PLASTIC AND reconstructive |surgery, plus ear, nose and throat (ENT) are the most popular fields among Thai medical students.

This is because graduates from these areas can open clinics or boost their skills further to earn higher salaries as people nowadays are interested in healthcare and beauty, according to Chairat Neruntarat, dean of Srinakharinwirot University’s Faculty of Medicine.

Also, up to 1 per cent of Thai medicine graduates do not pursue the medical profession because they have other alternatives that can yield bigger pay cheques, Chairat said.

He said this was understandable because medical graduates needed an income to take care of themselves and their families. However, he added, if the percentage of medical students opting for other careers rises, then the government’s investment in creating doctors, as well as the time invested in earning a degree, would be going to waste.

The government grants a partial subsidy to all medical students with each student requiring Bt450,000 per year for a period of six years earn a degree, he pointed out.

Hence, he said, at the least, graduates should apply their knowledge and skills in a career that promotes health.

In high demand

He also said the field of medicine was very popular among students because, despite high competition, students will land highly paid jobs after graduating. The current shortage of doctors in Thailand also makes new doctors in high demand.

The least popular fields in medicine are obstetrics and gynaecology, neurology, radiology and anaesthesiology, Chairat said, adding that Thailand is suffering a serious scarcity of doctors in these fields.

He added that he hoped more students would pursue those specialities.