The Podcast by KevinMD Medical brain drain leaves vulnerable communities without life-saving care
Jan 8, 2026
Samah Khan, a premedical student and author, highlights the global physician shortage and the impact of brain drain on vulnerable communities. She draws parallels between the medical exodus in Pakistan and California's Central Valley, revealing that low pay and inadequate infrastructure drive doctors away. Samah discusses the importance of local recruitment programs and community investment in healthcare. She emphasizes the need for systemic changes to retain talent, ensuring that patients receive timely care and that healthcare providers are anchored back to their communities.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Parallel Patient Journeys
- Samah Khan compared her neighbor driving two hours for cardiology to patients walking days to see her father's clinic in Pakistan.
- She used these personal stories to show the same problem manifests across vastly different settings.
Retention Not Supply Problem
- Samah Khan reframed ‘physician shortages’ as a retention and structural value failure rather than a pure supply problem.
- She argued systems neglect and active pull drive doctors away, producing ‘doctor deserts.’
Tie Training To Community
- Do design targeted programs that tie trainees to their home communities to improve retention.
- Avoid only increasing seats; fix the conditions that make doctors leave.