Career perspectives for young cardiologists in the Netherlands: a steady increase in temporary positions

In the Netherlands, concerns have been raised regarding the high unemployment rates and the lack of permanent positions for young medical specialists. In the current study, we present data on contemporary early career perspectives in the field of cardiology. We conducted a survey among 304 young cardiologists who completed their training between 2015 and 2020; the response rate was 91%. Our analysis revealed a low unemployment rate (0.3%). One, 3 and 5 years after registration, 81%, 41% and 18% of the respondents, respectively, had not gained a permanent position. Having conducted a fellowship significantly delayed the time to permanent position (hazard ratio (HR): 0.48; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.34–0.67). For those who had conducted a fellowship, holding a PhD degree (HR: 1.95; 95% CI: 1.10–3.44), age (per year increase, HR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.82–0.99) and training in an academic hospital (HR: 1.97; 95% CI: 1.10–3.52) were of significant influence on the likelihood of having a permanent position at 3 years of follow-up. These results showed a disturbing increase in time to permanent position compared with an earlier analysis. This trend justifies close monitoring of the labour market in the coming years. Solutions for this multifactorial problem in the field of cardiology and across the entire medical specialty spectrum should be explored.