Medical schools facing a deficit of teaching positions due to insufficient capacity to produce the necessary number of doctors needed

In Germany, approximately 9,100 men and women are pursuing their medical studies abroad, according to recent data. This figure highlights the growing demand for medical education within the country and the challenges faced in meeting this demand.

The Center for Higher Education Development (CHE) has conducted a study revealing significant disparities in the number of medical school places offered among German states. The Saarland and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern have the highest ratios, with 29 and 26 medical school places per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively. North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg, Thuringia, and others follow closely, each offering around 13 medical school places per 100,000 inhabitants.

Private universities offer around 1,500 places for new medical students each year, providing an additional avenue for those seeking a medical education. However, the annual per-student costs in the fields of human medicine and health sciences amount to around €25,000, which is likely the main reason for the varying commitment of German states.

Regions with medical faculties tend to have higher physician densities. Notable examples include Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne/Bonn, Munich, Heidelberg, Freiburg, and Lübeck. These regions, with their established medical facilities, attract and retain a significant number of graduates, a phenomenon known as the "stickiness effect."

The number of medical school places has only slightly increased in the past nearly ten years, from around 9,000 to 10,000. This slow growth has raised concerns among healthcare providers and educators, with the Social Association SoVD warning that the shortage of medical study places threatens local healthcare provision in many regions.

Despite the increase in the number of students pursuing medicine, there is still a lack of doctors. Today, 30 percent more people are studying medicine than in 1995, but this growth has not been enough to address the ongoing shortage.

In an effort to address this issue, Brandenburg plans to launch the Medical University of Lausitz in the winter semester 2026/27. This development will provide additional medical study places in a region that currently does not offer any state-funded medical school programs.

Brandenburg and Bremen currently do not offer any state-funded medical school programs. In these states, medical education is provided mainly by private universities or requires studying abroad, with the financing shifted from public funds to students or their sponsors.

In the academic year 2024, North Rhine-Westphalia had the most first-year medical students with 2,334. Saxony-Anhalt, Hamburg, Hesse, and Berlin also had relatively high numbers of medical school places.

Another encouraging trend is the increasing part-time quota for men in hospitals, which has risen from 20 to 29 percent in the last ten years, and for women from 33 to 42 percent. This development is expected to contribute to a more balanced workforce in the medical field.

In conclusion, while there has been progress in increasing the number of medical students in Germany, more needs to be done to address the ongoing shortage of doctors. The launch of new medical universities, such as the Medical University of Lausitz, and efforts to increase the part-time quota for men and women in hospitals are steps in the right direction. However, continued investment in medical education and a focus on increasing the number of medical school places will be crucial for long-term physician supply.

Medical schools facing a deficit of teaching positions due to insufficient capacity to produce the necessary number of doctors needed