He said 'If they go, let them go,' and they did: 2,692 physicians obtained 'Certificate of Good Standing' to emigrate

The exodus of physicians, whom President Erdoğan once told "If they go, let them go," continues. According to data from the Turkish Medical Association (TTB), the number of physicians who obtained a 'Certificate of Good Standing' to work abroad in 2024 reached 2,692. 

Commenting on the data, TTB Central Council Member Nilüfer Ustael said, "The pressure of seeing a patient every 5 minutes, insufficient salaries, the pressure they face in their social lives due to poverty, and long working hours all create serious pressure on physicians."

According to the data, the migration of physicians has been increasing steadily since 2020. 

According to TTB data, the number of physicians who obtained a 'Certificate of Good Standing' to emigrate over the years is as follows: 

2020 - 931 physicians

2021 - 1,405 physicians

2022 - 2,685 physicians

2023 - 3,025 physicians

2024 - 2,692 physicians 

Stating that the decrease in the number of physicians obtaining a 'Certificate of Good Standing' in 2024 compared to last year does not mean that physicians have given up on going abroad, Ustael said this situation is due to visa policies in European countries.

'THERE IS SERIOUS PRESSURE ON PHYSICIANS'

Nilüfer Ustael made the following assessments: 

"Mobbing from patients, professors, and peers, along with the devaluation of the profession, creates a feeling of worthlessness and a need to distance oneself from the profession and the country. Apart from this, we have mandatory service after finishing medical school, and those conditions are not like they used to be; they are becoming increasingly difficult. The legal rights and personal rights that were once applied in this country are being lost. Temporary assignments during mandatory service, and assignments outside the region for male physicians notified just 2 days in advance, lead them to act toward not going to mandatory service or resigning. This is also a serious pressure on the medical profession. There is also one of the world's most difficult exams, like the TUS (Medical Specialization Exam), but this exam does not have a standard line of its own. Quotas sometimes double and sometimes halve. Similarly, a clinic may have 20 residents in one term and 10 in the next. Standardization is not achieved in the workforce and training there either. A resident physician is a physician providing public service; the pressure of seeing a patient every 5 minutes, insufficient salaries, the pressure they face in their social lives due to poverty, and long working hours all create serious pressure on physicians."