Growing Demand for Doctors with MBChB or MBBS Degree

Southern Africa is quite distinct from the rest of Africa. The region is well-developed, rich in resources, and has a robust mining sector. They export platinum, diamonds, gold, copper, cobalt, chromium, and uranium worldwide. Even after all this, the region faces the same problems as the rest of Africa.

The countries of Southern Africa are:

• Angola
• Botswana
• Eswatini (formerly called Swaziland)
• Lesotho
• Malawi
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• South Africa
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

Reasons Behind the Growing Demand

Southern African countries invested in infrastructure, healthcare and education over the 20th century. This led to economic growth and turned those countries into middle-income countries. With the advent of globalization, the industries of this region started struggling. The main reason for that is the import of cheaper goods from China.

Additionally, the countries faced high levels of emigration of skilled workers. This has led to increased demand for skilled workers in the region. Physicians are among the highest in demand among the list of skilled professionals.

Africa is witnessing rapid population growth with an increase in the youth population. The continent has a low life expectancy of 50 years and a high fertility rate in some countries. And this trait points towards a youth bulge that will result in huge demand for jobs in the continent.

South Africa is the region’s dominant country, and it spends around 9% of its GDP on the healthcare sector. According to the World Bank, South Africa only had 0.905 physicians per 1000 population as of 2017. This is far lower than 1.566 per 1000 population, the world average.

This deficit will result in a limited number of doctors having to attend to hundreds of patients. This, in turn, delays accessibility to quality healthcare.

The two major reasons behind the growing demand for doctors with MBChB or MBBS degrees

1. The first reason is the high brain drain from the African continent. Brain drain refers to the migration of skilled professionals from the African region. This drain pressures the healthcare system by forcing doctors to treat more patients. This can lead to exhaustion, overworking, and other related issues.
2. The second reason for the demand for physicians is the booming population of Africa. The population of Africa is the fastest-growing globally and will grow to over 1.8 billion in 2035. This increases the demand for healthcare, medical education, and other essential services. The governments in Africa are looking to spend vast amounts of money in these fields.

The high population also strains the system and results in the demand for accessible healthcare. The WHO says that almost half of the global population does not have access to necessary health care. They have also envisioned the concept of universal health coverage. Under that initiative, all people have access to health services as needed. It is a part of the sustainable development goals of the UN. With a deficit in doctors, universal health coverage will be a far-fetched dream.

What are the eligibility requirements to join MBChB?

The Eligibility requirements to enroll in the MBChB program are:

• ‘A’ level with Pass in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics.
• Life Science and Physical Science with an associate degree/diploma in Health Science.

• High School graduates should have the credit in 5 subjects; four of which must be:
  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Physics / Chemistry
  • Biology / Agricultural Science

How long is the MBChB degree?

The MBChB degree is an undergraduate program. It extends for five years for the students with A level and 6 Years for the students with O level or Grade 12. For the 5 Years MBChB program, students spend their time studying the basic science curriculum during the first two years. Succeeding that, the students begin their clinical rotations taking part in the study and care of patients in hospitals.

After graduation

After graduation, you will have to go through an 18-month internship. On completing the internship, you will become qualified to practice as a general physician.

During the internship, graduates will be holding temporary licensure. Only upon completion of the internship, students will receive a Permanent Licensure.

Upon permanent licensure, you can work as a general physician. On the contrary, you could specialize in your field of interest through post-graduate programs. Physicians specialized in different fields have better opportunities than the General Practioner.

Is there a growing demand for doctors with MBChB or MBBS degrees?

The answer is “yes.” Like we saw earlier, Africa is rapidly growing with a youth population that will enter the labor pool in the future. The workforce growth will lead to economic growth development.

Africa will require a more extensive healthcare system to realize the UN’s dream of universal health coverage. And, the Southern African countries are looking to make investments to support the development.

“Better incentives to retain staff and also attract back workers from the diaspora should be put in place as well as the use of appropriate ICT tools such as e-learning, electronic health records, and telemedicine to improve education and efficiency of health service delivery,”

said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa.

The countries of Southern Africa are aspiring to attain sustainable development goals by the year 2030. And the number of graduates with a medical degree has seen a steady rise of 18% between 2000 and 2012 in Africa. Additionally, the number of new medical students has risen by an astonishing 34% between 2000 and 2012.

These numbers will only keep on rising with the increased development and need for adequate healthcare. This might just be an excellent time for you to enroll and realize your dream of becoming a physician to serve the people of your nation.

The countries of Southern Africa have taken steps to serve the people with better healthcare and to meet the growing demand for doctors. Demand forecasting and planning is a process that assesses needs using statistical methods. It enables the governments to make investments in the sector to meet the needs of the people.

Texila American University (TAU)

TAU is one of the top medical universities in Zambia. TAU offers a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) program with a state-of-the-art laboratory. This program will enable the students to be a vital part of Africa’s growing healthcare sector.

What the MBChB program at TAU offers

• Engaging curriculum with case-based learning
• Small group learning activities.
• Emphasis on basic sciences and building basic clinical skills
• Ability to work closely with a mentor during the course
• Research projects that help them increase their knowledge
• Clinical and research experience
• A state-of-the-art laboratory and other facilities

At TAU, students will get educated and molded to achieve a bright career in healthcare. Africa’s growing demand for doctors will be met as more students enroll and graduate.

Become the doctor your nation needs

Enroll now in TAU’s MBChB program to contribute to the African healthcare sector.