Why it is difficult to adapt emergency medicine as career in Pakistan?

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Emergency medicine relates to the healthcare services provided to patients in emergency departments. It is one of the most important departments in a healthcare setting, as it deals with a wide range of different services associated with different medical specialties. However, it is critical to know that even though it is among the critical part of hospitals, not many healthcare providers like to adapt the profession of emergency medicine.

In a recent study, researchers from Rawalpindi, Pakistan, surveyed 144 individuals November and December 2023. They found that about 33.3% of individuals have not considered adapting emergency medicine as a career. On a further note, about 43% of individuals reported that they have not gone through clinical placement in this specialty. Interestingly, a large percentage of these individuals also reported that they, their family members, or close friends have already gone through the problems linking to medical emergency.

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The researchers further reported that several important barriers associated with the adoption of this profession. Among these barriers, they noted that elevated levels of burnout, inability to work in an independent manner, poor work-life balance, increased risk of mortalities, more unfriendly environment, decreased level of patient follow-up, and lack of exposure. Elevated burnout level is considered as the most frequently occurring barrier. For instance, individuals working in emergency departments may experience increased workloads, more restlessness and responsibilities during working hours, and no-to-less margin of error. More unfriendly environment is also among the top most barriers in emergency medicine career. These conditions then negatively affect the mental and physical effects on healthcare providers. Aside from these barriers, some of the participants also reported that family pressure also restricted their chances of pursuing career in emergency medicine.

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Conclusively, the researchers noted that a large number of doctors and medical students do not think of adapting this career in professional life. However, it seems imperative to promote the importance of emergency medicine among healthcare providers. This can be done through education and training of these individuals. For instance, researchers stated, “a considerable proportion of the participants reported that they had not undergone any clinical internship in EM (emergency medicine).” Therefore, increasing the level of internships in the field of emergency medicine can be of great help. Moreover, increasing the awareness and interest among doctors is also important for the promotion of emergency medicine as a career. Furthermore, increasing the number of individuals working in the emergency department is also beneficial in promoting this career. These individuals can help in dealing with several important issues, such as heavy workloads, staff shortages, overcrowding of patients, violence in the workplace, and increased work intensity. Eventually, increasing stipends and incentives can also help in dealing with the problem of emergency department shortages and reducing burden on doctors and nurses in emergency departments.

Reference:

Mutaal, A., Bajwa, S., Rehman, M. S. U., Ashiq, K., Shuaib, F., Shehzad, D., . . . Noor, Z. (2024). Barriers in Opting for Emergency Medicine as a Career in Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study. Cureus, 16(1), e52525. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.52525