Perceptions of medical students regarding brain drain and its effects on Pakistan’s socio-medical conditions: A cross-sectional study

Background and Objective: The term “brain drain” refers to the exodus of educated or professional individuals to another nation, industry, or field, typically in search of a higher salary or living standard. Our objective was to look into the reasons why medical students leave after graduation, how it affects Pakistan’s socio-medical situation, and what may be done to address it.

Methods: After receiving approval from the ethical committee, a cross-sectional survey was carried out among 420 undergraduate medical students of both genders at two different medical colleges in Pakistan for the current academic year 2021–2022. The core data was gathered via an organized questionnaire. The non-probability sampling method was employed to collect the sample. The data were analyzed with SPSS software.

Results: Out of 420 medical students of both genders, 140 (33.3%) plan to leave Pakistan after graduation, while 280 (66.66%) want to pursue a career in Pakistan. Additionally, when asked about the amenities offered to Pakistani doctors throughout their training, the vast majority of medical students expressed satisfaction with living in Pakistan. However, among medical students who prefer to immigrate, the United States was at the top of their list. Although there are numerous reasons that affect doctors’ immigration choices, the majority of students think that poor pay and long working hours are the main ones that lead to poor patient management and inadequate training. This may be prevented by improving the pay and service structure.

Conclusion: According to this survey, one in three medical students aspires to move overseas after graduation owing to a lack of resources and ineffective management, which has been adversely affecting Pakistan’s socio-medical situation. As a result, it is important for Pakistan’s health officials to launch campaigns to address the issues faced by medical students and physicians in order to prevent brain drain.