Doctors seek greener pastures abroad

Doctors seek greener pastures abroad
ekantipur, 6-Dec-08
By B BASNET

Dr. Nitesh Sharma (name changed) is burning midnight oil, studying voluminous books on medical sciences. Sharma, who got his MBBS degree from Calcutta Medical College last year, knows all too well that making it through the US Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) will not be easy. That is why, leaving medical practice aside, he is studying really hard.

Only those doctors, who make it through the USMLE, can practise medicine in the US.

Sharma is not alone in this endeavour. Holding part-time jobs, scores of doctors are studying really hard to go abroad and land better paying jobs.

Discouraged by the lack of opportunities in Nepal, more and more Nepali medical graduates are heading West, especially to the US. Thanks to ease of movement facilitated by globalisation and increasing demand for medical professionals even in developed countries, almost every Nepali medical graduate wants to go abroad to preferably the United States.

A preliminary research conducted by students at Maharajgunj-based Institute of Medicine (IOM) found that of the 44 Nepali students, who obtained MBBS degree from the institute this year, 34 are preparing for USMLE. "Some of them have submitted USMLE forms, while others are filling them," says Maniraj Neupane, an MBBS student.

According to Dr Subash Pyakurel, director at RISE, an institute that counsels people on medical career, more than 250 medical graduates from Nepal are going abroad annually, mainly to the US.

"This trend is on the rise," says Dr Pyakurel, who did well in USMLE and went to the US but had to return to Nepal three years ago due to medical problems.

Those medical graduates, who get good scores in USMLE, can gets admission in US medical colleges, where they can work and further their studies side by side. Besides the US, the UK, Australia, South Africa, and Gulf countries are other sought-after destinations for professions in white robes, he said.

Nepal's 11 medical colleges produce at least 700 doctors every year. Dr. Pyakurel estimates that another 500 Nepalis return home from after obtaining MBBS degree in China, Bangladesh, Phillipines, India, Pakistan and a number of other countries.

According to Nepal Medical Council (NMC), there are 8,076 registered doctors in Nepal. The number of doctors seeking the NMC licence is on the rise.

In the year 2007 alone, 870 graduates passed NMC test and got the licence. Only 488 had received medical licence in 2003. Many of the registered doctors have left for Europe and the US, according to sources at the Council.

"Every year, around 300 doctors manage to go to the US and other developed countries. This figure is dismal in comparison to number of Nepalis, who obtain MBBS degree from Nepali institutions every year."

"It is good that they are leaving for the USA and other countries as the country cannot absorb such a large number of doctors," he adds.

Health professionals say low pay, lack of research facilities and lack of opportunities for further education in Nepal are among the major factors that have prompted exodus of doctors to the west.

A student invests up to three million rupees to obtain a medical degree. "It is difficult to get back the investment through government salary," says Neupane.

Lack of basic medical equipment in district hospitals deters doctors. "Our district hospitals do not even have basic medical equipment. This discourages our doctors," accepts Dr. Sudha Sharma, acting secretary at the Ministry of Public Health.

On top of that, there are just a handful of seats in Nepali medical colleges for postgraduate studies. According to Dr Sharma, there are only 200 postgraduate seats in Nepal every year.

Dr. Sharma maintains that brain-drain will affect the country. According to her, those going abroad are cream of society. "All of us should work together to create a conducive environment for these doctors," she adds.

Dr Subaj Bhattarai, who is also preparing for USMLE, counters Sharma, "Unlike Nepal, the US provides lots of opportunities for doctors."

Like it or not, the young doctors will not stop chasing the American dream, it seems.

Says a doctor, "After all, America is America. Who doesn't want to go to America and settle there?"