University teaching hospitals should be able to select all medical students on the basis of their results and interviews, rather than partly through a lottery, the national health council will tell ministers on Friday.

At the moment there are 2,850 places available a year at medical schools, around half of which are allocated to the cleverest students and the rest through a lottery.
The council is also recommending the limit on the number of medical school places should be scrapped within five years. And, it says, the number of places for training to become medical specialists should be increased as well.
Education minister Ronald Plasterk said on Friday afternoon he hoped the lottery system could be scrapped in time for the next university year.