The global and domestic in policy: Impacts on medical education and migration

Abstract

Healthcare systems around the world face major challenges related to globalisation, technological advancements, and inequities in resource and workforce shortages. As medical educators turn to social accountability to address the needs of their communities and regions, global and domestic issues are often incongruent. Globally, the migration of medical doctors affects almost all countries of all income levels. Imperial legacies continue to shape the migratory patterns of international medical graduates and the challenges that these doctors face during and after migration. This paper examines the impact of accreditation and regulatory practices on the landscape of migration policies and governance, discusses the experiences of doctors working overseas, detrimental effects on exporting countries, and examines some potential mitigating strategies that support exporting countries. Across all these areas, medical education can play a key role to reconcile tensions between competing domestic and global concerns.