Despite a shortage of doctors and medical specialists in Luxembourg, around 200 people who have a medical degree from a non-EU country are unable to practise their profession in the Grand Duchy.
The figure was revealed on Tuesday by Health Minister Martine Deprez and Higher Education Minister Stéphanie Obertin, in a joint response to a written parliamentary question from LSAP MP Dan Biancalana.
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The 200 people with medical degrees who are currently registered with the country’s official employment agency Adem include trained doctors, psychologists, midwives and nurses.
However, the problem is that their degrees are not recognised in Luxembourg. Anyone who has completed their medical studies outside the EU must first have their diploma recognised in another EU member state before they can practise in Luxembourg.
Adem informs those affected about the necessary steps they must take to have their medical degree recognised in Luxembourg.
The ministers said they were unable to confirm how many diplomas from third countries have actually been recognised in the past ten years, as these figures are not systematically recorded.
Last resort: professional reorientation
If a degree cannot be recognised by Luxembourg for some reason, Adem will take steps to encourage the degree holder to switch to other professions. According to Deprez and Obertin, this approach has been successful in several cases.
However, half of the 200 people registered with Adem admit that they do not have the required B2 language level in German or French to be able to practise in the Grand Duchy.
The ministers explained that the De Widong training centre in Belval currently offers the relevant language courses, which are specifically designed for communication in the healthcare professions.
(This article was first published by Luxemburger Wort. Translation and editing by Duncan Roberts)