Financial barriers and inequity in medical education in India

Challenges to training a diverse and representative healthcare workforce

Bibliographic Data

ID15328603
AuthorsFaique Rahman (0000-0002-8221-9764, Faculty of Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Aligarh, UP, India), Vivek Bhat (0000-0003-4363-1550, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore, KA, India), Ahmad Ozair (0000-0001-6570-4541, Johns Hopkins University, corresponding author), Donald Detchou (0000-0001-5763-1389, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania), Manmeet S Ahluwalia (0000-0003-3794-9511, Florida International University)
Year2024
Volume29
Issue1
Pages2302232-2302232
Publication date2024-01-09
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueMedical Education Online (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1087-2981 • E-ISSN: 1087-2981
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10872981.2024.2302232
PMID38194431
OpenAlexW4390731205
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited47

India has been historically challenged by an insufficient and heterogeneously clustered distribution of healthcare infrastructure. While resource-limited healthcare settings, such as major parts of India, require multidisciplinary approaches for improvement, one key approach is the recruitment and training of a healthcare workforce representative of its population. This requires overcoming barriers to equity and representation in Indian medical education that are multi-faceted, historical, and rooted in inequality. However, literature is lacking regarding the financial or economic barriers, and their implications on equity and representation in the Indian allopathic physician workforce, which this review sought to describe. Keyword-based searches were carried out in PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus in order to identify relevant literature published till November 2023. This state-of-the-art narrative review describes the existing multi-pronged economic barriers, recent and forthcoming changes deepening these barriers, and how these may limit opportunities for having a diverse workforce. Three sets of major economic barriers exist to becoming a specialized medical practitioner in India - resources required to get selected into an Indian medical school, resources required to pursue medical school, and resources required to get a residency position. The resources in this endeavor have historically included substantial efforts, finances, and privilege, but rising barriers in the medical education system have worsened the state of inequity. Preparation costs for medical school and residency entrance tests have risen steadily, which may be further exacerbated by recent major policy changes regarding licensing and residency selection. Additionally, considerable increases in direct and indirect costs of medical education have recently occurred. Urgent action in these areas may help the Indian population get access to a diverse and representative healthcare workforce and also help alleviate the shortage of primary care physicians in the country. Discussed are the reasons for rural healthcare disparities in India and potential solutions related to medical education

Business · Economic growth · Economics · Environmental health · Equity (law · Health care · Health equity · Medical education · Political science · Population · Public relations · Workforce · Diversity and Career in Medicine · Global Health Workforce Issues · Medical Education and Admissions · Medicine

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