Thirty percent of medical graduates do not work in their fields, said a government education authority on Monday. Rashad Barsoum, Chairman of the Medical Sector Commission of the Supreme Council of Universities, said that medical graduates unable to find work in their fields migrate abroad or work in other occupations.
In a press statement, Barsoum said the statistics indicate that the physician-to-citizen ratio is 24 for every 10,000 people. He added that only 10 percent of medical graduates of undergraduate programs in Egypt go on to earn more advanced degrees.
Barsoum warned of the declining value of medical degrees earned from Egyptian universities. He explained that a number of countries such as Sudan, Nigeria, and Yemen no longer recognize medical degrees earned in Egypt. He said that reforming medical schools in Egypt “requires a real revolution”.
Barsoum said the Supreme Council of Universities has set up 14 strategies for the development of medical graduate levels, including the planning and development of a medical sector committee. He also said that medical graduates will be required to earn national certificates from program similar to the American system where the graduates are examined for job market suitability.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
