A medical career

An article in today's Philippine Daily Inquirer features President Arroyo extolling disillusioned Pinoy doctors and med students to consider staying in 1) in Manila and 2) in the medical field. The proposed solution to their perceived woes? Become a medical transcriptionist. To quote GMA: “So there are opportunities ... so those studying in medical schools shouldn’t lose heart.”

My reaction? "What the ****?!"

Not that I'm belittling medical transcriptionists. Heaven knows they work hard at what they do and it's not easy, given the international world we live in and all our accents. Not to mention the fact that medical words can be pronounced differently depending on where one practices. Which brings me to a point -- medical transcriptionism is a skill in itself. There are courses that deal specifically with medical transcription. Medical school DOES NOT teach medical transcription. It doesn't even teach typing skills.

The fact of the matter is that medical graduates expect to be doctors when they finish. They expect to be directly involved in patient care. Yes, the medical working environment, especially for junior doctors, is not ideal. And, yes, the pay sucks. The exodus of Filipino doctors is not for lack of job opportunity, it's despair at the conditions a medical student graduates into.

A lot of junior doctors move overseas and find jobs as doctors. There are 10 new doctors in the Royal Adelaide Emergency Department practicing as DOCTORS. And being paid at least 5 times their previous salary. I know a few people from my INTARMED class who have moved to the US and are practicing DOCTORS. Yes, there are the ones who choose to change careers and do nursing so they get better opportunities overseas. International medical boards are very protective of their posts and are strict with international medical graduates (IMG). They offer the posts to their own graduates, then expand to invite the IMGs.

What GMA is offering Philippine medical graduates is, in truth, an insult. She is saying that our own country cannot provide for her own graduates. GMA's message is: "work your a** off in medical school, but don't expect to be a doctor here. Instead, there are opportunities for you to be a secretary, and be taken away from patient care. You don't need medicals skills, you already know the words. You can do the job that is ALREADY BEING OFFERED TO HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES."

Why would anyone want to go to med school?

Read the Inquirer article here:
http://globalnation.inq7.net/news/news/view_article.php?article_id=19561

The Wikipedia entry on medical transcriptionists:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_transcription