Despite growing competition in medical education and an increasingly saturated healthcare job market, medicine remains the most desired profession among Pakistani parents. Twenty-five percent say they want their children to become doctors, according to a nationwide survey.
The Gallup & Pakistan survey found medicine remained well ahead of both traditional and emerging professions. Some 13% of parents wanted their children to become teachers, 12% preferred business, while 11% wanted their children to pursue careers in the armed forces or police.
The preference for medicine was particularly strong among younger parents, reaching 37% among those under 30. It was also higher among women, at 27%, and among parents with education below the FA level, at 26%.
The findings are part of Gallup Pakistan's ongoing series, "Understanding School Landscape in Pakistan", based on responses from a nationally representative sample of parents whose children are currently enrolled in schools. Parents were asked what they would like their children to become when they grow up. Medicine emerged as the single most popular choice, with 25% of parents selecting it, followed by teaching at 13%, business at 12%, and the Army or police at 11%.