The Ministry will independently define the list of specialties for which mandatory service will remain. While these specialties are currently unknown, experts anticipate they might include, for instance, dentists and cosmetologists.
The Ministry of Health has softened its draft law regarding mandatory service for young doctors in state healthcare. The Ministry will independently specify the list of medical specialties for which a three-year mandatory mentorship period will definitively be introduced. This implies that some doctors may not be required to complete this term at all, or their service period might be reduced.
Business FM examined the text of the amendments and found no mention of broad or narrow specialties within them. The document merely states that if mentorship is not established for a specific medical specialty, those doctors will undergo accreditation periodically and according to the general timeline, as has always been the practice, rather than after a period of service in the public sector. Medical circles widely believe this primarily concerns dentists, as most of them already seek employment in state clinics after graduation to gain experience. Ekaterina Artsruni, CEO of Mositalmed Group of Companies, discusses which medical professionals might be exempt from this service and for whom it will remain unavoidable.
Ekaterina Artsruni
CEO of Mositalmed Group of Companies
“Let`s start with who we truly need. We have the most acute shortage in primary care physicians, general practitioners; they certainly won`t be excluded. Emergency medicine doctors – that includes ambulance staff, anesthesiologists, and intensivists, general surgeons – these specialists absolutely cannot be excluded. The narrow specialists who must remain in the system are pediatric specialists. But we must consider that young doctors are not eager to go to district centers that lack proper infrastructure. I tend to agree with colleagues; we work with dentists and cosmetologists – believe me, for these two specialties, doctors are personally invested in their development, in quickly acquiring professional skills; they don`t need to be forced. We always look at this incorrectly – public sector versus private sector: a doctor chooses a clinic where they are comfortable working, where there`s quality equipment and competent management. They don`t care whether it`s the public or private sector.”
Business FM also surveyed doctors about other specialties they believe might theoretically bypass the mentorship requirement. In their opinion, highly specialized fields such as hematologists, rheumatologists, lipidologists, allergists, immunologists, thoracic, and plastic surgeons would certainly not fall under it. However, general practitioners (therapists), ophthalmologists, and obstetrician-gynecologists are expected to remain in constant demand.
The Ministry of Health informed “Vedomosti” that defining the specialties subject to mentorship and its duration will allow for a more flexible approach to medical personnel training. Roman Konev, Chief Physician of Medscan Far East Clinic and former Chief Physician of Academician Wagner Regional Hospital in Berezniki, Perm Krai, explains whether the system might falter if it makes an incorrect forecast.
Roman Konev
Chief Physician of Medscan Far East Clinic, former Chief Physician of Academician Wagner Regional Hospital
“Tomorrow there might be a global flood, and anesthesiologists-intensivists will be critically needed, while surgeons might not be. People might need saving from Graves` disease, for instance. Of course, such scenarios are unpredictable, just as no one foresaw COVID. A hospital, for example, has a ten-year plan. I knew who would retire, what percentage might pass away due to old age. By signing targeted training agreements for students, I understood precisely who I needed. Back then, we were just starting the federal register. Now, the federal register works perfectly. Moscow sees the entire country – who works, how they work, at what rates, in which specialties, and understands the average age of practitioners. Therefore, in principle, there`s absolutely no problem calculating long-term needs.”
Among medical students – at least online – anxious sentiments prevail. No one wants to be forced to work in remote regions, such as the North, after long and arduous studies. However, the medical community knows how to address these concerns. Denis Prokofyev, Head of the Outpatient Department at a Moscow polyclinic, explains.
Denis Prokofyev
Head of the Outpatient Department at a Moscow polyclinic
“Essentially, for a student, this is only a benefit. They will complete their education. But where will they go to work? Private clinics don`t typically need them due to little or no prior experience. When we talk about them being sent to a region somewhere, that`s not exactly how it works. We have many medical universities in Moscow, Vladikavkaz, Omsk, and elsewhere. And the distribution should fundamentally be based on a regional principle. It`s a matter of the conditions offered: provision of housing, competitive salaries, opportunities to gain experience, and social benefits. It`s quite possible that many will choose this path given favorable terms.”
The good news is that the mentorship period cannot exceed three years. For comparison, Master Yoda from “Star Wars” served as a mentor for over 800 years, and not once did anyone complain to the Ministry of Health about him.
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth