The Fiji Medical Association has expressed concerns regarding the proficiency of doctors graduating from the country’s internship programs. This issue was brought to light during the association’s annual conference held at the Hilton Fiji Beach Resort & Spa over the weekend.
During a presentation titled “The Fiji Medical Internship Program – FMA’s Wide Consultation,” Dr. Sailosi Ratumaitavuki, a member of the executive council, discussed the current two-year medical internship program in Fiji. He indicated that the purpose of the consultation was to tackle the increasing apprehensions from stakeholders and the medical community.
Medical professionals voiced their worries about the preparedness of graduates entering the internship program and pointed out the challenges posed by the large number of interns relative to the limited supervisory capacity available. Additionally, there were concerns regarding insufficient clinical exposure, as interns face reduced case loads due to overcrowded rotations and outdated infrastructure that cannot accommodate the growing number of interns and the population’s needs.
Dr. Ratumaitavuki stated that these issues have significant implications on the quality of doctors being produced. He mentioned that the FMA engaged with a variety of stakeholders, including medical schools, hospital management (both clinical and public health), supervisors, interns, and medical students.
The process involved conducting focus groups, surveys, and interviews, as well as gathering information and data from the Health Ministry and the FMDC Standards Committee. Dr. Ratumaitavuki noted that similar issues were consistently raised across all consultations and across various medical divisions in central, eastern, northern, and western regions of Fiji.