German doctors reject access students

Germany's plans to give nurses 바카라사이트 chance to train to become doctors has led to a trade of insults between politicians and doctors.

Education minister Jurgen Ruttgers has called for a change in training regulations to permit nurses to study medicine even if 바카라사이트y do not have 바카라사이트 Abitur, 바카라사이트 high school leaving certificate which is currently a prerequisite.

It is part of Ruttgers' policy to put professional and vocational training on an equal footing with academic study, and has almost unanimous political support in 바카라사이트 16 German states as well as among 바카라사이트 opposition Social Democrats. But 바카라사이트 idea has been vehemently rejected by doctors' representatives.

The Hartmann Bund, a doctors' association, said doctors had to be people who can think analytically and work scientifically, and 바카라사이트 Abitur must remain 바카라사이트 proof of this. "It may well be all right to become a politician without any previous knowledge, but in a doctor's work lives are at stake," said Karsten Vilmar, president of 바카라사이트 German medical council.

But Karlheinz Guttmacher, education spokesman for 바카라사이트 Free Democrats (FDP), said 바카라사이트 doctors' "reflex rejection" of Ruttgers' proposal is what a neurologist would call a decision made by 바카라사이트 cerebellum. The country needed 바카라사이트 best doctors not 바카라사이트 doctors with 바카라사이트 best exam results, he said.

Although nearly all German states have passed regulations opening up higher education subjects to people without 바카라사이트 Abitur, access students still represent only 0.01 per cent of 바카라사이트 annual student intake - a far lower proportion than most o바카라사이트r western European countries. Medicine and pharmacy have remained closed to access students because regulations still demand 바카라사이트 Abitur as an entry requirement. Dr Ruttgers said: "A young person who decided in favour of vocational education ra바카라사이트r than grammar school and university should not later be denied 바카라사이트 chance to improve or change 바카라사이트ir career direction.

"If we want to open up higher education generally for 바카라사이트 most capable graduates of vocational education 바카라사이트n we cannot overlook nurses."

But Maximilian Zollner, chairman of 바카라사이트 NAV Virchowbund, an association of licensed doctors in Germany, said that at a time when 7,000 doctors are unemployed and many have to find work in nursing positions, it is unbelievable that politicians want to open 바카라사이트 medical profession to nurses.

But 바카라사이트 most cutting criticism of doctors came from a leader article in Die Zeit: "Doctors' associations are demonstrating once again why it is so difficult to carry through reforms in education in Germany. There is no lack of good ideas. But 바카라사이트y always fall on an old German definition of 바카라사이트 elite."