Doing a Dr. med. (Doctor of Medicine) alongside medical studies is an obvious goal for many students. How this works is set by each faculty in its doctoral regulations (Promotionsordnung), and the differences are larger than many expect. Using the example of the Faculty of Medicine at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), this guide explains the admission requirements, the running deadlines and what to plan for in time and funding.
Short answer: The Faculty of Medicine at FAU admits you to the doctorate once you have passed the medical licensing examination. A provisional admission after the first section of the examination is possible for up to six years. There is no deadline before or after the state examination. The regulation dates from 5 November 2020.
Key takeaways
- Admission depends on the doctoral regulations of your faculty. Read them first, because the rules differ between faculties.
- At FAU, admission requires a passed medical examination. A provisional admission is already possible after the first section.
- The provisional admission is valid for at most six years and becomes void if you do not prove the final examination in time.
- According to the regulation, admission also requires a supervision agreement and the consent of the head of the institution.
- The regulation does not distinguish between types such as experimental or retrospective work, only between a dissertation and another written doctoral achievement.
When can you apply for admission?
At the Faculty of Medicine of FAU, admission depends on a passed medical or dental examination at a scientific university within the territory of the Basic Law (section 6(1) of the faculty doctoral regulation of 5 November 2020). There is no deadline before or after the state examination. If you want to start during your studies, you therefore need provisional admission.
Provisional admission is possible after you have passed the first section of the medical examination and lasts for at most six years (section 6(3)). It can be extended. It becomes void if the final examination is failed for good or not proven within six years. That six-year limit is therefore a central point in your planning.
Which requirements does the regulation set out?
In addition to the examination and provisional admission, the regulation sets further requirements. The table summarises them with the relevant sections.
| Requirement | What the regulation requires | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Link to studies | At least two semesters of study in the subject at FAU, or at least one year of academic work at an institute or clinic of FAU. The dean may waive this in justified cases. | section 6(2) |
| Supervision | A supervision agreement is required. | section 8 |
| Consent | Consent of the head of the institution | section 8 |
| Form of thesis | A dissertation, or another written achievement in which you are first author of a published work | section 10 |
For the other written achievement, the work must have appeared in a recognised publication outlet, for example indexed in SCI or PubMed. A classification section of 15 to 20 pages in German or English is also required. Where first authorship is shared, naming the candidate first is sufficient.
Which deadlines apply during the procedure?
The regulation sets a few fixed points. They form the basis for a realistic plan alongside your studies.
- Admission and supervision agreement: the formal procedure begins with admission. Plan the thesis work so that the six-year limit for provisional admission can be kept.
- Reports: they must be submitted within two months (section 11(3)).
- Oral examination (disputation): it should take place no later than four months after the thesis is accepted (section 12(2), sentence 5).
- Grades: each report must contain a grade (section 11(1)). Summa cum laude has stricter requirements, including agreement of all four reports and a publication with sole first authorship.
Timeline alongside studies: what matters in practice
Whether you can do a doctorate alongside your studies depends less on the regulation than on your time budget. The regulation sets no minimum duration for the project. Plan fixed milestones with your supervisor: data collection, analysis, writing and submission. Record the status each semester so that you keep track of the six-year limit.
A practical tip is to plan time for experiments, analysis and writing separately. Mixing these phases quickly makes it hard to see progress. A sensible starting point is to ask which results should exist by the end of the fifth year of study.
Funding: what you should know
The FAU regulation governs admission and the procedure, not funding. The usual routes apply: own savings, a part-time job, a scholarship or a post. A part-time job with fixed hours can extend the doctorate considerably, so plan time and funding together. An overview of posts and scholarships is available in our guide Promotion in Medizin (Dr. med.): Dauer, Finanzierung und Versicherung (in German).
Common questions
Can I start a Dr. med. in my first year of study?
The FAU regulation requires a passed first section of the medical examination for provisional admission. In the first year you are therefore usually not yet at that stage. You can look for a supervisor early, but the formal admission presupposes the section.
Do I have to write a classic dissertation?
Not necessarily. The regulation also allows another written doctoral achievement, in which you bring in a work that is already published and of which you are first author, plus a classification section. The work must have appeared in a recognised publication outlet.
Which type of doctorate suits me?
The FAU regulation does not name types such as experimental or retrospective work. The choice of research approach is therefore a topic for your supervisor rather than for the regulation. A comparison is still worthwhile, because the approaches can require very different amounts of time, data and access to patients.
What happens if I do not pass the state examination in time?
The provisional admission becomes void if the final examination is failed for good or not proven within six years. The provisional admission can be extended. Ask the doctoral office about the conditions before you fix your plan.
Does the regulation apply at every university?
No. Each faculty has its own regulation. Admission, deadlines and the form of thesis can differ considerably. If you move to another university, check its regulation again.
What to do next
- Download the current doctoral regulation of your faculty and check admission, supervision and the form of thesis.
- Approach a possible supervisor and clarify whether a topic is feasible alongside your studies.
- Ask the doctoral office about provisional admission and the documents needed for the first section.
- Agree a timetable with milestones and check how you will combine studies and research.
- Clarify funding before you invest much time in experiments or data.
Related guides
- Health Insurance for PhD Students in Germany
- PhD in Germany: routes, titles and requirements
- Finding a Doctoral Supervisor: Request, Proposal and Agreement
- Promotion als Externer: Finanzierung ohne Stelle
- PhD on a Half-Time Contract: What Is Left After Social Insurance
Sources: Faculty of Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, faculty doctoral regulation (FPromO med./med. dent.) of 5 November 2020, in force from 6 November 2020, PDF (the official German text is binding).
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
