Pattern of postgraduate specialization of Kuwaiti medical graduates throughout the last 30 years

ABSTRACT

The study examines postgraduate specialty training of Kuwaiti medical graduates during the period 1968 to 1999, identifies their attained professional qualifications in order to reveal scarcity in some specialties. A survey was carried out involving review of the records maintained at the Kuwait Institute for Medical Specialization [KIMS] and Ministry of Health for all the trainees who were enrolled in higher training programs for specialization during the study. Information obtained from the records were ascertained through matching with the doctors' career destinations and employment in the recruitment departments of the health sector. Ascertained data included gender, year and awarding country, level of attained qualifications [medium Diploma and M.Sc.; higher clinical fellowship/membership MRCP, FRCS, MRCOG, Boards of Kuwait, Canada, USA, Germany; and higher academic qualification Ph.D.]. A total of 679 [363 males, 316 females] Kuwaiti medical graduates attained their higher postgraduate qualifications until year 1999. There was an excess of female postgraduates since 1993, and a drop in 1991 due to the Gulf War. Specialty differed according to gender males mostly opted for medicine and surgery, while females mainly chose obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and family medicine. The nature of postgraduate qualifications differed according to gender, fewer females undertook academic qualifications. Also, the awarding country differed according to gender females obtained their qualifications mostly from Kuwait or UK, while males were mainly awarded by Canadian, American or German universities. Scarcity in some clinical specialities was apparent subspecialities in surgery [vascular, pediatric, h and, chest, laparoscopic, neurosurgery and oncology]; pediatric [nephrology, respiratory, cardiology, and neonatology]; psychiatry, occupational medicine, and immunology. The number of Kuwaiti medical graduates with higher professional qualifications significantly increased after 1985 due to the establishment of KIMS and Kuwait Faculty of Medicine. Excess of female postgraduates since 1993 was due to the social and cultural transitions witnessed by Kuwait resulting in rapid urbanization, changing the structure and content of education, increasing the numbers of females employed, professional redistribution in social dimensions, and modification in life style. Gender significantly affected the nature of postgraduate studies, the awarding countries and the choice of specialty. The pattern of preference of Kuwaiti graduates to specialties was consistent with other parts of the world; males opted mainly to internal medicine and surgery, while females preferred obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and family medicine. Scarcity in some specialties has been revealed and needs to be adjusted