Job profile:
Assistant doctor (m/f/d)
Before you are allowed to work as a specialist in Switzerland, you will work for a few years as an assistant doctor in a practice or hospital. There you will receive further training in your chosen specialty under supervision. An assistant doctor has completed medical school, obtained a federal medical diploma and now wants to become a specialist. They usually work under the guidance of senior physicians or head physicians, are at the beginning of their career and are in further training to become a specialist. This is why they are often called doctors in training.
In this job profile, you can find out what tasks assistant doctors have, what they are not allowed to do, what salary you can expect and how long it takes for assistant doctors to become specialists.
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What is an assistant doctor? Definition and overview
Assistant physicians are trained physicians who have completed their studies in human medicine, received their federal medical diploma and are not yet allowed to treat patients independently. As an assistant doctor, you will work for around five to six years under the supervision of senior physicians. After that, you can work independently as a specialist and treat patients or open your own practice.
The assistant doctor is often called a "doctor in training", as the term "assistant doctor" causes confusion in some cases and does not refer to purely assistant tasks.
Instead of obtaining the title of specialist, assistant doctors in Switzerland can also shorten their further training and obtain the minimum title of "Praktische:r Ärzt:in". Three years as an assistant doctor are sufficient for this. As a general practitioner, you can run a medical practice and work in primary healthcare. However, it does not yet count as a specialist title.
However, if you want to treat patients independently or later work as a head or senior physician in a hospital, you will need the title of medical specialist. To do this, you must first complete your studies in human medicine. By successfully passing the subsequent federal examination, you will receive the medical diploma that allows you to work as an assistant doctor in Switzerland. After five to six years as an assistant doctor and successfully passing the specialist examination, you will officially be a specialist in your chosen specialty.
As a doctor in postgraduate training, you will gain the sufficient professional experience and knowledge you need to work as a specialist and treat patients. Although you have already spent at least six years studying medicine, you now have the time to acquire the necessary knowledge and practical experience in your chosen specialty. As an assistant doctor, you will therefore always work under the supervision of experienced specialists and senior physicians so that you can learn from them.
As a rule, you do not yet have the title of doctor as an assistant doctor. You will only receive the title "Dr. med." after completing your doctorate and writing a doctoral thesis. However, it is not mandatory in order to work as a doctor.
Assistant doctor salary Switzerland: What do you earn as a doctor in training?
On average, doctors in training in Switzerland receive an annual gross salary of around CHF 110,000. However, the salary also depends heavily on the location, which is why the salary is higher in larger cities than in more rural regions.
In addition, there are usually allowances for night and weekend work, as well as overtime.
Starting salary as an assistant doctor: Your starting salary
What does an assistant doctor do? Tasks of doctors in further training
Assistant doctors take on numerous routine tasks in a hospital (or practice) and often work on a ward, which is why they are also called ward doctors. In this role, they are often the first point of contact for patients.
In addition, assistant doctors always discuss their procedures, new findings and all their questions with the responsible senior doctors. Although residents often treat patients themselves, an experienced doctor is always present and ensures that the correct procedure is followed during treatment.
The more the young doctors learn and experience, the more comprehensive and demanding their tasks become.
The tasks and activities of assistant doctors include:
Admission of patients
Examination & diagnosis
Blood sampling
Arrangement of laboratory tests
Development of treatment plans
Arrangement of therapies
Treatment of patients
Prescribing medication
Patients visit
Treatment documentation
Discharge of patients
Writing a doctor's letter for the family doctor
Performing anesthesia and operations under the supervision of a medical specialist
What is an assistant doctor not allowed to do?
As long as a head physician or senior physician is present, assistant physicians are already allowed to perform a large proportion of medical tasks. However, it is important to note that assistant doctors in Switzerland are not allowed to decide independently what treatment or therapy should look like or how it should be continued. In principle, they always act under the supervision of experienced colleagues, which is why assistant doctors do not bear full responsibility towards their patients. Responsibility is always borne by the responsible specialist.
Resident physician training, studies & further education - How do you become a resident physician?
You may only work as an assistant doctor once you have completed your medical studies, submitted your thesis and received a medical diploma. Only then do you have the opportunity to become a "doctor in training" and train as a specialist. Students have often already decided on a specialty during their studies. They pursue this specialty after nine months of basic training, which is the same for all trainees.
For the assistant doctor position, the prospective doctors apply to a hospital (private, church or public) or to a practice that matches their chosen specialty.
Although becoming a medical specialist is a clear career goal for many medical students, there are other options after studying human medicine. In the pharmaceutical industry, at universities, in consulting: you have various options to work as a physician without becoming a medical specialist.
Residency training in Switzerland
Training to become a medical specialist, i.e. the time as an assistant doctor, takes around five to six years in Switzerland. The duration of training depends, among other things, on the chosen specialty and the number of hours worked per week.
