A declining interest among adolescents in pursuing medical careers signals a troubling shift that could exacerbate the already severe global shortage of more than 4 million healthcare professionals globally, Pediatrician Dr. Sarah Rizk said in an interview on the AB Majlis podcast.
“We don’t see lots of adolescents saying ‘I want to be a doctor’ anymore,” she said.
With a projected global shortage of 4.3 million physicians and healthcare professionals, Dr. Rizk stressed the need for more doctors to carry out research, diagnose diseases, and improve healthcare systems overall.
Currently, entrepreneurship and social media influencing are shaping up to be the most enticing paths for today’s kids and teenagers than medicine or other traditional professions like engineering or law.
Dr. Rizk, who practices at Dubai’s HealthBay clinic, suggested having doctors create positive social media content could help inspire interest in medical careers again. “The trend of doctors creating content is increasing and I feel happy about that because kids also need to see that side of the world. If you don’t hear anyone speaking about the career of medicine, you will not be interested in it. So I think this is a very nice idea.”
Children’s screentime a growing concern
Beyond career concerns, the interview on AB Majlis delved into the impacts of excessive screen time on children’s well-being. “The trend now is for all kids to be on social media,” she said, addressing the alarming rise in screen time among children. “It’s affecting their social interaction, self-esteem, and mental health.”
She explained that while online channels provide information access and communication abilities, they promote unhealthy physical and social comparisons.
“They’re always comparing themselves to others… putting pressure on themselves to be like others, especially in adolescence when image and self-esteem are very important.”
Through her work, Dr. Rizk has seen this lead to increased anxiety, disrupted sleep patterns, eating disorders, and obesity among her pediatric patients. She advocated for parents to implement strict screen time limits and find a “balance” by engaging kids in outdoor activities.
While recognising social media’s benefits, Dr. Rizk called for more regulations around kids’ exposure, urging parents, platforms, and society to make this a priority. “We want the benefits, but also to limit negative side effects for a better future.”
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