Understanding the medic brain drain
BMJ 2005; 331 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/sbmj.0512474 (Published 01 December 2005) Cite this as: BMJ 2005;331:0512474
- Sandeep Kumar Goyal, intern doctor1
- 1Maulana Azad Medical College and Guru Nanak Eye Centre New Delhi, India
I am at a stage in my internship in India where I have to make a decision for the rest of my life. At the end of my third year, I was looking to decide which specialty I would choose, but by the end of my final year I was also faced with the same dilemma most of my seniors had previously faced—where should I pursue my postgraduate training, in India or abroad (in the United Kingdom or the United States)? After a month of discussions and self analysis, the balance tipped in favour of going abroad.
Statistics
Looking at statistics from the American Medical Association for 2002, the trends are obvious. A total of 179 978 (23.3%) of the 771 491 active non-federal physicians (that is, those physicians who are not in US government service) in the United States in the year 2002 received their medical qualification in another country. The largest portion of these 115 835 physicians originates from low and lower middle income nations, as defined by the World …
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