Andorra Doctor Warns Bureaucracy Deters Young Family Physicians

Albert Dorca, president of the Col·legi Oficial de Metges d’Andorra (COMA), has voiced concerns that growing administrative burdens in family medicine are eroding its appeal among young doctors, potentially complicating efforts to replace retiring professionals.

Speaking to media outlets including El Periòdic d'Andorra, Dorca highlighted how the specialty—accessed through Spain's four-year MIR training pathway—is increasingly avoided. Young physicians choosing placements "are bypassing family medicine because they do not want to become bureaucrats in the healthcare system," he said. This trend, combined with broader physician shortages, raises doubts about generational turnover.

Dorca pointed to a shared European challenge, with Spain's situation especially acute. Family doctors there now manage expanding non-clinical responsibilities, including "a thousand papers, a thousand certificates, a thousand clicks and a thousand things" unrelated to patient care. Such demands, he noted, fuel intense professional burnout.

Andorra fares better by comparison. Salaries rank midway when adjusted for living costs, but practitioners enjoy more autonomy than in Spain. "Here, family doctors are still somewhat bureaucratised but, relative to Spain, focus more on actual medical practice," Dorca observed.

The core issue remains covering imminent retirements, a hurdle without a firm strategy. "We lack clarity on replacing those nearing retirement," he acknowledged, describing it as a widespread European problem. While positions are available, success hinges on attractiveness: "The offer exists, but someone has to respond from the other end," Dorca said. He urged steps to draw talent, emphasising family medicine's strengths in patient continuity and independence.

The COMA continues collaborating with the health ministry to improve conditions and promote the specialty's value.