changes in system for hiring foreign graduated (non EU) doctor

[pteong]

Dear all

I hope someone could help me with a few questions i have regarding coming to Germany to work as a Doctor.

I graduated from national university of Singapore. I am a chinese Singaporean. Had a post grad and masters in surgery and emergency medicine from UK. My current job is as an Emergency physician leader in a private hospital in Singapore, BUT i am NOT a specialist in my field.

I am married to a German and have 2 children. Now my husband and I would like to move back to Germany.

I have a few questions to ask
1) Since april 2012 changes in the doctors registration in Germany, I understand it is easier to get work in Germany. I need to learn German language and the medical language in German in order to get a aprobation. If I want to register in Hanover, is it relatively easy or very very difficult? will my GMC (UK) registration be regarded favourably when i apply for approbation?

2) Is there a requirement to get a job first or get a attachment to a department (and work for free) for a short while before i can get approbation?

3) I have to consider my children as they are young, is it possible to work part time during approbation?

4) i would like to still do emergency medicine, but realise that there are hardly any jobs in Germany, why is that? What qualifications do i need to do emergency medicine? is there a specialisation in emergency medicine like US/ UK? if so is there a pathway which i need to follow to be a specialist?

5) My second option would be a General Practioner, what is the pathway? and between emergency medicine and general practitioner, which one is more lucrative in Germany?

6) should i get recommendation letters from all my colleges, seniors and previous heads of departments to prove my work? but i understand they all have to be translated to german

I am hopeful that someone can guide me as i have about 8 months to prepare everything. Right now everything is in a muddle.

Thank you and happy new year to you.

Pteong

[gnuff]

Emergency medicine does not exist as specialty in Germany, sorry! Usually emergency departments are run by different specialties, sometimes one single specialty "owns" the whole department. Emergency medicine in Germany often means prehospital emergency care.
The only source for definite answers concerning getting the "Approbation" (license to practice) is, in your case, the "Landesärztekammer Niedersachsen" in Hannover https://www.aekn.de. They don't have any information in English so I hope your husband can help you with that. Having a UK registration can be a huge advantage (it would be here in Sweden), but again, definite information can only come from the "Ärztekammer". The homepage states Uwe Schreiber Tel.: +49(0)511/380-2561, [email protected], as the right contact person.
Don't hesitate to ask if you have more questions...
All the best!
gnuff

[pteong]

Dear gnuff

Thank you for your swift reply. I am wondering if you know anything about the qualifications needed to be Noraerzt. If I am not wrong it is also a prehospital emergency management of patients. I don't know if it is something suitable for me since I have not done much of that in Singapore.

I understand that it is a flexible timing job and also there is lots of demand for such positions all over the country.

Is there any Noraezt in this chatroom?

pteong

[SuperSonic]

I am wondering if you know anything about the qualifications needed to be Noraerzt.

The requirements vary from Bundesland to Bundesland but more or less include the following:
- 24 months clinical experience (hospital)
-- of which 6 months must be spent in anaesthesiology, an ER or an ICU
- 80-hour course in emergency medicine
- 50 supervised call-outs

5) My second option would be a General Practioner, what is the pathway?

Facharzt für Allgemeinmedizin:
- 36 months basic clinical training in internal medicine (hospital)
-- of which up to 18 months in another specialty can be accepted, also in an outpatient setting
- 24 months training in GP care (outpatient)
-- of which up to 6 months in surgery can be accepted
- 80-hour course in basic psychosomatic care

[gnuff]

...Is there any Noraezt in this chatroom?

Quite a lot actually, I'm one of them, even if I no longer work in Germany. BTW, it is "Notarzt" (ems-physician) . SuperSonic has already listed the requirements but it is important to know, that "Notarzt" is NOT a specialty in Germany. It is an additional qualification, a subspecialty, the official title of the new form is "Zusatzbezeichnung Notfallmedizin", the old form is irrelevant in your case.
Often a "Notarzt" is a resident or consultant in anaesthesiology, as many anaesthesiology departments see emergency medicine as a part of their specialty. But there is a broad variety of specialties working as "Notarzt" today.
The question is, do you want to finish your eduction, or not? Emergency medicine as you know it does not exist (even if the need for it actually exists), so that would be a problem. If your long term plans are to work in emergency care in Germany you will have to choose a specialty and then try to come as close as you can to that.