School of Medicine and Health Sciences Poster Presentations
Brain Drain and medical workforce retention within Ethiopia, Addis Ababa
Document Type
Poster
Keywords
Brain Drain; medical workforce retention; Ethiopia, Addis Ababa
Publication Date
Spring 2017
Abstract
According to studies published in the Sub-Saharan African Medical School Study one in eight physicians trained in Sub-Saharan African region is lost to more developed nations and shortage of physicians in these regions are predicated to increase rapidly. This medical migration is known as “brain drain.” This project consist of a qualitative research to investigate the concept of “Brain Drain” in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa and understand incentives that encourage physicians’ retention within the country. This project helps understand the main reason why medical students choose to leave their school and move abroad and the single most important thing that could change to encourage retention among students. Similarly, the project highlights main reason why faculty members and physicians migrate to a foreign country and determine the most important factor that will motivate them to stay and work at the hospital. Moreover, different perspectives of the administration of the hospital and medical school on the challenges of retaining their faculty members, physicians, and students are discussed. The purpose of this project is to be able to determine the main common ground and overlapping theme that should be address in order to ultimately reduce brain drain and encourage retention of physicians. Out of the 52 physicians surveyed and interviewed. 30 people answered better salary as being the number one reason or incentives for them to practice medicine within Ethiopia, 22 people answered housing and transportation opportunities as the second reason and incentives, 14 people answered scholarship and post graduate medical opportunities as the third reason/incentive and 7 said better infrastructures as the fourth reason. On the other hand, out of the 60 students being surveyed the number one reason or incentives for them to practice medicine within Ethiopia is better salary with 22 responses, followed by housing and transportation opportunities as the second incentive with 7 responses, and research support as the third reason with 6 responses.
The conclusive result of my project shows that the most important incentive in retaining
physicians is better salary. A better alternative to incentivize retention that most individuals across different group agreed on was the availability of housing and transportation opportunities. Most physicians don’t own a house or a
car, which are among the basic necessities. Every group I surveyed and interviewed agreed that the government should set up a system in which physicians are able to afford getting these basic necessities with their low salaries.
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Open Access
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Brain Drain and medical workforce retention within Ethiopia, Addis Ababa
According to studies published in the Sub-Saharan African Medical School Study one in eight physicians trained in Sub-Saharan African region is lost to more developed nations and shortage of physicians in these regions are predicated to increase rapidly. This medical migration is known as “brain drain.” This project consist of a qualitative research to investigate the concept of “Brain Drain” in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa and understand incentives that encourage physicians’ retention within the country. This project helps understand the main reason why medical students choose to leave their school and move abroad and the single most important thing that could change to encourage retention among students. Similarly, the project highlights main reason why faculty members and physicians migrate to a foreign country and determine the most important factor that will motivate them to stay and work at the hospital. Moreover, different perspectives of the administration of the hospital and medical school on the challenges of retaining their faculty members, physicians, and students are discussed. The purpose of this project is to be able to determine the main common ground and overlapping theme that should be address in order to ultimately reduce brain drain and encourage retention of physicians. Out of the 52 physicians surveyed and interviewed. 30 people answered better salary as being the number one reason or incentives for them to practice medicine within Ethiopia, 22 people answered housing and transportation opportunities as the second reason and incentives, 14 people answered scholarship and post graduate medical opportunities as the third reason/incentive and 7 said better infrastructures as the fourth reason. On the other hand, out of the 60 students being surveyed the number one reason or incentives for them to practice medicine within Ethiopia is better salary with 22 responses, followed by housing and transportation opportunities as the second incentive with 7 responses, and research support as the third reason with 6 responses.
The conclusive result of my project shows that the most important incentive in retaining
physicians is better salary. A better alternative to incentivize retention that most individuals across different group agreed on was the availability of housing and transportation opportunities. Most physicians don’t own a house or a
car, which are among the basic necessities. Every group I surveyed and interviewed agreed that the government should set up a system in which physicians are able to afford getting these basic necessities with their low salaries.
Comments
Poster to be presented at GW Annual Research Days 2017.