Pursuing a Doctorate at the Department

For the degree of Dr. sc. hum. (Doctor of Human Sciences), it is generally required that the research work and the oral doctoral examination be completed within three years of admission (Section 7 of the Doctoral Regulations).

In the case of medical doctorates (Dr. med.) in our discipline, it should be borne in mind that the necessary methodological knowledge in the humanities or social sciences is not, as a rule, part of the standard medical degree programme. These skills must be acquired additionally as part of the doctoral project. In our experience, an additional one to two years should be allowed for this.

A sabbatical semester is required for key phases of the work – in particular for data collection, the analysis of empirical material and the intensive writing of the dissertation. Please note that a dissertation in the history of medicine or medical ethics cannot be undertaken whilst fulfilling the requirements of the clinical internship or whilst practising medicine.

Due to the intensive and continuous supervision required, admission as a doctoral candidate is only possible if you hold a place on a medical degree programme in Göttingen and have sufficient time available for ongoing collaboration.

The choice of PhD topic is made in close consultation with the relevant supervisor. Calls for applications are published on the institute’s website. The formal allocation of topics by Prof. Dr Silke Schicktanz takes place via the UMG’s teaching and examination portal (➜ LUPO). In this case, please refrain from making direct enquiries. Prof. Dr Alfred Simon also accepts applications by email. However, the number of available PhD places is limited.

The decision on the allocation of a doctoral topic is usually only made once the supervisor has had the opportunity to get to know the applicant personally. This is typically based on performance in a course or during a face-to-face interview.

All interested parties are strongly advised to attend the ‘Research Ethics’ lecture in Module 2.4. In addition, there is the option of attending the Institute’s one-day doctoral colloquium in advance. This takes place regularly during the semester and offers an in-depth insight into ongoing doctoral projects as well as the Institute’s working methods. The current dates can be obtained from the secretariat at the start of each semester.

Medical dissertations can be written either as a traditional manuscript of approximately 100 pages or in a cumulative format (requiring at least one peer-reviewed article in which the student is the first author).

Different conditions apply to doctoral programs in philosophy, sociology, or the Dr. sci. hum. degree program; these can be viewed on the websites of the respective faculties.

In addition to writing the dissertation, the doctoral program, in accordance with the Doctoral Regulations for the Human Sciences in Medicine at Georg-August University of Göttingen, includes the following mandatory components:

1. Exposé
   In the initial phase of the doctoral program, a 10–12-page exposé must be prepared, clearly outlining the research question, methodological approach, and objectives of the project. A binding timeline must be included in the proposal. This should take into account the individual phases of the dissertation as well as personal circumstances, such as undergraduate studies, clinical rotations, planned stays abroad, or caregiving responsibilities. Ideally, the dissertation should be largely completed in writing before the Second State Examination begins.
2. Doctoral Colloquium
   Regular and active participation in the biannual block seminar “Doctoral Colloquium.” Only excused absences will be accepted.
3. Courses on Bioethics
   Mandatory participation in the seminar “Introduction to Bioethics” (held each winter semester) or participation in at least two elective seminars in the field of medical ethics.
4. Literature Review Course
   Half-day “Literature Review” course, offered by Dr. Tobias Weidner, at least once a year as needed.
5. Current Developments in Medical Ethics
   Regular participation in institute-related events (at least two per semester), in particular:

• Lectures
• Research colloquia
• Institute colloquia
• Workshops organized by the Institute for Ethics and History of Medicine

Starting in the 2022/23 winter semester, doctoral candidates in human medicine and dentistry are required to participate in the preparatory course before registering their dissertation.

On the website of the University Medical Center Göttingen, you will find further information on formal procedures, good scientific practice, and support services.

For more details, please refer to the Doctoral Regulations for the Human Sciences in Medicine at Georg-August University of Göttingen.

Pursuing a doctorate in our field requires a high level of commitment as well as a willingness to engage intensively with issues in medical ethics over an extended period of time. Depending on the focus of the project, it is also necessary to become familiar with social empirical methods. These include, for example, the planning, conduct, and evaluation of qualitative interviews or the statistical analysis of survey data.