Barriers in Opting for Emergency Medicine as a Career in Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Background: Medical professionals' low level of apprehension and insights may result in the undervaluing of emergency medicine (EM) as a speciality to pursue in the future, which is a vital component in the everyday management of hundreds of patients. Aim: The aim of this study is to assess medical professionals' perception of the barriers in opting for EM as a career option in Pakistan. Method: This was an online survey study that examined doctors'/medical students' perception of hurdles in EM in Pakistan between November and December 2023. This study was conducted at Rawalpindi Medical University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Social media platforms were used to recruit the participants to carry out this survey. The questionnaire proforma comprised three sections: a demographic characteristics section (six questions), a perception section (11 questions), and the last section, where participants were asked to give their opinion to improve EM for a future speciality. Results: An online Google survey form was used for the acquisition of data. Percentage and frequency distribution analysis was used. A total of 144 individuals (N = 144) participated in this study. Around 33.3% (N = 48) of the participants expressed that they had not considered a career in EM. Around 43% (N = 62) of them reported not having done a clinical placement in this speciality. A majority of the participants said that either they or their close friends/family members had faced a medical emergency. Leading barriers that proved a hindrance in pursuing this field were high levels of burnout, poor work-life balance, loss of patient follow-up, inability to work independently, more hostile environment, increased mortalities, and lack of exposure. Interestingly, family pressure had been reported by some participants as a limiting factor in pursuing EM. Conclusion: In Pakistan, many doctors and medical students are not willing to pursue their careers in EM. Nationwide educational seminars should be conducted to increase awareness and interest among doctors in this field. Moreover, more and more clinical placement opportunities should be made available for junior doctors in EM. In the future, further research should be carried out to identify effective educational interventions to increase doctors'/medical students' awareness in this field of medicine.