Majority of newly qualified doctors start to work abroad

Important factor in reducing the migration of doctors to improve the quality of health care in Hungary. Improving the quality cannot be achieved without resolving the health care workers’ wages and the elimination of gratuities. The most notable feature of health spending in Hungary is its instability, with several waves of short spending increases followed by longer periods of cost-containment and budget cuts. It is proved that a modest pay increase could reduce the probability of labour migration. This is particularly important for those at the beginning of their career prior to professional quali cation, because the probability of labour migration falls sharply later on. It is also important to improve the quality of training and further education because  this would also reduce the probability of migration. Apart from professional considerations, making official and financial administration easier could potentially encourage people to stay in Hungary. The Semmelweis University researcher grants system tries to entice back doctors working abroad.

Semmelweis University researcher grants system is a part of “Livable Hungarian health” Thinking and as a policy and a good example influence newly graduated doctors to remain at home and start work in Hungary.

Additional information:

The academic and specialist training in medicine have the same problems: lack of adequate number of trainers, resources and effective quality assurance. Low wages and gratuities are the most important external factors of insufficient training. Because of low wages, part of the newly qualified doctors start to work abroad. According to a survey of Hungarian Association of Residents 36.84 % of the graduates are fully satisfied with the theoretical and only 1.82 % with practical training. This is mainly caused that too large in number of the groups participating in practice. Only 58 percent of the graduates intend to apply specialist training because of poor working conditions and low salaries. However 56 % of the graduates are not planning to work abroad, but 44% yes! According to other data two-thirds of medical students want to leave Hungary for western countries where they can earn up to 10 times as much. The average Hungarian doctor earns about 377,000 forints (€1,400) a month before tax takes half of it.