Bulgaria's health ministry has added 15 more training places for doctors and other medical staff specialising in fields short of workers. That brings the total under the fifth round of the scheme to 255.
One of the new places, in Burgas, is for a specialist in infectious diseases. That specialty accounts for 12 of the extra places in total — besides Burgas, one each goes to Sofia, Blagoevgrad, Pazardzhik, Lovech, Plovdiv, Yambol, Veliko Tarnovo, Kardzhali, Targovishte, Ruse and Smolyan. The remaining three places are one in neonatology in Montana and two in child psychiatry.
The fifth round began on 1 July 2026 with 240 places, and the extra 15 have applied since 1 September. Applications are open until 28 February 2027. Of the 240 places announced on 1 July, 165 are for doctors in areas with the biggest staff shortages, and 75 are in specialties short of workers nationwide.
So far 46 applications have come in. The July selection round approved 30 candidates — 7 in specialties short nationwide and 23 in specialties short in specific areas — and contracts with them are now being signed.
The project, called "Encouraging specialisation in fields and specialties short of staff," covers doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives. Those approved get paid an extra 2.5 times the minimum wage a month on top of their income.
In total, 353 contracts have been signed across four main selection rounds and three rounds to fill places left vacant. Trainees are studying 54 specialties at 62 medical facilities around Bulgaria — Kyustendil is the only area with none. Nurses and midwives now have 17 new sites for hands-on training after they finish their studies. 102 trainees have gained new skills — 35 of them in the south-west region and 67 across the other five regions.
The ministry says interest is growing in child health specialties and in fields short of staff in less developed regions and areas. It has updated its analysis of staff shortages by specialty and area twice, to better reflect actual needs.
The project's approach was shown to representatives of the European Commission at the "Prof. Dr Ivan Mitev" specialist children's hospital in Sofia.