Young doctors increasingly opt for occupational medicine over hospital work
The number of young doctors training as occupational physicians in the Netherlands has increased sharply over the past decade, as more physicians turn away from hospital careers marked by long hours, high pressure and irregular shifts.
Figures from the Capaciteitsorgaan show that about 20 people began training as occupational physicians 10 years ago. In 2024, that number rose to around 140. The shift comes as competition for hospital training posts has eased slightly, while long-standing shortages of occupational physicians persist. A large share of the current workforce is expected to retire within the next 10 years.
“Among starting medical students, the image is still mainly operating in a hospital,” Friso Muntinghe, chairman of De Jonge Bedrijfsarts, told NOS. “But that can change during medical training.” He described the trend as a generational shift, adding: “Young people want more in their lives than just work.”
Hospital specialties have traditionally carried the most prestige, but interest in careers outside hospitals is growing, said Cisca Joldersma, director of the Capaciteitsorgaan. That is timely, she said, given the growing demand for occupational physicians.
Recruitment efforts are also having an effect. “The field is very popular now, among young doctors and career switchers,” Boyd Thijssens of the Nederlandse Vereniging voor Arbeids- en Bedrijfsgeneeskunde told NOS. Around 30 percent of trainees currently come from other medical backgrounds, Muntinghe said.
Thijssens said many doctors leave hospitals because of culture and workload. “It is emotionally heavy work, the pressure is high, and overtime is the norm,” he said. Occupational physicians, by contrast, generally have more time per patient and predictable hours, with the workday usually ending at 5 p.m.
Workload concerns are widespread among hospital trainees. A survey last year by De Jonge Specialist found that about one-quarter of doctors training to become medical specialists had considered quitting due to poor work-life balance and high pressure, said chairwoman Kirsten Dabekaussen. Starting doctors often work 46 to 48 hours a week, she said, calling for an end to structural overtime and more flexibility in scheduling.
Hospitals have begun testing measures such as giving resident physicians one free day every two weeks. “I can’t yet say if that keeps people from leaving,” Dabekaussen said. “But it is appreciated.”
