[Improving Postgraduate Medical Training In Germany: A Proposal].

Postgraduate (vocational, residency) training in Germany is regulated by the Physicians' Chamber in each federal state. Although training requirements are specified in detail by regulatory documents, young doctors are left on their own to find training posts and suitable learning experiences. There are no programmes in place to support trainees nor to identify the need of the health care system regarding the composition of its medical workforce. Hospitals and practices pay salaries to physicians in training from funding obtained for services they provide. We propose a systematic and continuing process of identifying gaps in the workforce. Disciplines with a lack of qualified doctors will be supported by additional funds directed to practices and hospitals. Regional rotation schemes will coordinate and improve the quality of training. Apart from an administrative overhead, this system of regulation will not need additional resources because a limited part of current budgets will be explicitly channelled into salaries for trainees in specialties for which there is a higher need than into others.