# The impact of doctorate-timing, whether undergraduate or postgraduate, on the experience of German doctors

## TL;DR

This study explores how German doctors' experience of earning a doctorate differs based on whether it is pursued as an undergraduate or postgraduate.

## Contribution

It introduces a qualitative analysis of German doctors' experiences with doctorates based on timing, using thematic analysis.

## Key findings

- Undergraduate doctorates are motivated by scientific curiosity and ambition, while postgraduate ones focus on professional identity.
- Shared struggles include inadequate supervision and personal commitments, regardless of timing.
- Doctorate timing affects experience, but struggles are more tied to developmental stage than timing.

## Abstract

German medical students obtain a licence to practice medicine without being awarded an academic title. They can acquire the Doctor of Medicine title upon finishing a doctoral thesis that can be undertaken as undergraduates or later as postgraduates. This study aims to investigate how and if the timing of a German doctorate affects the candidates ‘ experience.

This is a qualitative study based on in-depth semi-structured interviews to analyse the perception of German doctors of their own doctoral projects. The ontology of this work is relativism with a subjective epistemology and empirical phenomenology as a methodology. Partly inductive, partly deductive reflexive thematic analysis according to Braun and Clarke was utilized.

We identified four themes which were motivations, struggles, support and outcomes. Both undergraduate and postgraduate doctorates are identity-driven, whereas scientific curiosity and ambition are undergraduate motivations. Inadequate supervision, unpreparedness, and personal commitments are shared struggles for all doctorates. The sources of support for both undergraduate and postgraduate doctorates are similar, and the positive impact of doctorates outweighs the negative regardless of timing.

Postgraduate doctorates are neither inherently better nor worse than undergraduate doctorates. Nevertheless, the timing of the doctorate seems to affect the experience of researchers. Developing a professional identity is the unanimous motivation for doctorates among German medics, but undergraduates are additionally motivated by ambition and scientific curiosity. Difficulties facing doctoral candidates are not directly related to the timing of research relative to graduation, rather to their developmental stage. Mentors, family, peers and research groups are essential sources of support. These findings provide insight into interesting themes that should be further explored.

Not applicable.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-026-08849-w.