The good old days are over in medicine too.
The old-style country doctor, a family doctor who travels across the country with his doctor's bag and treats patients in their own four walls, is becoming increasingly rare.
Young doctors do not necessarily want to work in rural areas.
This is shown, for example, by the fact that doctors in small or remote places have difficulty finding a successor when they retire.
The search for a successor for an individual practice is particularly difficult.
This type of professional practice is being chosen less and less.
Doctors prefer to work together in group practices because they can share the expensive equipment.
Handing over a practice is also difficult because many young doctors do not want to become self-employed at all, but would rather work as employees.
Medical care centers as an opportunity
This situation is currently acute in the Main-Kinzig district, where a lack of general practitioners is feared.
The district is considering how to intervene.
It is right not to leave the medical supply to the market alone, because it is not just any commodity.
General practitioners are part of the basic care, just like elementary schools or clean tap water.
The politicians in the district have not gotten very far in their search for solutions.
An opportunity is emerging to create medical care centers.
These facilities, known as MVZ for short, can be run by a city or several municipalities. The doctors working there are employees with a fixed salary, as desired by many young doctors.
In all of this, however, it must not be forgotten that doctors are still among the highest-earning professional groups.
The patients, regardless of their insurance, have to pay dearly for the doctors' high income.
In return, they can expect an above-average commitment, even away from a big city.