A survey of medical students in Morocco has shed light on the financial difficulties that many students in the country’s public colleges of medicine, dentistry and pharmacy face because of insufficient scholarships and financial aid.
More than half said they sometimes skipped meals or were looking for part-time work to help cover their daily living expenses. Nearly half said they lived in remote areas to find affordable rent, and 92 percent said they depended on their families for financial support while they finished their studies.
The survey, issued by the National Commission of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmacy Students, which represents students at the public medical faculties, was conducted via email and social media in April and received responses from 5,314 students.
Most of the respondents (91 percent) were enrolled in general medicine. The rest were almost evenly divided between pharmacy and dentistry. Nearly 60 percent of the respondents were female, and 40 percent were male.