Transforming Healthcare: Evaluating a Decade of Postgraduate Training at the Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons

Background Postgraduate training in Liberia was commenced in 2013 under the Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons (LCPS). Since its inception, 125 medical doctors have specialized to membership level in seven disciplines: Internal medicine, Pediatrics, Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Family Medicine, Ophthalmology and Psychiatry. This study evaluates the outcomes of the postgraduate training in Liberia after a decade and examines whether graduates’ competencies align with their current work roles. Methods An online questionnaire was distributed to all graduates, collecting data on demographics, work history, motivation, self-assessed competencies, and training experiences including examinations, research and feedback. Descriptive analysis was used to calculate response frequency distributions. Results Ninety graduates (72.0%) responded to the questionnaire. All respondents worked in Liberia, with 56.3% in Montserrado County. Most (94.4%) were primarily employed in the public sector, whereas 21.1% held additional roles in the private sector or academia. After membership level, 30.0% pursued additional education, including 18.9% fellowship training. Overall, graduates expressed strong confidence in competencies gained during the postgraduate training, particularly medical knowledge, professionalism and teaching, with over 95% of graduates considering themselves competent in these areas. In contrast, only 44.3% felt competent in research. Nearly all graduates (95.4%) reported that the training supported their career growth and would recommend it to colleagues. Suggestions for improvements included increasing faculty numbers and diversity, enhancing training resources, and expanding research opportunities. Conclusions The LCPS has contributed significantly to developing a competent specialist health workforce in Liberia. Specialist graduates had a high retention rate and were primarily employed in clinical roles in the public sector. Challenges remain, such as too few specialists and limited healthcare coverage in rural areas. To train well-equipped specialists, it is crucial to strengthen faculty, institutional capacity and training resources, and to build research capacity. Sustained investment and continued collaborations between the government and partners are needed to implement strategies to maintain retention and improve equitable distribution of specialists and to support their career growth. These efforts will ensure the program’s impact to meet Liberia’s evolving healthcare demands effectively.