North Rhine-Westphalia expands reserved medical study slots for future rural doctors

North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) will raise the proportion of university medical study places reserved for the "land doctor" quota from 7.8% to 8.8% starting in the winter semester 2026/27. The change adds 25 additional slots, bringing the total number of quota places to 227. Applicants who commit to work for ten years as a general practitioner in an under‑served rural area receive priority for these places.

More than 1,100 students are already bound by the quota, and the selection process – managed by the state health office (LfGA NRW) – does not require the usual Numerus Clausus. Instead, it considers school grades, the Medical Studies Test (TMS), relevant health‑care work experience and an interview. NRW, with roughly 2,750 medical places, has the largest capacity in Germany, and the new allocation aims to strengthen primary‑care provision in rural regions.