When Pinoy doctors become US nurses..

Since 2001, the Philippine Medical Association noted that about 5,000 doctors have become registered nurses in the United States, United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. GMANews.TV
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Almost every kid once dreamed of becoming a doctor someday.

From the moment they had their first polio shot or underwent a routine check-up, the image of a selfless, patient, and caring doctor has been embedded in children's minds.

And who doesn’t want to take care of lives? Care for the poor? Or help save the world?

If recent statistics are to be believed, a lot of Filipinos grow up not pursuing that childhood dream.

Recent studies show a dramatic drop in the number of college students pursuing a career in medicine. The decline in medical school enrollments can be as high as 50 percent while countless go on an exodus to greener pastures overseas.

Since 2001, the Philippine Medical Association noted that about 5,000 doctors have shelved their hard-earned MDs (Doctor of Medicine) to become RNs (Registered Nurses) in countries like the United States, United Kingdom or Saudi Arabia.

And it’s not hard to imagine why Filipino medical doctors want to become nurses in the United States, the country where most health care professionals migrate. While a doctor, say from the Philippine General Hospital earns P25,000 a month, an overseas nurse can earn more than 12 times overseas.

Faced with the soaring prices of petroleum and basic commodities, most Filipino doctors are forced to make the difficult choice of crossing over to become nurses which in turn create a huge void in the medical health system in the country.

When the doctor is out (of the country)

It is a fact that medical schools charge among the most, if not the most, expensive fees compared with other courses in the country. Therefore, there is an expected return-on-investment on the part of the family and also the person who has toiled to obtain the coveted degree.

In 2005, the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) noted that about 14,694 medical-related workers, or 4.4 percent of the total share of Filipino migrant workers, were deployed overseas as newly-hired OFWs. This sector was the sixth top occupation for Filipinos abroad that year, next to domestic helpers, entertainers, factory workers, construction workers and caregivers.

However, in recent years, the medical profession has experienced a slump. Dr. Fernando Sanchez, executive director of the Association of Philippine Medical Colleges, noted in a 2005 discussion that there is a declining interest in medicine as a career despite the increase of high school graduates - some of whom might have once dreamt of becoming a doctor in their younger years.

“The once popular profession of medicine has lost its glitter," said Sanchez during the 2005 Philippine medical summit. “In the early 1980’s the attention of the government was called to what is termed as ‘reverse education’ or the cross-professional migration of doctors to nursing."

He explained that the growing unpopularity of the medical profession can be traced to two primary causes: The economic situation and the lack of nationalistic policies and planning.

“Medicine used to be the preferred health profession but the course is too expensive for most and takes a long time before one can start earning, “said Sanchez.

The World Health Organization has also considered the loss of health professionals as a matter of utmost concern. Its Western Pacific Regional Office commissioned a study in 2001 which concluded that migration was not a “overspill" but a definite loss to the country, and the negative outcomes are both financial (loss of training costs) and social.

WHO noted that the shortage or complete absence of doctors in some regions or areas of specialization will jeopardize progress towards healthy communities, possibly leading to a reversal of recent gains, especially as degenerative diseases become more prevalent.(GMANews.tv)