RI physicians lack academic culture

RI physicians lack academic culture

Leo Wahyudi S, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The hope of seeing an Indonesian physician win the prestigious
Nobel prize remains a far-fetched dream, mainly because
Indonesian physicians are not accustomed to research.

A professor lamented on Tuesday the lack of scientific
research conducted by Indonesian physicians, which he said
reflected the absence of an academic culture among them.

"The caliber of scientists can be measured by the number of
papers that they have publicized. In this field, physicians here
are lagging far behind their counterparts in other countries,"
said A.A. Loedin, a former specialist with the Ministry of
Health.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the Medika Award 2000
presentation for winners of a scientific writing contest
organized by a medical journal. Loedin was a member of the jury
that judged the competition.

He said that this phenomenon was the norm among the country's
academics, who were reluctant to read and, at worst, were unaware
of how to access information and knowledge.

He said the patriarchal culture prevailing in the country had
contributed to the lack of initiative and creativity among
Indonesian scholars.

But he was quick to add that this cultural disadvantage could
not be used to provide an excuse for physicians to avoid
experimentation and in-depth research.

As if to confirm his argument, none of 70 scientific papers
submitted to the Medika Award organizing committee were adjudged
eligible for the top two prizes.

The organizers received 31 articles, 36 referral reviews and
three field reports on health.

Kartono Mohamad, one of the journal's editors, refused to
comment on the jury's decision, but admitted that the standard of
the writing contest needed improvement.

"There are some Indonesian medical doctors, albeit a few, who
have contributed their scientific writings to international
publications," Kartono said.

Loedin suggested that older medical doctors act as role models
for younger doctors in pursuing more scientific studies.