February 7, 2006
GOOD PAPERCLIPS:
GERMAN BRAIN DRAIN: Sick of Bad Pay, Doctors Flee Germany: German doctors are packing their scalpels and seeking their fortunes abroad, lured by the prospect of far higher pay and driven away by stifling bureaucracy in their country's health service. (Udo Ludwig, 2/06/06, Der Spiegel)
Most of the German doctors who emigrate go to the United States, which has taken about 2,700. Britain comes second, according to figures from the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians. Sweden, which has taken 700, and Norway, with 650, are becoming more popular. Special agencies lure doctors by placing advertisements in professional publications and doctors who want to supplement their income spend weekends working in Britain. After finishing their week's work in German practices they can earn up to €2,000 for a weekend shift in a British hospital.Doctors' salaries have fallen steadily in the last three years. Many a young clinic doctor gets paid less than a long-serving nurse even if he puts in 70 hours a week. Because ever fewer people are applying for such jobs there's a growing shortage of doctors in parts of the country. Many rural doctors are complaining that they can't find successors to hand their surgeries to.
The situation is disastrous for public health and a debacle for the economy. If the trend of recent years continues -- with only 7,000 of 12,000 medical students completing their training -- over €1 billion of university costs will have been wasted. The deficit will continue to rise the more qualified doctors decide to earn their money abroad.
Another benefit of HSAs, that they prevent this.
Posted by Orrin Judd at February 7, 2006 11:01 AM
When I was growing up, my family was poor enough that I qualified for the "school dentist". I'd be bussed to another school to be treated by this dentist with a thick German accent who didn't believe in Novocaine and would scold you if you cried or complained about the pain. I swear he must have worked for Dr Mengele at some point.
Posted by: Robert Duquette at February 7, 2006 1:00 PMRobert, I don't know how old you are, but when I was a kid, we didn't get Novocain at our local American dentist either. Even after sixty years, when I hear the sound of that drill, my blood turns to ice. I have great teeth though, so it wasn't for naught.
Posted by: erp at February 7, 2006 2:35 PMRobert/erp
It may have hurt like heck, but as Orrin will tell you, life had a lot more savor before Novocaine.
Posted by: Peter B at February 7, 2006 6:19 PMIt certainly encouraged better tooth care, but no one accepts responsibility anymore....
Posted by: oj at February 7, 2006 6:35 PMWhat are you talking about? I take very good care of my tooth.
Posted by: joe shropshire at February 7, 2006 8:16 PMI blame the Marshmallow Fluff company. I grew up on Fluffernutters.
Posted by: Robert Duquette at February 7, 2006 9:47 PMLuxury! (per the Monty Python sketch)
My childhood dentist had played line for the Canton Bulldogs in the early days of the NFL. He practiced dentistry the same way he played football. Picture Vince Lombardi with a drill.