Strained Care: Exploring the Professional Dilemmas of Young Medical Doctors in India.

This paper explores the professional dilemmas faced by future medical doctors in India, particularly medical students. Unlike the typical studies on the global south, this study starts from a different perspective, examining how their experiences, decisions and futures are influenced by a high, saturated doctor-to-patient ratio and the broader social, economic, and institutional pressures they encounter. In India, where medical professionals are highly esteemed, the increasing strain on healthcare services reveals critical tensions in their professional roles. Drawing on ethnographic research, including in-depth interviews with doctors and medical students from Kerala, this paper investigates how these individuals navigate their professional responsibilities within a society of systemic limitations. By analyzing the lived experiences of these medical students and future doctors, the paper aims to contribute to the broader field of the sociology of professions. It addresses the gap in scholarship on professions in the Global South, where existing studies frequently overlook the complex realities of professional work in these contexts. Utilizing a sociological lens, this paper highlights how doctors manage their professional identities and navigate the ethical and practical challenges they face in their day-to-day practice.