Luxembourg is desperately looking for doctors. But instead of being welcomed with open arms, prospective doctors can expect unequal working conditions, stressful working hours and a high cost of living upon returning. This causes frustration - and many even turn their backs on the country.
Around a third of young Luxembourg doctors do not return to the Grand Duchy after their studies. The Journal has already reported on this problem. The specialist training period can also tip the scales in this decision. Because in these last three to six years of training to become a medical specialist, things get serious: theory becomes practice. Knowledge that has so far accounted for a few points in an exam can save lives… or cost them. This makes it all the more important that the working conditions and knowledge transfer for the next generation of MEVS (Médecins en voie de spécialisation) meet the demands of modern medicine and that the relationship between the assistant doctors and their supervisors ("Maitre de Stage") is productive.
However, specialist training can look completely different depending on the specialisation and place of work, explains Maxime Fassotte, who is currently specialising as a general practitioner: "At the moment, there are three different working conditions for assistant doctors in Luxembourg. Those at the university – currently in general medicine, neurology and oncology – are officially self-employed. Then there are the employees at the CHL. And finally, there are those who are employed individually in practices or by medical groups. Here, the contracts can vary from practice to practice." Working hours, direct contact with the training doctors, but also the responsibility that falls to them can vary greatly depending on the training centre – for better or for worse.
Complicated legal framework for an already complicated profession
Fassotte is a member of the Luxembourg Association of Assistant Doctors (Association luxembourgeoise des médecins en voie de spécialisation, ALMEVS). Vice President Yoon Penning explains that the aim of this association, which was founded in 2020, is to harmonise their working conditions – and to do so at a level that makes the profession more attractive in general. "We're talking about around 200 to 300 junior doctors across the country. I think it's crazy that the system is so confusing and fragmented for such a small group. We sometimes get emails from people asking: 'I want to specialise in this area, can you explain it to me?' And then you have to take this whole complex system apart and explain it every time."
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