hand, 58.2% participants said they wanted to stay back in India for taking care of their parents.

The survey concluded that countries with better healthcare facilities and better incomes tend to attract medical students. Awareness among medical educators regarding constantly changing curricula, a shift to a competency-based education system, better pay grades, limited working hours and interventions to mitigate workplace violence could help prevent brain drain among Indian medical students and graduates, the survey found.

“Medical students pursue higher education abroad for several key reasons, including access to high quality education, affordable tuition and global career opportunities. Limited seats and high competition in home countries also drive many to seek opportunities abroad. Additionally, studying abroad offers unique cultural exposure and the chance to learn from diverse medical practice,” said Harleen, who recently migrated to the US to pursue her PG in medicine.

Every country has pros and cons, but understanding the conditions is the most promising factor in coping with the hurdles. When a student is about to select a country for medical education, one needs to understand and evaluate all pros and cons of the country and college. Many factors play essential role in the future of the medical aspirant, like the choice of institution and the education system, values and exam patterns, discipline, the country’s culture and budget. Making a proper decision is very critical and crucial. The students, parents and Indian government need to be more vigilant regarding foreign medical colleges, especially dubious ones, said a professor from medical college.

Policies should be framed for foreign institutes, with a provision of capping the number of Indian students’ intake each year, to ensure the quality of teaching and training. This will not only enhance the essential knowledge and skills of foreign medical graduates, but will also ensure filling the massive gap in the doctor-to-patient ratio prescribed by the WHO.

Punjab