“COST OF A DREAM: THE PLIGHT OF UNPAID TRAINEE PHYSIOTHERAPISTS!”

It started in 2013 when my mother forced me not to take a year gap and pursue the physiotherapy profession as I wanted to become a MBBS Doctor like many of us. We all know, how our mind work that if our mother is saying something it must be beneficial for us, so I left the ball in her court and passed the entry test with flying colors and got the seat on merit in JINNAH POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL CENTER (JPMC). Alas, I started my journey as a Your physiotherapist DR FARYAL AMBER here. I have done Dr physiotherapy from JINNAH POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL CENTER.

If I talk about my work experience, I started my career life from one of the biggest organisation that is AGA KHAN UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL! It was in my bucket list to learn or work there but at the same time it was a daunting task for me to pass the entry test or their interview but Alhamdulillah I got selected. 💛

Then I got married It became difficult for me to pursue my career but I buckled up and restart my career. Now I’m working in FATIMIYAH HOSPITAL.

So that’s the brief introduction, now I would like to talk about my leisure time activities which is READING and occasionally CALLIGRAPHY! My favorite writer is ARUNDHATI ROY and ELIF SHAFAK. If you’re a reader then you already have guessed my 2 favorite books “God of small things” and “40 rules of love”! I can read them again and again. 🫠

Also I’m a social media freak so you can find me on Instagram, Tiktok and on Youtube as well 😋 During my career break I was using them so now they become habit.

Currently I joined a Struggling Doctors Magazine as a writer! And it’s like one of my childhood dream comes true. I always wanted to be a writer and they gave me a chance I have written many research proposals but tried writing article for the first time, Hope you guys love it. ❤️physiotherapist in 2014…

Subconsciously, I knew that the field I chose would give me a tough time because of so many apparent reasons. Firstly, a lot of Pakistanis call physiotherapists by alternative terms for instance, some of my cousins still call me massager (MALISHI). Secondly, No one considers them Doctors, even so-called educated people. Lastly, the most important question was how much will I be making by this profession? And I found the answer in the last and 5th year of my degree, when my seniors started doing unpaid housejob. Yes, you read it correctly!

Meanwhile, us who were going to be fresh medical graduates, were so excited to step into practical life with enthusiasm, not prepared for it. After a lot of hard work, sleepless nights that caused dark circles, commuted from one part of the city to another just to stand on our own, bear all the fees expenses, combated with mental and physical stresses of exams and viva, and now this news was not less than any emotional trauma. At that time I was thinking what could be the solution? I could not accept it. It’s not like that I was greedy or getting this degree only for money, obviously not, I knew physiotherapists do not make good money in Pakistan! But everyone thinks about it, it’s a need especially for a girl who belongs to a middle-class family or you can say that I felt obliged to go against the system. All I wanted was my right to get paid. So, I decided either I would not do this disposable labor or I would apply to another private hospital who will pay me for my work.

"Medical students and residents are the backbone of our healthcare system, yet they're often treated as disposable labor" - Dr. Leana Wen

Fortunately, I passed the entry test of Aga Khan University Hospital and also the interview for trainee physiotherapist. But what about those unfortunate students? all my classmates had no chance but to do unpaid hard work!

It is important to understand that the house job/internship is part of the medical training program and provides valuable hands-on experience to medical graduates. It is also a way for them to gain exposure to different specialties and decide on their career path.

I want to mention here that we have made efforts to address the issue of unpaid house jobs/internships in JPMC. We have talked to the director of the hospital (Dr. Seemi Jamali), and asked our principal (Dr. Riaz Baig Chugtai) to take action. Nevertheless, the issue has not been solved yet and remains a significant challenge for trainee physiotherapists working at JPMC. Many other hospitals have also faced this issue but they started to provide stipends or allowances to their house officers/interns.

If I talk about what’s happening there, trust me it's the worst! The work loads are now on the shoulders of these free workers? Seniors are taking all the work from their juniors without providing them with any compensation, and no one is talking about it. Since 2018, every year, new batches start struggling and repeating the cycle of non stipendairy house job because it's part of the course and in return they feel career anxiety, despair and unmotivated.

According to Dr. Danielle Ofri:

"The practice of forcing medical interns to work long hours without pay is a form of exploitation that should be eradicated from the profession" -

Ending it on the note that unpaid house jobs should be considered illegal for many reasons. The preferable and most apparent downside of not getting paid is that you are dedicating your precious time, putting efforts, doing hardships for your commitments, and not earning enough would cause de-motivation. Receiving stipends or getting compensation in return for your work is pleasant in all aspects. Not having a regular income can create a financial distress or burden on you, especially in times of inflation, the transportation, food, and other expenses are difficult to manage. Balancing your budget and doing unpaid work can be challenging. The government needs to take responsibility to ensure that physiotherapists are paid for their work. They should take steps to enforce the laws and regulations related to employment, create awareness, provide financial support, encourage private sector involvement, and establish monitoring mechanisms to ensure compliance.