Struggling Vet Shortage: Foreign Vets Lured to Rural Germany
Foreign vet professionals increasingly sought due to local shortage in workforce - Consultation has taken place with the Commission regarding the proposed legislation on animal and environmental protection.
Hey there! Let's talk about the current veterinary scene in Germany - particularly in the state of Lower Saxony - that's facing a significant skill shortage. This scarcity is causing long-lasting vacancies, prompting the recruitment of foreign vets to fill the gap.
In the small town of Varrel near Kirchdorf, Matthias Link, a veterinarian, has been employing foreign vets since 2024. His latest additions to the team are Asal Ilkhani Zadeh from Tehran and Mohammad Ranjbar from Tabriz in northern Iran.
At first, Zadeh found it difficult to adapt to the local dialect; it was quite different compared to the German she learned in her courses, she mentioned. Despite the initial hurdle, the work doesn't significantly vary from that in their homeland. Zadeh specializes in small animal practice, while Ranjbar focuses on livestock. They both picked up some veterinary jargon from farmers during their initial farm visits in Varrel. Ranjbar enjoys his life in northern Germany, appreciating the tranquility, nature, and friendly people.
Germany's veterinary workforce has seen an increase in numbers since 2013, though many are only part-time and the female proportion is over 70%. Within the next decade, at least 3,000 practice owners nationwide are expected to retire. Matthias Link, who is 61 and has run his practice for 28 years, points out that a weary practice owner like himself needs another one to two colleagues due to the long working hours (50-60 hours per week).
The Lower Saxony state government is pushing for a quicker process to recognize foreign veterinary qualifications due to the shortage. However, discussions on this matter have been delayed in the Bundesrat. Not only practice owners, but also veterinary offices are grappling with staff scarcity problems. As Miriam Staudte, the state's Agriculture Minister (Greens), explains, it's not just about taking care of healthy animals, but also disease control, feed, and food safety.
Last year, the Lower Saxony Chamber of Veterinarians had 6,819 members, with 324 coming from outside Germany, making up 4.8% of the total members. Currently, there are 22 applications for foreign vet licenses, primarily from Ukraine, Iran, and Turkey.
To speed up the process of recognizing foreign degrees, Lower Saxony's Minister of Agriculture, Staudte, proposes a knowledge test instead of reviewing documents. This would be beneficial in case documentation can't be brought along or sent later due to unforeseen circumstances.
The Lower Saxony Chamber of Veterinarians believes that the personnel problem can only be solved in the short term by recruiting more vets from abroad. Around 800 practice owners in Lower Saxony are 57 years and older and are likely to retire in the next ten years. Simultaneously, the number of study places for veterinary medicine in Germany has remained almost unchanged. The female proportion among graduates is currently 85%.
The demand for veterinary care is growing, thanks to medical advancements and increasing pet ownership. Matthias Link has hired vets from Iran, Bulgaria, Poland, Turkey, and Guinea-Bissau. Although he's struggling to find applicants who respond to job ads, he has had positive experiences with his foreign colleagues, including the new ones from Iran. Link shares that language competency is essential, as 80% of their work is about psychology - a common aspect in many people-oriented jobs.
Related Topics:- Iran- Skills Shortage- Lower Saxony- Human Medicine- Germany- Tehran- Sulingen- Turkey- Tabriz- North Germany
Insights:- Despite Germany's comprehensive policies for recruiting foreign skilled labor in agriculture and related sectors, there is limited evidence of specific policies for foreign veterinarians. The main challenges for non-native vets remain qualification recognition, language proficiency, and regulatory hurdles.- Broader efforts to address skills shortages in the form of enhancing VET and labor market involvement may eventually impact veterinary recruitment. Nonetheless, explicit policies and streamlined processes tailored to foreign veterinarians are less prominent than those for general agricultural and livestock workers.
- In light of the growing demand for veterinary services, it would be beneficial to implement a community policy that promotes vocational training in science, especially health-and-wellness, education-and-self-development focus areas, to encourage local youth and potentially foreign veterinarians to pursue careers in this field, addressing the current shortage in Lower Saxony, Germany.
- As Foreign vets are increasingly being recruited to fill the skill shortage in rural Germany's veterinary sector, it's essential to expand vocational training programs in these areas to ensure that these new professionals are well-equipped to handle the various aspects of veterinary work, including laboratory science, small animal practice, livestock, and disease control.
