Khaberni - Issa Al-Khashashneh, the head of the doctors' syndicate, said on Monday that the issue of doctors' unemployment in Jordan is "real and complex," pointing out that the main reason is the significant increase in the number of graduates compared to the job market's ability to absorb, in addition to the limited opportunities for training and specialization.
Al-Khashashneh explained during a lecture he delivered to the medical school graduates at the University of Jordan that about 23,000 students are studying medicine in Jordan, besides approximately 20,000 students studying abroad, noting that the number of doctors registered with the Jordanian doctors' syndicate since its establishment reached 49,355 doctors, reflecting a continuous inflation in the number of doctors and exacerbating the challenges facing the labor market.
In regard to specialization programs, he emphasized that the biggest challenge lies in the limited number of residency seats available each year, stating that the number of medical school graduates for the year 2025 amounted to 4,454 doctors, while the number accepted into specialization programs does not exceed 1,040 doctors.
He added that this reality leaves more than 3,400 doctors annually facing significant difficulties in joining specialization programs, many of whom resort to joining non-paid (Unpaid) residency programs, affirming the doctors' syndicate's rejection of unpaid residency programs.
He cautioned doctors against joining such programs due to their negative impacts on their professional and livelihood rights, as they face multiple challenges including long working hours, financial burdens, and not being covered by health insurance,
He called for a serious consideration of the resident doctors' file and to meet their rightful demands and provide them with their financial rights, which would alleviate their daily suffering and enable them to perform their duties optimally.
Al-Khashashneh highlighted that these challenges have driven an increasing number of doctors to emigrate from Jordan in search of professional and financial stability.
Regarding solutions, he confirmed that addressing these issues requires intervention at several levels; at the state and public policy level, he called for regulating the number of students accepted into medical schools and gradually reducing it in line with market needs, in addition to expanding "residency and specialization" programs.
He stressed the need to improve the reality of medical tourism in Jordan, due to its important role in supporting the healthcare sector, enhancing job opportunities, and improving the professional conditions for doctors. At the level of medical institutions, he emphasized the need to regulate the medical labor market and comply with minimum wage standards, noting that the Jordanian doctors' syndicate has set a minimum wage of 850 dinars for a general doctor and 1,500 dinars for a specialist doctor.
On an individual level, he urged doctors to earnestly pursue specialization and not settle for general medicine, to venture into rare specialties that suffer from shortages, in addition to learning foreign languages to open up international work prospects, and gaining modern digital skills like telemedicine and health data analysis.
He affirmed that opportunities are still available for ambitious doctors through specialization, ongoing development, and openness to new work fields.
