Funding program for medical students
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District Cleve gives financial injections against the lack of doctors
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Kalkar’s Zita Schweibold has been a Scholarship holder at the Carl Lesnar Clinic since 2019. After his training as a specialist, he wanted to set up a practice in Cleve District.
Cleve District Over the years, Cleve District and four local hospitals have provided 22 scholarships aimed at engaging young medical professionals in the region in the long run. Proposals are certainly accepted. However, some grants are currently available.
Experts have been predicting an increase in the shortage of doctors in rural areas for several years. Physicians who are still practicing privately and working in clinics are getting older, young licensed young people are moving to the city and trying to work as doctors. The North Rhine Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KVNO) website still has 202 family doctor practices for the Cleveland District – according to a report by KVNO Supply, however, their numbers will be significantly reduced by 2030. And the situation in clinics and hospitals does not necessarily look much better.
Therefore, the Cleve District, Catholic Carl Lesnar Clinic (KKLE), Cleve, Gooch, Kevlar and Kalkare Bari, St. Willieboard Hospital Emmerich-Rees and Clemens Hospital in Geldern have already tried to curb this trend. With the help of a scholarship program, future doctors will be enticed into the Cleve district.
A total of 22 scholarships can be awarded to medical students. 1200 euros monthly assistance is provided – 800 euros from the district, 400 euros from the respective hospital. Seven of these scholarships are still available: four at KKLE House, two at Emerich-Res and one at Geldarn. Anyone studying medicine at a German university or in a member state of the European Union whose license to practice medicine is recognized in Germany can apply for the scholarship. Prerequisite is that the students have passed the pre-clinical section of the course.
One of the beneficiaries of this grant is Zita Schwaibold. Born in Kalkar, who graduated from high school and moved to the forest to study medicine after several internships in the health sector, he has been training to become a specialist at KKLE since 2019. Later he would like to stay as a general practitioner or pediatrician, Shoebold says.
It wasn’t really his plan that one day he would have a scholarship in his own area. But one must have stayed away to appreciate the benefits of life in the country. The city offers many benefits. However, it was easier to combine work and family life in rural areas. And that’s important to him.
However, it would not be wise to simply provide scholarships to attract young doctors to the Cleveland district. Therefore, scholarship is also conditional. Scholarship holders are responsible for completing their specialist medical training at the relevant clinic after their license has been granted and for a total of five years working there. Then they will have to work in the Cleve district for at least another five years.
Quite a fair deal. “Everyone benefits from this program: young doctors get cash injections for their studies. Clinics communicate with qualified junior staff. And there will be more planning security in the Cleve district to ensure healthcare in the coming years, “said Deputy Commissioner Silke Gorisen.
Schweibbold sees it that way. “The joint initiative of the district and the clinics shows that a problem has been identified and the first steps are already being implemented.” And financial incentives, but the conditions attached to them are also a great way to engage young medical professionals in the region. . Zita Schwaibold from Kalkar is the best proof that it can work.