Our Response to the vsao-asmac on Foreign-Trained Residents in Switzerland

The SVPA-ASMAP-ASAP committee addressed an open letter to the vsao-asmac in response to a recent interview given by their president (Der Bund, 21.10.225 Ärztemangel in der Schweiz: Braucht es mehr Studienplätze?).

During the interview, a broad range of topics was bundled together: the tragic death of a patient, the number of foreign doctors awaiting recognition, questions regarding the quality assurance of our training and the unclear position of deputy psychiatrists (Oberärtze i.v./chef.fes de clinique adjoint.es) in the clinical hierarchy. The framing of the interview and the article created the impression that the commitment to the large group of foreign colleagues is of secondary importance and fed the already sensible position of the foreign working population in Switzerland.

Despite the clarification already published by the vsao-asmac, our board deemed it important to address both the underlying biases and the unethical use of this tragic case to drive a political point. With this letter, we also aimed to provide a more accurate depiction about the challenges that psychiatry training in Switzerland faces and the position of foreign residents in this system.

Our association stands to promote high-quality, safe, and equal psychiatry training for all residents. We highly value trainees coming from abroad to train in Switzerland, as well as the diversity of experience and points of view they bring with them and that nourish our community. The position of psychiatry at the intersection of social, political, and scientific change makes it all the more vulnerable to such controversies. Tragic cases, such as the death of a patient in a psychiatric clinic, should not be instrumentalised to drive political agendas. Despite the traction that such “hot topics” can have in the media, the priority for a professional association should be to provide a balanced and accurate account of the systemic issues we seek to change.