[Compensation for hospital-based physicians].

In German hospitals there are four groups of physicians associated with different compensation schemes: the senior consultants receiving both a salary from the hospital and fees earned from ambulatory and stationary private patients; house officers (residents) receiving a salary, overtime allowance and a share in the senior consultants' fees; external doctors with a hospital affiliation (Belegärzte) receiving only the fees paid by patients or their health insurers; medical consultants (Konsiliarärzte) earning fees for optional services from private patients, for other services from the hospital.