Estonia is on the verge of experiencing a critical shortage of internal medicine doctors due to an impending wave of retirements, with nearly 42% of physicians in this specialty expected to retire within the next five to ten years. The issue is increasingly urgent as previous concerns primarily focused on the shortage of family doctors, but this new crisis in internal medicine could severely impact the functioning of county hospitals across the country.

Marit Märk, head of the association of internal medicine doctors, highlighted a concerning trend where new graduates from medical schools are opting for general practice rather than specializing in internal medicine. This shift has led to a decrease in the number of candidates applying for residency positions in the specialty. Last year, only half of the anticipated state-funded positions for internal medicine residency were filled, indicating a significant gap in the healthcare workforce that could worsen in the near future.

Märk emphasized that while general practitioners possess broad theoretical knowledge across various medical fields, they lack the specialized skills needed to act independently in internal medicine departments. They are only capable of functioning as part of a healthcare team, which raises concerns about the quality of care for patients requiring specialized internal medicine treatment. Without addressing this looming crisis, the healthcare system in Estonia could face severe challenges in meeting the needs of its population.