Overview

• The Landarztquote reserves 6.5% of medical study places for students committing to at least ten years in underserved rural posts or facing a €250,000 penalty.
• Applications have risen from 67 in 2022 to 130 in 2024, with an average applicant age of 21 and women comprising two-thirds of the pool.
• Despite these gains, 371 general practitioner positions remain vacant and five of Saxony’s 48 planning regions already face doctor undersupply.
• Accepted students are not expected to enter rural practice until the 2033/34 term after completing their degrees and five years of specialty training.
• Saxony is discussing a similar rural dentist quota and offers other programs like scholarships and foreign study tracks as Germany confronts a national physician shortage.