My part in the “brain drain”

I am a Colombian family doctor and a clinical epidemiologist. Four months ago I left my country and migrated to the United Kingdom. This is my experience of what it is like to be part of the so called “brain drain” of doctors from developing countries to rich countries in the north.

As a researcher in Colombia I was based in a private university and supported by one of the international clinical epidemiology network's units. My work was well valued and as a group we were able to sort out many of the difficulties that researchers have to solve, such as finding funding while the American government imposed sanctions as part of its drug fighting policies. We were able to get grants and produced good quality research. We were encouraged to develop evidence based medicine, research, and clinical epidemiology training in the medical school. My memories of those six years are happy ones. Until last year I never thought of leaving Colombia, because I felt that trained people should remain in our country to help solve its complex problems.

We are sure we made the right decision every time we look at the news

Students protesting against increasing violence

But things changed for me. While we were expecting our first child, violence was bursting out in the country between different guerrilla factions and paramilitary groups. Civilians were being caught up in this violence and the peace process initiated two years ago was not taken seriously by the guerrilla groups. Over the past decade justice and peace turned into an illusion for many ordinary people. Corruption was everywhere and affected daily activities to a great extent. Extortion and kidnappings became common. There was a feeling that living was much harder for those who obeyed the law and that impunity favoured criminals. Most of our uncorrupt political leaders were murdered and for many Colombians the word politician is now a synonym for corruption and abuse.

We were not happy at the prospect of bringing up our baby in such an environment. The final factor that determined us leaving was the incapacity of the university, probably because of the economic crisis, to keep me on a full time basis in research. Although I had been successful in getting involved in trials and finding grants I was asked to do another job for which I was overqualified. Finally, I was being employed to do research but only on a half time basis, which was not enough to keep my family. So I had to find two other jobs and was working 13 hours a day.

The toll for leaving the country has been high. Our family is now splitting up as other relatives are migrating to other countries. Ten of my 24 cousins have emigrated and within my group of close friends, some of whom are also doctors, 25 have already left. Many are overqualified for the jobs they find abroad. All of us have left with a feeling of frustration and all have suffered directly or indirectly the consequences of violence. A friend was kidnapped, a relative was shot while being burgled, others were attacked in the streets. Four of my cousins, who remained in Colombia, all highly trained professionals, have now been unemployed for more than six months.

Although our exile is voluntary, it is painful. We miss so much about our warm and colourful country and culture, but we are sure we made the right decision every time we look at the news on the internet. We hope that things will change and that we will be able to return one day.