Medical institution oversupply struggles to meet increasing physician demand

In the heart of Europe, Germany is grappling with a pressing issue: a shortage of medical students. Despite an increase in the number of students pursuing medicine over the past few decades, the demand for doctors remains unmet.

Each year, private universities offering medical studies provide around 1,500 places for new students. However, this number falls short of the growing need for healthcare professionals. The annual running costs per person in the field of human medicine/health sciences are approximately €25,000, according to the Federal Statistical Office.

Significant differences in the number of medical study places across German states have been revealed by a study conducted by the Center for Higher Education Development (CHE). States like Bremen and Brandenburg currently do not offer any state-funded medical study places, which leaves these regions particularly affected by the lack of medical students. Other states like Saarland and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern also contribute significantly fewer state-funded medical study places relative to their populations.

On the other hand, North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg, and Thuringia each had 13 medical study places per 100,000 inhabitants, placing them in the middle. The Saarland had the highest proportion, with 29 medical study places per 100,000 inhabitants.

In the academic year 2024, North Rhine-Westphalia had the most first-year students starting medical studies, with 2,334. Yet, this was not enough to meet the demand, as around 10,000 first-year students secured a medical study place for the winter semester 2024/25, while about 20,000 applicants were unsuccessful.

The Social Association SoVD warns that the shortage of medical study places threatens local healthcare provision in many regions. The establishment of new medical faculties and private universities has not been enough to address the shortage of skilled workers, according to Hachmeister.

Medical studies are a popular subject among German students, but securing a place is particularly challenging. Approximately 9,100 men and women from Germany are studying medicine abroad. In an effort to alleviate the issue, the Medical University of Lausitz is set to begin operations in the winter semester 2026/27 in Brandenburg.

The CHE analysis also highlighted a shift in the demographics of medical students. Around 65 percent of the approximately 113,000 medical students are female, with the proportion of women in the first semester increasing. The part-time quota among men has increased from 20 to 29 percent, and among women from 33 to 42 percent in hospitals over the last ten years.

Despite these efforts, the shortage of doctors persists. Today, 30 percent more people are studying medicine than in 1995, but there is still a lack of doctors, according to the Patient Protection Foundation. Regions with medical faculties tend to have a higher density of doctors, including major cities like Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne/Bonn, Munich, and regions around universities in Heidelberg, Freiburg, and Lübeck.

As Germany navigates this challenge, the focus remains on ensuring adequate healthcare provision for its citizens and addressing the growing need for medical professionals.