[Postgraduate education in general medicine (author's transl)]

In 1968, postgraduate education for general practitioners was instituted. Ten years later, 50% of all general practitioners still practise without having completed a postgraduate course after setting up practice, on the other hand 25% have completed such a course. The period before completion of a postgraduate course fell below the 4-year mark in 1978 and 1979. The proportion of doctors with at most, two years further education at the time of setting up practice rose from 30% to 40% of all practising doctors in the last five years. Only 11% of the population sees a difference between the general practitioner and the "postgraduate" general practitioner. The "postgraduate" medical practitioner treats patients at a more favourable cost than a doctor without further training; the former looks after ca. 10% more cases than the doctor without training, independent of the size of the district.