Whether a medical doctorate should start before or after the Staatsexamen is a question many medical students ask early on. The answer depends less on a nationwide rule than on the doctoral regulations of your own faculty. Using the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Tübingen as an example, this guide explains which requirements such regulations set out, what speaks for and against an early start, and which deadlines you need to watch.
Short answer: In Tübingen, you can be accepted as a doctoral candidate once you hold the certificate for the first part of the medical licensing examination (Physikum). Admission to the doctorate usually requires a completed degree. The regulations do not list the medical licence (Approbation) as a requirement. Whether an early or later start suits you is decided by your own faculty. Last updated: October 2026.
The most important points at a glance
- The doctoral regulations of your own faculty apply, not a nationwide pattern.
- Using Tübingen as the example, the certificate for the first part of the medical examination is enough for acceptance.
- For admission, a completed degree is usually required.
- For research involving human subjects, an ethics consultation must take place before the work starts.
- Acceptance is initially valid for three years. If the admission application is generally not made within six years, acceptance can be withdrawn.
- An early start uses your study time, a later start separates the exam from the research. You need to weigh both with your supervisor.
What do the regulations say about timing?
The doctoral regulations of the Faculty of Medicine in Tübingen for Dr. med. and Dr. med. dent. (Senate resolution of 9 December 2021, in force since 1 February 2022) govern the examination status, not the timing relative to the licence. They say nothing about the licence.
For acceptance, section 3 of the regulations refers to the certificate for the first part of the medical examination. Admission, by contrast, generally requires a successfully completed degree in human or dental medicine in Germany. If the final examination is definitively failed, the acceptance becomes invalid. This distinction between acceptance and admission is the most important point when it comes to timing.
Which requirements apply side by side?
The table sets out the points that follow from the Tübingen regulations. The third column shows what you should check in your own faculty, because regulations differ in detail.
| Point | What the Tübingen regulations say | What you should check |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptance as doctoral candidate | Possible after the certificate for the first part of the medical examination | Whether your faculty has a comparable stage |
| Admission to the doctorate | Usually a completed degree | From when exactly admission is possible |
| Link to the faculty | At least two semesters at the faculty, or a link to the faculty or university hospital | Whether you can already prove the link |
| Ethics consultation | Before the start for research involving human subjects | When your university ethics committee meets |
| Language proof | Sufficient German or English, generally C1 | Plan the proof in good time |
| Deadlines | Acceptance initially valid for three years, withdrawal possible if no admission application within six years | Note all deadlines in your calendar |
What speaks for an early start?
An early start has the advantage that a project can begin during your studies and the supervision is often already in place. If you start early, you can collect results before exam pressure rises. On the other side, studying for the exam and research compete for the same time. A project alongside your studies requires clear time management and a supervisor who supports you during exam periods too.
What speaks for a later start?
A later start separates the exam from the research work. The admission requirements are then often already met, and you can focus on the project without exam pressure. On the other side, the total duration can grow if the dissertation starts only after the exam and a position or further training runs in parallel.
Worked example: how much time is left beside your studies?
Assumption: you work six hours per week on your dissertation, 40 weeks per year. That makes 240 hours per year and 720 hours over three years. Work through your plan with your supervisor before you commit. A project with laboratory work or study data often needs more hours than a purely literature-based thesis, so estimate the effort realistically.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to have passed the state examination before I can start?
In Tübingen, the certificate for the first part of the medical examination is enough for acceptance. Admission usually requires a completed degree. Whether your faculty applies the same rule is set out in its doctoral regulations, so the answer is not universal.
Does the medical licence affect the doctorate?
The Tübingen regulations do not list the licence as a requirement. Check whether your faculty sets other requirements. The licence is a separate step for working as a doctor and is not a condition of the doctorate itself.
Do I stay enrolled after being accepted?
In Tübingen, accepted doctoral candidates are enrolled on application. At the University of Marburg, enrolment as a doctoral student is possible after completing your studies but is not compulsory. The guide Health Insurance During a PhD in Germany explains what this means for your health insurance.
Do I need an ethics approval before I start?
For research involving human subjects, an ethics consultation must take place before the start, and proof of it is part of the admission documents. Your supervisor should clarify whether your project falls under this rule. According to the Marburg faculty, retrospective studies also need an ethics vote.
What happens if I miss a deadline?
Acceptance is initially valid for three years. If the admission application is generally not made within six years, the acceptance can be withdrawn. Note deadlines early and clarify any extension directly with your faculty.
What to do next
- Read the doctoral regulations of your faculty and find the sections on acceptance, admission and deadlines.
- Clarify with your supervisor whether your project can start early or late.
- Check whether you can already prove your link to the faculty or the university hospital.
- Plan the ethics consultation and language proof before you apply for acceptance. According to the Marburg faculty, the application must be made before the doctoral work starts.
- Enter all deadlines for acceptance and admission in your calendar.
Related guides
- PhD in Germany: routes, titles and requirements
- Health Insurance During a PhD in Germany
- Doctoral Title Abbreviations: From Dr. rer. nat. to Dr. h. c. Explained
Sources:
- Doctoral regulations of the Faculty of Medicine, Tübingen, for Dr. med. and Dr. med. dent., Senate resolution 9 Dec 2021, in force since 1 Feb 2022 (PDF, in German)
- University of Marburg, Faculty of Medicine, page “Fragen über Fragen?” (no date on the page, in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
