Düsseldorf

An ever greater number of foreign physicians are being drawn to Germany. Here, they are – catchphrase skills shortage – desperately sought. Yet, even they cannot fill the yawning gaps.

In Budapest, he could simply see no future for himself in spite of 20 years of experience as a physician. “Immured hierarchies, pessimism, hopelessness,” is how Peter Sipos describes the work environment in his homeland. And so the 47-year-old decided to come to Germany, or, more precisely, to Gelsenkirchen-Buer in the middle of the Ruhr.

That was one and a half years ago. Since then, he has been working at Sankt Marien Hospital, first as resident, then as senior physician. “With his professional and surgical background, he would have a chance to be hired as chief senior physician or even as chief physician,” says Dr. Frank P. Müller, chief physician of general and visceral surgery, or abdominal surgery. Physicians from abroad are urgently sought after in Germany. There is only one problem: the language barrier.

In 2001, the Council of Europe introduced the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Level B2 is required for the licensing of foreign physicians. In official language this means that a physician “must understand the chief content of complex texts concerning concrete and abstract topics, and also professional discussions in their own field of speciality.” In addition, he must “communicate spontaneously and fluently so that a normal conversation with native speakers is well possible without major effort by both parties.” That is the theory, anyway.

In practice, it often looks quite different. The Internet is full of all kinds of tales of woe by patients reporting medical malpractice due to the lack of the language skills of physicians – frequently from Eastern Europe. More and more hospitals are recognizing the problem, as does the clinic in Gelsenkirchen-Buer. It therefore offers courses for its physicians.

Hospitals, like the clinic in Gelsenkirchen, recognized the problem, and commissioned the Goethe-Institut to help its skilled workers to the next level, the so-called advanced skill level. Sipos, the physician from Hungary, also attends this type of course. In six months he hopes to pass his exam to receive a C1 certificate. Then, his career at the German clinic will also move forward. “My boss here is willing to plan my further future,” he says.

Not only Germany suffers from the lack of doctors

There is a skills shortage in Germany, also among the medical fields and in this case it is dramatic. If the present level of care in Germany remains as it is, according to a study by Price Waterhouse Coopers “112 – and no one comes,” by 2020 as many as 33,000 jobs will remain unfilled. In 2030 76,000 full-time positions will remain open and 106,000 physicians would be lacking.

The doctors are mainly leaving the rural regions and the less appealing, smaller towns. This also answers the question of how Sipos and his ilk – Turkish, Italian, Greek and Romanian physicians – end up in Gelsenkirchen. “None of the German-born physicians wants to come here primarily,” explains Sipos. They are drawn more to cities like Munich, Hamburg or Berlin. Even there, not all physician positions are full. The reason is that since the European Union strictly regulated the working hours of physicians, the clinics require more employees. Yet, the salaries are one of the reasons why German physicians move to Scandinavian countries.

Not only Germany suffers from the lack of doctors. The Netherlands and United Kingdom are also feeling the effects of the brain drain. For instance, in England some patients are forced to wait two years for an operation. German clinics, in turn, take advantage of this by specializing in English patients, since foreign patients are on an extra budget.

In Hungary, the government is almost desperately attempting to force physicians to stay. As of this year, graduates must work during their studies, in most cases six years, at home – and within the following 20 years. In this way, the country hopes to secure medical care. For only until September this year, 1,600 physicians and nurses wanted to try their luck in the west. In 2011 the figure was 1,900.

The figures also show what the profession of a physician means in Hungary. A resident physician in Hungary earns a gross 90,000 forints per month – about 315 euros. By comparison, in Germany they earn about 2,800 euros.

One of those who came to Germany from abroad is Eftsratios Papatsousos. The 27-year-old is a resident physician here in Gelsenkirchen-Buer and only recently joined the team. It was mainly the chance for a career and financial security that brought Papatsousos to Germany. For at home in Greece, there is not even a chance for it.

Here in Germany, no difference is made in salary. “Physicians at one clinic of the same educational status receive the same salary, regardless whether they were born in Germany or Eastern Europe,” says the Hungarian senior physician. “Even if they have to count on their colleagues’ help at first with the language barrier.”