The College of Medicine in the Republic of Malawi: towards sustainable staff development
2007

The College of Medicine in Malawi: Improving Staff Development

Sample size: 254 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Zijlstra Ed E, Broadhead Robert L

Primary Institution: College of Medicine, Blantyre, Republic of Malawi

Hypothesis

To what extent has a brain drain occurred among graduates of the College of Medicine in Malawi?

Conclusion

There seems to be no significant brain drain among graduates of the College of Medicine, and the postgraduate program is expected to train sufficient Malawian specialists by 2015.

Supporting Evidence

  • 254 students have graduated from the College of Medicine since its establishment in 1991.
  • 60% of graduates are working in Malawi, while 40% are abroad.
  • The postgraduate program is designed to train graduates to become senior academic staff.

Takeaway

The College of Medicine in Malawi is training doctors to stay and work in the country, and they expect to have enough local specialists by 2015.

Methodology

The study documented the professional development and geographical distribution of COM graduates by contacting them directly or through peers.

Limitations

The study could not collect information on professional development for 7 graduates.

Participant Demographics

76% of graduates are male and 24% are female.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1478-4491-5-10

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