Securing Medical Provision through Family-Friendly Personnel Policies

Abstract

Enabling better reconciliation of work and family is one of the main pillars of the gender equality policy of the Ministry for Science, Research and Art. In the competition for the best minds at our universities and university hospitals, a family-friendly HR policy is key, especially in medicine. More and more well-trained doctors are lost, especially specialist surgeons, to other European countries. Therefore Germany urgently needs to create more family-friendly medical workplaces. This needs to start in medical school and needs to continue during specialisation. For this reason we are promoting the project “Family-friendly medical studies in Baden-Wurttemberg" at the University of Ulm. In addition, the Association for Student Affairs supports students through childcare facilities, family housing and counselling centres at the universities. The fact that 39% of employed physicians have not specialised is unsatisfactory. With a share of 58% of graduates, specialist training in all specialisations should be more easily reconcilable with family responsibilities in order to safeguard medical care in Germany in the coming years.