'Youths no longer dream of becoming doctors'

By Sri Wahyuni

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian youngsters no longer dream of becoming doctors, according to the president of the Indonesian Medical Association, Dr. H. Azrul Azwar.

At least neither of his two sons in university want to become a doctor, Azwar is waiting for his third son's decision.

"It's sad realizing that," Azwar told The Jakarta Post in a recent interview at the association's headquarters in Jakarta.

According to Azwar, because top students are no longer interested in becoming doctors, the profession will only attract the second best. A dangerous phenomenon.

Several factors have led to the decrease in the profession's popularity.

It takes longer for medical students to complete their education and start earning a living.

"While students in other fields of study -- for example economics -- have graduated and become young executives, they are still at school," Azwar said.

To become a general physician takes at least nine years, six of which are spent at school and another three completing the compulsory practice at government-appointed places. It takes another five years to become a specialist.

"You spend most of your time at school," said Azwar, who is also a lecturer at the Health Teaching Center of the Community Health Department at the University of Indonesia.

Azwar believes it is time the government reviewed the compulsory program and allow people to become specialists without having to be a general physician first.

In many other places, he said, including Europe and America, there is no such requirement. Those wanting to take specialist programs can do so directly after their fourth year of medical school. The others take general medicine lectures to become family physicians, Azwar explained.

Employment

Besides the length of study, uncertain job prospects keep students away from medical schools. In Azwar's experience, medical school graduates are not easily employed. Statistics show that of the 2,000 physicians who graduate all over Indonesia each year, only 15 percent find immediate employment.

The 15 percent get jobs as government employees. The rest must rely on the private sector, which isn't ready to accommodate them.

"Where are the rest supposed to go?" Azwar inquired.

Azwar feels a responsibility to pay more attention to the issue. Holding key posts in several different organizations and institutions, including the medical association, has enabled him to do real things.

The association, for example, is campaigning for private firms to employ new graduates to promote company health programs.

"So far they have given positive responses, but it will be some time before the program is fully realized, " he said.

The association has clinched an agreement with Perum Astek, the only Indonesian workers insurance company. It has agreed to find employment for new physicians. Astek has agreed to employ between 100 and 200 graduates a year at its clinics.

Although such cooperation will not be able to absorb all the new doctors, "At least we are doing something about it," said Azwar, who adds that he has pledged to do good deeds for the rest of his life.

Azwar is also concerned about the growing tendency among investors, including local ones, to commercialize medical services.

"The philosophy of giving medical treatment is changing. It has become more commercial than social. This is very sad," he lamented.

By accident

Azwar admitted he became a doctor by accident. He was a student at the Bandung Institute of Technology when his father requested Azwar to move to Jakarta to enroll at University Indonesia's School of Medicine.

"It was mostly because of financial considerations that I did what my father asked," he said.

His hectic schedule doesn't give him enough time to sleep let alone ponder his choice.

"I often sleep only for three hours a day," he said. "But thank God, I'm still fit."

His several posts require that he handle several projects at the same time.

"I still can manage. I still have enough time to write books and papers," he said.

"I always try to build a very good supporting staff," was all he would reveal about his management secrets.

Born in Kotacane in southeast Aceh on June 6, 1945, Azwar is more a lecturer than a practicing doctor. Since he graduated from University Indonesia 1972, he has spent most of his time lecturing at the university's Community Health Department.

"If I'm not mistaken, I only had my own medical practice fro one-and-a-half years," Azwar said.

Between 1969 and 1970 he was chairman of the Student Senate of his faculty and then chairman of the student council for the next two years. He was also active in the Indonesian Moslem Students Association.

After getting his masters from the University of Hawaii in 1978, Azwar kept busy as the vice chairman of the Indonesian Family Planning Union between 1980 and 1983, secretary-general of the Indonesian Community Health Experts Association between 1980 and 1984, president of the Profession Organization Cooperation Forum/Indonesian Health Association between 1989 and 1990, president of Confederation of Medical Association in Asia and Oceania from 1989 to 1991, vice president of the Medical Association of ASEAN between 1989 and 1992, and member of the Planning Committee of World Medical Association from 1990 to 1991.

He is now the chairman of the Indonesian Family Physician Association, chief editor and president of the Indonesian Health Community Magazine, president of the Indonesian Family Physician Journal, a member of the National Research Board, a member of the Institute of Health Study of the Indonesian Council of Ulemas, and executive director of the Association of Indonesian Permanent Birth Control Users.

Azwar and his colleagues have created marine, nuclear and family physician study programs. Now they are working on the development of sports and aviation specialist programs, and studies in clinical pharmacology and clinical microbiology.

He has written 67 books, close to 400 papers and is now in the final stage of his doctorate at University Indonesia. He has just finished his thesis entitled Quality Assurance. He will defend his thesis on Oct. 24.

"If it is accepted, I will have the test (for the doctoral degree) in January," he said.