04/01/2026
ERMP and Specialty Choice: The Reality We Rarely Say Out Loud ๐ง โ๏ธ
As ERMP registration for the 2026 academic year unfolds, a clear pattern is emerging: many physicians are choosing Radiology, Internal Medicine, and Dermatology.
This raises an important question not about preference alone, but about what has changed. Why are choices different from 5 years ago, and what do these trends really tell us?
The honest answer is simple: physicians are responding to the system they work in.
Anyone inside medicine understands the burden carried by highly demanding specialties such as Neurosurgery and others. Long years of training, frequent night calls, high-risk decisions, physical exhaustion, and emotional pressure often in resource-limited settings are part of daily life. These fields carry enormous responsibility, every single day.
Yet after 4โ5 years of intense training, the differences in pay, benefits, and working conditions compared to specialities with less years of training are often minimal to nothing. When sacrifice is not matched with meaningful recognition, physicians make practical decisions. This is not about avoiding hard work, it is about sustainability.
From observation and experience, In countries like China, specialists earn differently based on workload, procedural intensity, and responsibility. The same applies in many other systems, including the United States, where compensation reflects the real demands of each specialty.
One of the deeper challenges lies in the fact that healthcare professionals are governed under the civil service commission system. While this framework may work for many sectors, it does not capture the reality of medical practice.
Medical specialties are not equal in scope, risk, or responsibility, and treating them as such ignores what truly happens in hospitals, night calls, and emergency rooms.
This is not about blame. It is about acknowledging reality.
If we want ERMP outcomes to reflect national health needs rather than survival strategies, we must begin valuing medical practice according to its true burden, scope, and responsibility.
Dr. Adane Goshu (GP)
Telegram: t.me/HakimEthio
