WINTER 2012 - National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and ...
WINTER 2012 - National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and ...
WINTER 2012 - National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and ...
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Mohsin Bashir<br />
medical <strong>and</strong> paramedical pr<strong>of</strong>essions into some <strong>of</strong> the most lucrative careers in<br />
the United States was a concept quite challenging to underst<strong>and</strong> for someone<br />
from Pakistan, where most doctors work several jobs to make ends meet <strong>and</strong><br />
nurses are paid minimum wage. It should be clarified here that the virtually<br />
free medical care in Pakistan should not be confused with the universal health<br />
care systems <strong>of</strong> some European countries. While high-quality medical advice is<br />
affordable to almost everyone in Pakistan, the same cannot be said about the<br />
hospital facilities <strong>and</strong> drug availability. My conclusion was that while health care<br />
is affordable in Pakistan, public administrators need to focus their efforts toward<br />
improving the infrastructure. This observation made a significant change in my<br />
perception <strong>of</strong> exemplary public service delivery. I used to believe that effective<br />
public service is a direct product <strong>of</strong> enhanced infrastructure alone. Only after<br />
observing the American public health system did I realize the equally important<br />
role <strong>of</strong> human resource quality, cost, <strong>and</strong> availability in making high-quality<br />
public services available <strong>and</strong> affordable.<br />
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS<br />
While the bulk <strong>of</strong> this essay reflects on my personal experiences with the<br />
FPFS, I would now like to discuss a general aspect <strong>of</strong> the program that in my<br />
opinion warrants the highest level <strong>of</strong> attention by the students, administrators,<br />
<strong>and</strong> educators involved with it. That is, despite being a highly coveted<br />
scholarship program to pursue graduate or postgraduate studies in the United<br />
States, FPFS is not designed for people who intend to stay in the United States<br />
after completing their academic programs. The Fulbright Program requires<br />
almost all <strong>of</strong> its recipients to return to their home countries at least for a specific<br />
amount <strong>of</strong> time before they can be allowed to return to the United States for<br />
anything other than a short visit. This requirement has several implications. First<br />
<strong>of</strong> all, the students need to manage their expectations <strong>and</strong> motivations in the<br />
light <strong>of</strong> this requirement. A person who wishes to pursue a pr<strong>of</strong>essional career in<br />
the United States should perhaps not even apply for FPFS. Similarly, educators<br />
in the United States, especially those running initiatives such as Future Faculty<br />
Preparation (FFP) programs, need to better equip themselves for providing<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essional counseling to FPFS recipients. Such counseling <strong>and</strong> training for<br />
Fulbright students will need to include analyses <strong>of</strong> their home-country job<br />
markets, since preparing the students for U.S. markets will most probably be<br />
a waste <strong>of</strong> their time. The FPFS administrating staff can work with Fulbright<br />
foreign <strong>of</strong>fices to collect <strong>and</strong> update country-specific job market data <strong>and</strong> make it<br />
available for FFP <strong>and</strong> similar initiatives within the United States.<br />
Coming back to my area <strong>of</strong> study, I would like to conclude this essay<br />
with my final reflections on the importance <strong>of</strong> the Fulbright Program in the<br />
study <strong>and</strong> practice <strong>of</strong> public administration. In my opinion, public service<br />
infrastructure is the most significant factor that sets the “developed world”<br />
236 Journal <strong>of</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Affairs</strong> Education