Students continue to push for public job postings

The Swedish Medical Association Student SLF demands that the Medical Association work to ensure that physician assistant and substitute physician positions are publicly advertised.

-We are in a situation where temporary work is basically hard currency. This is what we can use to qualify for various educational positions, such as public service – although it does not have to be the case. That’s why all jobs must be advertised publicly, says student union president Martin Masek.

“Instead of advertising jobs publicly, the recruitment process in many cases takes place behind closed doors, without knowledge of the application period, tasks or evaluation criteria,” one SLF student wrote in a proposal to the Medical Association Council meeting.

It creates anxiety and frustration, according to the association. Appointments are likely to become arbitrary, and communications may be more important than competence and merit. The system also prevents geographic mobility because placements are often made by students with local connections.

– As it stands now, only people who have connections, know a manager or have parents who work in a clinic are the ones who get the opportunity for these temporary jobs. We also see that those who may have special connections are the ones who are better paid because a manager may not dare set a salary that is too low for the son or daughter of a senior doctor, says Martin Masek.

Although it means some work for districts to advertise jobs publicly, it benefits the health care system, says the SLF student, who believes employers should have a vested interest in a standardized, more predictable and fairer system.

The Medical Syndicate wrote in its response that they agree to this, but they consider that they are already working on this issue. In its Skills Provision Policy, the Swedish Medical Association proposes to advertise the posts of Medical Assistant and Medical Assistant on the National Portal. But Swedish municipalities and regions, SKR, have been reluctant to go public, according to the medical association, which wrote that much of the work on the issue is being done at the local union level in dialogue with the employer.

– We understand, but we do not completely agree with the Federal Council. We think you can definitely keep working and pushing for it, even if SKR is a bit lukewarm about it, says Martin Masek.

The issue of public advertising for physician assistant and physician assistant positions has been raised in the past. In 2017, the SLF demanded the same thing from a student.

– There are issues with nepotism when holding medical positions throughout a career, but we believe the biggest problem lies specifically between junior doctors and paramedic positions. Therefore, we believe that additional efforts are needed for these two positions early in the career. “We don’t think the union has done enough on this before,” SLF student Alexandre Tejera said at the time.

At that time, there was a lot of discussion at the council meeting, but the medical students finally had to be content with getting a response to their request.

In the next two years, medical students chose to take up this claim again — and were finally heard. In 2019, the Council decided that the Federal Council should ensure that all physician assistant positions are publicly advertised.

– The response of the Federal Council was almost the same every time; They are already working on this issue. But what we ask is that this issue be addressed as a priority and in a more organized and strategic manner. “To make a plan and constantly raise this issue in various forums,” said SLF student Clara Westmann at Läkartidningen 2019.

Four years later, the problem still exists. Medical students continue their battle to push the Medical Syndicate to make greater efforts.

– I cannot comment on whether the Medical Syndicate itself did enough because I do not know exactly through what channels and how it worked for that. But we have not reached the port, so more efforts must be made. It is an issue of great priority and importance, says Martin Masek.

Lakartidningen.se 2023-10-17