Felix Minette, president of Luxembourg's medical student association, highlighted major concerns over the future of the country's medical sector in an interview with RTL Radio.

Luxembourg's medical training needs an overhaul if the country is to have any hope of replacing doctors due to retire over the coming years, Minette told RTL Radio on Thursday. The president of the Luxembourgish Medical Students' Association (ALEM) repeated one of the association's long-standing demands: the country needs to be able to offer "continuous training". Luxembourg is dependent on doctors from abroad and therefore has to remain attractive as a destination for medical staff.

"The foundations must be laid now to ensure Luxembourg does not go under in the next ten years," Minette said. This means the country needs a university hospital or clinical centre like in other countries which could offer structured patient care, with "up-to-date research, specialist education for students, and continuous training in professional life."

A clear line for the health sector

Minette called for more dialogue and a clear line to address the divergences between liberal and conventional medicine in Luxembourg, so returning doctors can follow a common thread when treating patients on a daily basis. Collective agreements could be an option, especially for doctors in the process of specialisation, which is mandatory in order to keep up with other countries.

Further training might not be obligatory, but it should be, said Minette. Without it, there is no guarantee that doctors would be "up to date", which is difficult for medical students interning in Luxembourg. Once a qualified doctor, it is difficult to incorporate additional training into one's career if it is not mandatory, he explained.

As for medical research, while it does exist in Luxembourg, the accessibility and clinical research options are not up to standard when compared to university hospitals abroad.

The de-dramatisation of the Sorbonne affair

Earlier this year, students at the University of Luxembourg hoping to do their second year at the Sorbonne in Paris were reassigned by the French establishment to other schools. Minette played down the matter, but admitted the decision was announced "more or less" at short notice, and there had been a lack of available information.

However, it was clear that the students would all get a place. Paris Cité was also one of the "top schools" in the world, and one could live with the fact that they would attend other universities in France.

Brief outline of the situation

In Luxembourg, there are around 4 doctors per 1,000 inhabitants, which is slightly above the OECD average. However, Minette pointed out that the high number of cross-border workers must be taken into account rather than the resident population alone.

The risk of a shortage of doctors stems from the fact that the country has an ageing population, and, as warned by the "Lair" report in 2019, the average age of Luxembourg's doctors sits at around 50, with around half due to enter retirement by 2030.

"Day of future doctors" on 27 September

The ALEM president highlighted the upcoming "day of future doctors" at the Lycée de Garçons in Limpertsberg on 27 September. This event targets all future medical students, including those in specialisation training, as well as secondary school students in their last 3 years of schooling.

The event will gather over 40 representatives from the healthcare sector, with a specialist doctor "duel" scheduled on stage. For further information, visit alem.lu.