Difficulties experienced by migrant physicians working in German hospitals: a qualitative interview study

Area of Science:

• Medical Sociology
• Healthcare Management
• International Health

Background:

• Germany faces a doctor shortage, increasing reliance on foreign-trained physicians.
• Migrant physicians globally experience work-related difficulties impacting care quality and retention.
• Systematic study of migrant physician experiences in Germany is lacking but essential for support structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the multifaceted difficulties encountered by migrant physicians in German hospitals.
• To provide a foundation for developing targeted support systems for foreign doctors in Germany.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study employing 20 semi-structured interviews with foreign-born and foreign-trained physicians.
• Participants recruited via State Chambers of Physicians and snowballing with maximum variation sampling.
• Interviews analyzed using qualitative content analysis after verbatim transcription.

Main Results:

• Physicians reported challenges with healthcare institutions, including inadequate legal norms, licensure, and hospital organization.
• Lack of setting-specific knowledge (language, cultural, clinical, system) was a significant struggle.
• Experiences of discrimination from patients and co-workers were frequently reported.

Conclusions:

• This study is the first to broadly document migrant physician challenges in Germany.
• Recommendations include developing support structures for setting-specific knowledge acquisition and improving diversity management.
• Addressing recruitment misinformation and further research on normative differences are vital for physician wellbeing and retention.