Day 138: Doctors Wanted in Mecklenburg
On a regional TV talk show in Schwerin, the presenter, Helge Kröger (A), asks Dörte Rabe (B), a country doctor, Lutz Behrendt (C), the mayor of a small town, and Jette Wiechert (D), a medical student on the state's rural doctor quota, about the shortage of doctors in rural Mecklenburg.
How to study this lesson 3 steps
- Read the situation under the title. It says who is talking and how they know each other, which decides how politely they speak.
- Read the dialogue line by line with its translation, until every line makes sense. Point at (or tap) a German word to see what it means.
- Spend at least 30 minutes listening to native German, for example from the Resources page. It doesn't matter if you don't understand it yet.
Dialogue
Audio recordings are on the way. For now, each lesson is the dialogue with its English translation.
Keys: E hide English · ← → previous / next day · point at a word to see its meaning
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A
Frau Dr. Rabe, Sie suchen seit drei Jahren vergeblich jemanden, der Ihre Praxis bei Güstrow übernimmt. Wie prekär ist die Lage?
Dr Rabe, for three years you've been looking in vain for someone to take over your practice near Güstrow. How precarious is the situation?
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B
Prekärer, als man es in Schwerin wahrhaben will. Bis 2035 wird ein Großteil der Hausärzte im Land aufgehört haben, ich eingeschlossen.
More precarious than they're prepared to admit in Schwerin. By 2035 a large share of the GPs in this state will have retired, myself included.
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C
Bei uns ist es schon so weit: Seit unser Hausarzt in Rente ist, fahren die Leute nach Neubrandenburg, obwohl wir als Anreiz eine mietfreie Praxis anbieten.
In our town it's already happened: since our GP retired, people have been driving all the way to Neubrandenburg, even though we're offering a rent-free surgery as an incentive.
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A
Das Ministerium betont, es gebe genug Studienplätze und die Landarztquote sei ein Erfolg. Frau Wiechert, Sie sind über genau diese Quote ins Studium gekommen.
The ministry insists that there are enough university places and that the rural doctor quota is a success. Ms Wiechert, you got into medical school through that very quota.
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D
Ja, ohne die Quote hätte ich mit meinem Abischnitt nie einen Platz bekommen. Aber ehrlich gesagt kommen mir inzwischen Zweifel.
Yes, without the quota I'd never have got a place with my school-leaving grades. But to be honest, I'm starting to have doubts.
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B
Woran denn? Die Arbeit auf dem Land ist nämlich viel abwechslungsreicher als jede Station in der Uniklinik.
About what? Because the work in the countryside is far more varied than any ward in a university hospital.
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D
Nicht an der Arbeit, am Vertrag. Bis ich meine zehn Jahre abgeleistet habe, wird mein Freund in Hamburg längst Karriere gemacht haben.
Not the work, the contract. By the time I've done my ten years, my boyfriend will long since have made his career in Hamburg.
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C
Was macht Ihr Freund denn beruflich, Frau Wiechert? Wir suchen nämlich auch dringend Lehrer, und neben der Praxis steht ein Haus leer.
What does your boyfriend do for a living, Ms Wiechert? You see, we're desperate for teachers too, and there's an empty house next to the surgery.
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D
Das beantworte ich lieber nach der Sendung, Herr Behrendt. Sonst hat er morgen schon eine Einladung von Ihnen im Briefkasten.
I'd rather answer that after the show, Mr Behrendt. Otherwise he'll have an invitation from you in his letterbox by tomorrow.
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