4 factors to alleviate deficit

Luis Gorospe, SERAM Training Manager.

Radiodiagnosis is one of the five MIR specialties which will need further reinforcement over the next few years to combat the personnel deficit in Spain, according to the Minister of Health, Caroline Darias. Therefore, in order to compensate for this situation, between now and 2035 an increase in the number of doctors in the specialty will be needed. From the Board of Directors of the Spanish Society of Medical Radiology (SERAM) detail that “the number of Radiodiagnosis vacancies that have been convened in 2022 amounts to 272, that is, 12 seats more than in 2021“. Although this is a record number, “does not meet the needs of radiologists of our health system”, as pointed out by Luis Gorosperesponsible for SERAM Training.

In addition to the fact that, according to Gorospe, “the number of MIR vacancies summoned for this specialty are insufficient”, from the SERAM “they also consider it necessary that the Ministry progressively increase the number of vacancies to cover the needs of the specialty”. The head of Training at the company assures that “precisely quantifying how many more seats are needed It is not easy, since the following factors must be taken into account:

  • Territorial asymmetries.

  • The replacement rates of radiologists who will retire in the next four or five years. That is, the time it takes to reach the degree in Radiodiagnosis residents who start their training in 2022.

  • The number of residents who will leave the specialty, which, fortunately, are very few in Radiodiagnosis.

  • The number of trained radiologists who will decide to go abroad to practice their profession. A situation that, despite the fact that for now there are not too many, may change in the coming years.

Once these factors have been taken into account, Gorospe points out that “the number of places needed“. Likewise, he stresses that “it might also increase the teaching capacity of some hospitals increasing the number of MIR vacanciesbut some Autonomous Communities are reluctant to do so”. In addition, Gorospe adds that “there are hospitals that do not consider increasing the number of MIR vacancies, alleging that they are at the limit in terms of teaching capacity”.


“Training a doctor as a specialist is an investment and letting this human capital escape is a waste”


Despite this, Gorospe regrets that “all these policies to increase the number of doctors who are trained as specialists will not meet their objectives if they are not coordinated with some proper hiring policies once the resident doctors finish their training”. The fact of “training a doctor as a specialist supposes a very important investment, and letting this human capital escape is a waste that our society and our Sanitary system they cannot be allowed,” Gorospe cries.

Added to this is the fact that “many heads of Radiodiagnosis Service find it difficult to find and hire radiologists in the Public Health Systemand it seems that it may be partly because the Private Health System offersoften, best contracts and economic conditions“Gorospe emphasizes.

There is also the situation that “some radiologists are beginning to consider exercise outside of Spain, since the contracts and economic conditions are significantly better in other neighboring countries. These scenarios further jeopardize the lack of radiologists in our territory,” warns Gorospe.

The lack of radiologists in the Autonomous Communities: a reality

In this sense, for Gorospe “the lack of radiologists in many CCAA it is a reality”. Recently, “hospitals in Soria, Yecla, Ibiza or Tudela, for example, have lamented the lack of radiologists, which causes undesirable situations such as a patient having to travel to another city to undergo certain tests radiological”.

Although some large but relatively sparsely populated autonomous communities “chronically suffered from a shortage of radiologists, other more populated ones are also beginning to show problems in meeting the needs of these specialists,” concludes Gorospe.

Although it may contain statements, data or notes from health institutions or professionals, the information contained in Medical Writing is edited and prepared by journalists. We recommend the reader that any questions related to health be consulted with a health professional.

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