In Germany young people usually begin their studies after completing their general higher education entrance qualification (Abitur). Places for studying human medicine are allocated via hochschulstart.de, whereby places are allocated on the basis of various quotas (A-level grades, aptitude tests, etc.).

The degree programme is divided into a so-called pre-clinical section (pre-clinical), which lasts four semesters and ends with the first section of the medical examination. This is followed by a clinical section (clinic), which lasts six semesters and ends with the second section of the medical examination. During this time, several four-week clinical traineeships must be completed, during which students are given an insight into medical work while being supervised by doctors.

The end of the clinical section is followed by the practical year (divided into three four-month sections in internal medicine, surgery and an elective subject), during which prospective doctors are more actively involved in medical work.

The final stage is the third section of the medical examination, after which students can apply for a licence to practise medicine, which allows them to work independently. Many students in Germany are already working on their doctoral thesis during their studies and obtain the academic degree of Dr. med. almost simultaneously with the completion of their studies.

A doctorate is not a requirement to work as a doctor in Germany. However, one should keep in mind that many chief physicians, especially at university hospitals, favour applicants, who already have a doctorate.  Compared to other natural science subjects, doctorates in medicine only require a comparatively small amount of time (approx. 1-2 years, possibly parallel to studies/work), which is why many students complete them during their studies. This leads to a relatively high proportion of doctors who have a doctorate (approx. 66% of graduates in 2016).

In addition to treating a relevant topic, a doctoral thesis requires, above all, the supervision of a habilitated member of a university (usually a person with the title PD (Privatdozent) or Prof. (Professor)). The doctoral regulations can differ significantly between universities and can usually be found on the internet. For example, the University of Mainz only accepts those students for doctoral studies, who have achieved a certain grade in their medical examination - apart from individual exceptions -, whereas the University of Cologne has no such requirement.

If you are planning to do a doctorate in Germany, it is worth checking the doctoral regulations of the various universities in advance.

In general, research is possible at any hospital, although research activity is much more common at university hospitals than at other hospitals or practices. The research environment and infrastructure varies greatly depending on the university hospital and requires a greater or lesser degree of personal initiative.

If you are aiming for a doctorate or habilitation, scientific work is particularly worthwhile. At many university hospitals, chief physicians expect academic commitment and support this to varying degrees, whereas at non-university hospitals, academic commitment is rare and therefore rarely encouraged. It is still often the case that even at university institutions, patient care takes centre stage during working hours and research tends to be expected outside of regular working hours. Research time is not regularly granted.

In Germany, the habilitation is an academic procedure, the completion of which certifies the person's so-called teaching qualification. Although this is not mandatory in Germany, the habilitation is often a prerequisite for higher career levels, particularly at university hospitals, and also for independent academic work. Every habilitated person is also authorised to award doctorates to other people at the respective university. As with doctorates, the habilitation regulations differ from university to university. What they all have in common is that a certain number of peer-reviewed publications are expected, in which the respective person is either first or last in the list of authors. After successful completion of the habilitation procedure, the title Dr. med. habil. is awarded. If the candidate also applies for the teaching authorisation, which is purely an administrative act, the title PD (Privatdozent) can be used. The title Prof. (Professor) may not yet be used.

Many doctors aspire to this career stage because holding the title often offers better career options. Habilitations can usually only be obtained at university hospitals, rarely at academic teaching hospitals, and usually require a time commitment of multiple years.

In order to obtain the title of professor, there are two ways:

The easiest way, and the one most habilitated persons strive for, is to obtain a so-called associate professorship (APL). How this can be achieved is also regulated in the respective habilitation regulations of the universities and usually includes a time component after habilitation as well as further requirements (e.g. further peer-reviewed publications, supervision of doctoral candidates, etc.).

An alternative way to obtain the title of professor or university professor is to apply for an advertised professorship. In radiology, these are usually associated with management positions at university hospitals. The number of such professorships is limited and creating new ones often takes a long time and involves widescaled processes within the university.