Rethinking the Medical Brain Drain Narrative

Concerns about the negative impact of the “brain drain” of health
professionals from Africa have led to a dominant narrative in which
those who migrate are a permanent, and costly, loss to the country of
origin and a permanent, and valuable, gain for the country of
destination. In the new world of transnationalism, a global skills
market, and greatly increased mobility by health professionals, it is
unlikely that the traditional permanent-exodus model of the brain drain
narrative adequately captures all forms of migration by South African
doctors. This report first examines the temporary employment
opportunities for South African doctors in countries such as the United
Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, and Australia. This report draws two major
conclusions: first, the dominant brain drain narrative overlooks the
complex nature of South African physician migration and ignores the fact
that a significant number of doctors have temporary employment
experience outside the country. Second, it suggests that temporary
employment overseas increases the chances of permanent emigration later.