gms | German Medical Science

129. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Chirurgie

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Chirurgie

24.04. - 27.04.2012, Berlin

Why do surgeons leave Germany?

Meeting Abstract

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  • Hans Dieter Dahl - University of Wollongong, Graduate School of Medicine, Nowra

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Chirurgie. 129. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Chirurgie. Berlin, 24.-27.04.2012. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2012. Doc12dgch577

doi: 10.3205/12dgch577, urn:nbn:de:0183-12dgch5779

Published: April 23, 2012

© 2012 Dahl.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.


Outline

Text

Introduction: The topic of migrating doctors and in particular surgeons is not confined to Germany. Many countries, amongst them Australia, simply do not train enough doctors to be self-sufficient. Germany is different. It has excellent university facilities and a well-defined and structured medical curriculum. Junior surgeons have a very high exposure to patients and procedures as compared to Australia. Yet increasing numbers of students and potential surgeons are leaving Germany. Why is this?

Materials and methods: In a mix of personal experience, literature review and reasoning the problems of retaining junior surgeons shall be demonstrated. Experiences from fellow colleagues working overseas shall be added.

Results: Since the public shift of concern from “Ärzteschwemme” to “Ärztemangel” especially the surgical departments are starting to feel the heat. Numerous surveys, articles and suggestions on how to tackle the problem constantly resist naming the real problems. Years of demeaning behaviour from administrations, the public and the media paired with the experiences of senior surgeons bullied out of office or simply made redundant with no reason are not an incentive to become a surgeon in Germany, no matter how fulfilling the life as a surgeon may be.

Conclusion: While the suggestions from the BDC and DGCH to ease the situations may be all correct:

  • create more half-day jobs
  • create childcare facilities open during working hours
  • create structured training plans
  • facilitate implementation of the EU working directive
  • and others</li>

there are no plans to address

  • the unscrupulous behaviour of administrations towards doctors in general and to senior surgeons in particular
  • the fraudulent attitude as far as payment is concerned
  • more to add…limited list as no. of words limited

The examples of Australia and England show us the consequences of an over boarding bureaucracy.

Germany with its genuine history of medical development deserves better.