10 Most in Demand Doctor Specialties in Philippines

What is going to be interesting in our list of the most in demand doctor specialties in the Philippines is not just the types of medical jobs that are most sought after, but you will also find out something about healthcare in this country and the common diseases.

First, we turned to Mims for some information on the current state and it turned out to be quite specific. Namely, the Philippines are faced with a doctor shortage for several reasons. Abbreviation OFW stands for Overseas Filipino Workers, and you are bound to find many job offers regarding them. There is a huge number of Filipinos working overseas due to the higher incomes abroad and in this way supporting their families. They are of great significance to their homeland’s economy, but when it comes to the medical field, the fact that so many highly skilled Filipinos are leaving is rather unfortunate. The Philippine Medical Association reports that out of 130,000 licensed physicians in the country, only 70,000 are active in the profession. Around 60,000 of them are working overseas and curing the patients in countries with much better healthcare system than in the Philippines.

Out of those 70,000 who are active and working in their home country, a large number is concentrated in the cities. That may not sound as a problem, but it actually is a big one. A large number of the population is living in villages or communities and usually there is one doctor per area that is huge. For instance, a doctor can be assigned for places that are 200 km in the radius of the healthcare center he or she is working in.

With such practice and salaries that are a bit above average, few young people opt to study medicine in the first place. As it is the case with many other countries, not so many are tempted to study something for five years with high scholarships. Those of them who do, however, usually have certain specialties in mind, so let us see how we got to our list.

Having already mentioned the significance of foreign employers, we took a look at Inquirer and confirmed the assumption that the highest paid OFWs are healthcare professionals. With such a huge percentage of Filipinos working abroad, this is definitely a major deciding factor when talking about doctor specialties. Should you wish to start your practice in the USA, look at our article on Most in Demand Medical Specialties in America. Mims was also our source of the average doctor’s salaries. In addition, we searched for the most common diseases to see what type of doctors are most urgently needed in the country. The information comes from ECompareMo. Even though they are one of the nations with the greatest longevity in the world, there is a shocking number of mortality due to certain diseases. Interestingly enough, the wishes of foreign employers and most urgent cases in the Philippines often overlapped. On occasions when it wasn’t the case, we gave a slight advantage to the medicine field which is lacking professionals in the Philippines. Therefore, our list comprises doctor specialties which are most popular with Filipino doctors, and by them we mean those who are deciding to remain in the country and those who are thinking about working abroad. Both types of doctors-to-be are going to find this list extremely useful when deliberating their future career.

Let us see which are the 10 most in demand doctor specialties in the Philippines based on both the Filipinos’ needs and preferences.

10. OB Gynecology

Obstetrician gynecologist is next on our list of most in demand doctor specialties in the Philippines and it is reported to be at the very top of the most wanted doctors, and the United Arab Emirates is the place to go if you are thinking about it since they provide the highest salaries. On the other side, even today there are numerous instances in the Philippines of giving birth outside of hospitals, which makes this profession highly desirable, too.

9. Pediatrics

With an average salary of $452 per month, earning around $559 monthly isn’t that bad. Of course, in both cases there are government bonuses. Still, there are much better options, so keep on reading.

8. General practice

$7213.37 per year would be a monthly salary for a general practice physician in the Philippines. If you specialize in this field, you may expect quite a rewarding job since after some time you’ll be working with familiar faces. Some would argue this is the most difficult option, but bear in mind your job is recognizing diseases, too, and that is very much in demand overseas. Now, let’s see what’s next on our list of most in demand doctor specialties in the Philippines.

7. Emergency medicine

The hectic atmosphere is something one should get used to after some time working in the emergency room. The cases will vary from simple cuts to serious injuries. Their yearly salary is a bit better than with their predecessor – about $8,000 a year.

6. Family medicine

Talking about working with familiar faces…With the current state in the country, having a family doctor might be the best option if you are a patient. Family medicine specialist earns around $11,500 annually. A sum not to be overseen when discussing most in demand doctor specialties in the Philippines.

5.  Neurology

Stroke is the second deadliest disease in the Philippines causing 12.14% of deaths every year. It goes without saying that there are survivors, too, who are in desperate need of recovery after it. Neurologist endeavor to help them with other doctors, so they are paid around $14,500 a year.

4. Nephrology

We sincerely hope this doctor specialty, among the other most in demand doctor specialties in the Philippines, doesn’t sound too familiar to you. Nephrologists specialize in kidney care and kidney disease. The shocking data says the number of patients skyrocketed from only 4,000 cases in 2004 to 120,000 in 2016. This disease is usually a “side effect’ of other diseases such as diabetes or hypertension. The Philippines are in the unfortunate 13th place in the world in terms of kidney-related mortalities in the world, so they are in urgent need of recruiting.

3. Oncology

Getting more and more serious with our list of most in demand doctor specialties in the Philippines. Internal medicine doctors are paid better than the rest, and here is one more field. Regardless of the campaign, breast cancer is still the most common form of cancer in the country. The mortality rate is high, with one out of four women dying in the first five years, and two out of five in 10 years after they had been diagnosed.

2. Pulmonology

Where do we start with this one…There is so much work to be done. Asthma, Tuberculosis, pneumonia, and other lung disease are all in the top 10 deadliest diseases in the Philippines. Doctors have their hands full, including the pediatricians since the University of Philippines College of Medicine reported that pneumonia was the leading cause of death among one to four-year-olds in 2002.

1. Cardiology

Coronary heart disease make up for 16.86% of deaths and it is the deadliest disease in the Philippines, thus making cardiology first in our list of 10 most in demand doctor specialties in the Philippines. Their yearly salary is the highest in the country, too, with $23,000 per year, which is something to think of when you compare it to what we started off with.