Exporting doctors

ONE of the most coveted educational paths in Pakistan is to study medicine. Every year, tens of thousands of young Pakistanis study hard and take exams hoping for scores that are good enough to allow them to study medicine. Only the very best succeed, for there are always more students wanting seats at the country’s medical colleges than are available. Those that make it are congratulated widely by friends and family because they now have a chance at a solid future. That future is best guaranteed if the newly graduated doctor is able to take the exams that allow them to get into residency programmes in the US or UK.

Only the best secure those spots but, for them, the future is undoubtedly more different from those left to endure poorly paid house jobs in Pakistan. As is well known, the pay for a trainee doctor in Pakistan is a joke. The story for those who match into residency programmes in the US is remarkably different. They find themselves transported to state-of-the-art hospitals where they can earn decently even as trainees. This year, according to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, more than 1,400 Pakistani medical graduates matched into residency programmes in the US. In the words of PMDC president Rizwan Taj: “The journey of Pakistani doctors achieving success on the global stage is a story of dedication, hard work, and the continuous transformation of medical education in Pakistan by the PMDC. The significant increase compared with previous years reflects the growing preparedness, confidence and global competitiveness of Pakistani doctors.”

There is indeed no question about the dedication of Pakistani doctors, and PMDC plays a role in ensuring that the educational standards in Pakistani medical colleges align with global standards. At the same time, it is important to point out how students at the country’s public medical colleges struggle to avail the same opportunities that private colleges provide. In the words of Dr Ali Raza Effendi, a Pakistani-American physician in California: “Pakistani medical graduates have largely had to navigate the US residency application process on their own. With the exception of Aga Khan University, most medical schools in Pakistan have limited institutional affiliations or established pathways with US residency programmes.” Dr Effendi emphasised that students have to overcome many obstacles before Match Day, including obtaining visas, passport stamping delays and the significant financial burden of travelling to America for clinical objectives, interviews and observerships.

There are more than 44,000 residency spots in the US and many positions in specialties like internal medicine, family medicine and paediatrics are initially left unfilled before the post-Match placement process. Pakistani medical graduates could fill more of those spots but making that happen requires more than the bare minimum.

Pakistanis, the world may soon learn, are excellent doctors.

At the government and diplomatic level, it would benefit Pakistani medical students greatly if Pakistan raised their cause more consistently. Some of the delays and complications faced by Pakistani medical students travelling to the US for observerships, research positions and residency training could be eased if dedicated embassy staff were assigned to facilitate visas for medical graduates.

Doctor shortages are likely to become more acute in the US in the coming decades. Already many states are creating workarounds via whi­ch experienced physicians abroad can migrate to the US and practise even though they have not completed a US residency programme. While Pre­­­­s­­ident Donald Tru­mp’s MAGA base is against hiring foreign medical graduates, even their opposition has not been enough to stop the administration from lifting various immigration restrictions on foreign medical graduates.

Pakistani medical graduates who migrated to the US over the past several decades have made tremendous contributions to research and patient care. Many occupy leadership positions in some of the best hospitals there. Pakistan should avail itself of their expertise and facilitate official collaborations so that these superstars can help train medical students and young doctors in Pakistan. Sadly, the lack of official interest in such partnerships means that Pakistan has failed to capitalise on its own tremendous talent.

Placing 1,400 Pakistani doctors is an achievement but this number can be doubled or even tripled if official institutional affiliations, physician mentoring and similar initiatives are pursued. Pakistanis, the world could soon learn, are not just good diplomats, but also excellent doctors.

The writer is an attorney teaching constitutional law and political philosophy.

rafia.zakaria@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2026

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