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New survey reveals one in three doctors prefer going abroad
Dublin NewsTuesday 5th July, 2016
• Results revealed that most physicians, that planned to remain abroad, had risen from 10 percent to 34 percent
• Results of these studies have been published in the journal, Human Resources for Health
• It was also revealed that their career progression was at its slowest when moved out of Ireland
DUBLIN, Ireland - In light of shortages of doctors in the country, studies in Ireland revealed that Irish doctors preferred moving out for career prospects, than staying in the country. However, it was also revealed that their career progression was at its slowest when moved out of Ireland.
366 foreign doctors, that had also been part of the survey, registered to practice medicine in Ireland which showed that just one in three were planning to stay in Ireland. The research was funded by the Health Research Board and enabled by the Medical Council.
Results revealed that the number of physicians that left Ireland between 2008 to 2014, and planned to remain abroad, had risen from 10 percent to 34 percent.
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Trinity College Dublin conducted two studies revealing data that foreign trained doctors experience slower career progression than doctors trained in Ireland.
Despite this, half of the medically trained doctors still prefer to move to a new country.
Ruairi Brugha, Head of the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health Medicine said in a statement, “Two years ago, the Department of Health published the ‘Strategic Review of Medical Training and Career Structures’ that included 25 recommendations which, if implemented, will address many of these doctors’ concerns, especially if we can tackle the under-staffing of our hospitals.”
She further added that if observed closely,there was a consistent pattern of findings from the studies undertaken.
Prof Brugha said, “The same problems in how we manage our medical workforce, whether it is the doctors we train or those we recruit from overseas, are leading to large numbers leaving for more attractive jobs and increasingly to make their long-term careers abroad.”
Another study by the RCSI health workforce research group revealed that the longer Irish-trained doctors spend abroad, the less likely they are to return to Ireland. The research was conducted in collaboration with a senior researcher from Dublin City University.
Prof Brugha said the primary global code in the field medical services was that each country should train and retain the health professionals it needs.
Adding, “This applies just as much to a wealthy country like Ireland, which is now training the numbers of doctors it needs but has been losing them in increasing numbers, as it does to poorer countries, from which we have recruited many of the doctors that staff our hospitals.”
Results of these studies have been published in the current issue of BioMed Central’s journal, Human Resources for Health.