Brain drains or brain gains in physicians emigration? Evidence from MENA and East European countries

Abstract

This is a contribution to the new economics of skilled labor emigration that focuses on the mobility of physicians inside European Union from sending MENA and East European countries. Economic models under risk neutrality and aversion are used. The findings show that the education could change significantly the results on the emigration benefices. The empirical results based on the available data on emigration by Docquier and Marfouk (2006, 2008) and Bhargava, Docquier and Moullan (2010) allowed further use of the model to understand the current trends in the emigration of physicians and the border between brain gain and brain drain. The countries included in the study are all exhibiting brain gain under 1991-2004 emigration data. Each country is encouraged to anticipate the likely effects of this emigration on the economy with the increase of health demand, the domestic wages and the increase in education capacity for medical doctors. © 2012 Springer-Verlag GmbH.