Amman, April 13 (Petra) -- President of the Jordan Medical Association (JMA), Issa Al-Khashashneh, has warned of a growing crisis in the kingdom’s healthcare sector, citing a significant disparity between the number of medical graduates and available specialized training positions.

Speaking to graduates at the University of Jordan’s School of Medicine on Monday, Al-Khashashneh estimated that approximately 23,000 students are currently studying medicine within Jordan, while another 20,000 are pursuing medical degrees abroad. Since its inception, the JMA has registered a total of 49,355 doctors.

The primary challenge facing the sector is the bottleneck in residency programs. Al-Khashashneh revealed that while 4,454 doctors graduated in 2025, only 1,040 residency slots were available. This leaves more than 3,400 doctors annually unable to secure specialized training, a situation he described as "complex unemployment." The shortage has forced many graduates into unpaid residency programs, a practice Al-Khashashneh said the JMA firmly rejects. He urged young doctors to avoid such positions, noting that they often involve long working hours and financial strain without the benefit of health insurance or professional protections.

To address the surplus of general practitioners, the JMA head called for stricter labor market regulations and adherence to minimum wage standards. The association has set the minimum monthly salary for general practitioners at JD850 ($1,200) and JD1,500 ($2,115) for specialists.

Al-Khashashneh advised graduates to pursue rare medical specialties where there are local shortages and to acquire foreign language and digital skills, such as telemedicine and health data analysis, to improve their prospects in international markets.

He concluded that the sustainability of the sector requires urgent coordination between educational institutions and health authorities to align the number of graduates with the actual absorption capacity of the labor market and training facilities.

//Petra// AF