The government plans to form a special committee for the joint selection of the Specialist/Subspecialist Doctor Education Program (PPDS) to enhance transparency and equitable distribution of specialist doctors nationwide.
This policy is based on an agreement between the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology and the Ministry of Health of Indonesia.
Vice Dean of the UGM Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing (FK-KMK UGM), Dr. Ahmad Hamim Sadewa, responded positively to this government initiative.
“Of course, we at UGM welcome this policy. As the team is still being formed, we hope for a synchronized and harmonious collaboration,” Dr. Sadewa said on Friday (Feb. 7).
He acknowledged that the design for this joint selection process is not easy and still requires various plans. Therefore, FK-KMK UGM is still awaiting an official directive regarding the joint selection, meaning that the PPDS admission scheduled for March will still use each university’s respective scheme.
The joint selection policy for PPDS aims to increase the number of specialist doctors while also addressing their distribution across all regions of Indonesia.
This effort has actually been underway since 2022 through several programs, such as increasing the student quota for undergraduate and specialist doctoral programs and adding new study programs.
The specialist and subspecialist doctor programs have produced 4,000 graduates annually. Unfortunately, this number is still insufficient to meet the demand for specialist doctors in several regions.
“The issue of equitable distribution is quite complex. It’s not just about PPDS, but also how to get specialist doctors to work in the regions,” Dr. Sadewa explained.
The affirmative pathway for program admission is a policy introduced to address the shortage of specialist doctors. Each region is allocated a minimum quota of 10%, prioritized for affirmative specialist doctor admissions.
“This is aimed so that after graduation, they can return to work in their home regions,” he explained.
However, according to Dr. Sadewa, this policy has not fully resolved the issue of the shortage of specialist doctors.
He added that most doctors tend to move to the cities after graduating and working for a few years in the regions. The low retention rate of specialist doctors is due to several factors, including infrastructure, incentives, and security issues.
“Many are reluctant to continue working in the regions due to limited access, inadequate incentives, and security threats. These aspects are essential for doctors to work optimally,” Dr. Sadewa concluded.
He suggested that the government should consider security guarantees and complete medical facilities in regional healthcare services.
Regarding the flow and aspects of competence tested in PPDS, Dr. Sadewa proposed adding assessments beyond general knowledge. He believes it is important for doctors to have good mental health stability in handling patients.
“I think it would be useful to add tests to assess mental health and attitude, not just basic competencies. That’s important,” Dr. Sadewa added.
He also recommended two admission pathways for PPDS: joint selection and independent admission. Adding a new admission pathway would be easier than replacing the existing system.
“Currently, many universities still need to work on opening new study programs specifically for specialist/subspecialist doctors,” he said.
Dr. Sadewa stated that FK-KMK UGM supports the establishment of specialist and subspecialist education at several universities.
Among other things, UGM assisted in opening a neurology study program at Universitas Jenderal Soedirman and an internal medicine study program at Universitas Islam Sultan Agung.
“At FK-KMK UGM, we also assist several universities in establishing specialist doctor programs. This effort is to ensure it can be carried out together,” he concluded.
Author: Tasya
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya
Photo: Freepik