During this time, the young doctors work in their chosen specialty and deepen their knowledge. The specific content of the training depends on the individual requirements of the respective specialty.
At the beginning of their training, all assistant doctors in Switzerland start with a nine-month basic training course in which they learn basic surgical and general medical skills. Building on this, they start the specialty basic training (SFG), which already differs depending on the chosen specialty. This is followed by specialty focus training (SFS). In these three phases, trainees learn all the knowledge and skills required in their chosen specialty. In total, the training lasts at least 72 months.
For your future as a (assistant) doctor, you can choose one of more than 30 different specializations. You can choose from the following specializations, among others:
General internal medicine
Anesthesiology
Surgery
Urology
Gynecology and obstetrics
Orthopaedics
Radiology
and many more
Around 22% of Swiss assistant doctors opt for general internal medicine, followed by 10% for psychiatry and psychotherapy.
During training, the assistant doctor must fulfill certain requirements and document the progress made in the so-called e-logbook. These requirements are set out in the respective training plan and include certain treatments and knowledge that an assistant doctor must have learned. Performance is assessed and evaluated after each year.
At the end of your time as an assistant doctor, you must take the examination to become a specialist. Only after passing the exam are you allowed to call yourself a specialist and have the opportunity to set up your own practice. Establishment means that you can open your own practice or continue to work in a hospital. In the hospital, your next career opportunities are promotion to chief physician or senior physician. You are also required to take additional training courses on a regular basis to keep your knowledge up to date.
Resident physician studies: The study of human medicine
The only degree program that prepares you for a position as a medical assistant is the medical degree program. It takes around 12 semesters, i.e. six years, and is therefore one of the longest courses of study in Switzerland. You can only apply for assistant doctor positions after you have completed your medical studies and received your license to practice.
During their studies, students have already completed various internships, so-called clinical traineeships. Nevertheless, the degree program primarily serves to create a solid theoretical basis in human medicine. Students gain the necessary practical experience later on during their time as assistant doctors.
What does "doctor in training" mean?
The title "doctor in training" describes people who are currently working as assistant doctors. They often work on a ward in a hospital, which is why they are often called ward doctors. Basically, these terms refer to the phase between completing a medical degree and the title of medical specialist.
Doctors in further training mainly take care of routine activities and look after patients. However, they are not allowed to care for patients alone and are always under the supervision of a senior physician.
How long are you an assistant doctor?
In Switzerland, the time as an assistant doctor lasts between five and six years. The exact duration depends on the specialty chosen and the speed at which all requirements are met.
This is due to the different requirements that each specialty places on medical specialists. The content of specialist medical training programs therefore varies greatly. It is therefore important to make a well-considered decision about your own specialty. Changing it afterwards is often complicated.
In principle, the duration of specialist training may deviate from the minimum period. A certain number of special treatments and examinations are also required to pass the specialist examination. If these are not completed in the minimum time, the phase as an assistant doctor lasts until the required treatments have been completed.
Skills of assistant physicians: The prerequisites and knowledge
To become a doctor, you need to have completed a degree in human medicine, which takes around 6 years. You need extensive knowledge and must constantly learn in line with scientific findings. After completing your studies, you will undergo further practical specialist training as an assistant doctor.
The skills required of medical assistants are:
Completed degree in human medicine and medical diploma
Need to help people in need
Resilience and commitment
Concentrated and determined work
Empathy and a sensitive approach to people
Strong stress resistance
Ability to work in a team
Strong communication skills in dealing with patients and colleagues
Residents' careers: opportunities on the job market in Switzerland
The opportunities for assistant doctors on the job market are very good, but doctors are considered a shortage occupation in Switzerland. Switzerland has been training too few doctors for years and is therefore heavily dependent on foreign specialists. 38% of doctors in Switzerland come from abroad. However, thanks to a training offensive in the country, medical degrees have been rising again in recent years.
Your career opportunities as an assistant doctor are very good: after passing your specialist examination in your chosen field, you can open your own practice or apply to a hospital. With several years of professional experience, you will have the opportunity to become a senior or head physician.
Top job offers for assistant doctor: Jobs in Switzerland
FAQ
An assistant doctor is a "doctor in training". After studying medicine, the person has received a license to practice and undergoes 5 to 6 years of specialist medical training. Only then may he/she treat patients independently as a doctor.
The duration of the residency position depends on the chosen specialty, but usually lasts between 5 and 6 years. Only when all requirements have been met and the minimum period has been completed can you take the examination to become a specialist.
To work as an assistant doctor, you need to have successfully completed a degree in human medicine. Only then will you receive the federal medical diploma and be allowed to work as an assistant doctor.
As an assistant doctor, you mainly take care of routine tasks in the hospital and contact with patients - however, you are not allowed to work independently. The work is always done under the supervision of senior physicians.
Anyone who successfully completes their time as an assistant doctor takes the examination to become a specialist in the respective field. As a medical specialist, you can specialize further and become a senior or chief physician.
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