Doctors' shock in Saxony: language exam becomes a stumbling block!

Doctors' shock in Saxony: language exam becomes a stumbling block!

There is a fire on the medical front in Germany! A massive shortage of doctors is forcing the country to increasingly rely on skilled workers from abroad. But getting into the German doctor's coat is no walk in the park! The infamous technical language test in particular turns out to be a stumbling block for most foreign doctors. Almost every second examinee fails the strict exams on the first attempt!

The hurdles are high: the exam requires at least a B2 level in general German and C1 in medical language - and at the expense of the applicants! Each exam attempt costs between 390 and 600 euros. The test has claimed numerous victims, especially in Saxony. Here, in 2023, almost half of the foreign doctors failed the tests FREILICH Magazine reported. Of the 200 Syrian doctors, 112 failed, and Ukraine is also affected with a high rate of diarrhea!

Regional differences and drastic failure rates

But it's not just the East that is struggling with the exam debacle! Bavaria reports over 1,000 failed doctors – a fiasco! In Berlin, 38 percent fail, while Brandenburg shows similar problems with around 50 percent. But there are bright spots: Thuringia is bucking the trend with a comparatively low failure rate of just 26 percent. What's going better here?

In Hamburg, even the nationalities of the participants are recorded, which offers interesting insights: an impressive 60 percent come from Iran and 25 percent from Syria. Cultural differences and language barriers could therefore play an important role. In many places, however, determining origin remains a mystery.

Political whirlwind and demands for change

But with the unmasking of these high failure rates, political discontent is causing waves! The AfD, always on the hunt for grievances, is sounding the alarm. She sees the numbers as blatant proof that not only the linguistic but also the technical qualifications are inadequate. Sebastian Wippel from the AfD calls for more drastic measures: Doctors from third countries should take additional German exams to ensure their competence. Does this mean the end of the current system?

A need for action is documented, because while some politicians still dream of integrating foreign doctors, others see an urgent need for reform in their own country. The AfD has had enough of empty promises and is calling for concrete steps: more study places for local talent, reductions in bureaucracy and a digital health system to relieve the agony of choice.

The call for change and a clear line is getting louder as the health policy drama in Germany continues to escalate. It remains exciting to see whether these demands are heard and whether changes can finally bring about a breakthrough to stabilize the medical system. In a world full of uncertainties and challenges, one thing remains certain: a solution must be found.

However, certain technical problems appear to cause inconveniences in the presentation of this data. So reported a technical error in disseminating this information via social media. This incident shows that not only language barriers, but also technology can sometimes thwart our plans.