STRUCTURAL INJUSTICES IN THE RECOGNITION OF FOREIGN MEDICAL DEGREES BY THE PAKISTAN MEDICAL COUNCIL: A CALL FOR POLICY REFORM
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61841/vmqgts53Keywords:
Pakistan Medical Council, foreign medical degrees, healthcare shortage, systemic inadequacies, regulatory deficiencies, recognition process, medical education, academic careers, structural injustices.Abstract
Specifically, there remain systemic flaws in the Pakistan Medical Council (PMC) recognition of foreign postgraduate degrees, especially from reputable colleges in the UK and US. Despite Pakistan’s healthcare system suffering from a dire shortage of medical professionals, visiting doctors from abroad must go through the bilateral recognition process fraught with unnecessary delays, a lack of transparency, miscommunication, and prejudice from professionals in the institution. This study delves into a specific incidence of miscarried recognition of a physician on foreign credential, analyzing the phenomenon under the umbrella of systemic regulatory and academic flairs of Pakistan’s medical recognition mechanism. It discusses how foreign-qualified doctors are discriminated against, even when their qualifications come from reputable institutions. This paper continues the authors previous work published in 2015 on the fall of the standard of teaching quality in local medical institutions, evidencing the importance to respect and recognize certificates, diplomas, and degrees from foreign medical schools. The research highlights the urgent need for reforms within the PMC, pushing the argument for a more transparent, equitable, and inclusive system by detailing the implications of such discriminatory practices. Understanding the significance of foreign education is not only vital to replenish the healthcare workforce gap, but also to promote academic careers of the medical fraternity in Pakistan. The paper seeks to explore beyond the individual level motives and aspirations of foreign trained doctors by investigating the institutional underpinnings that support or obstruct professionals in their path towards recognition and integration in life as a doctor.
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