title: Importance and benefits of the doctoral thesis for medical graduates.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The majority of medical graduates in Germany complete a doctorate, even though a doctoral degree is not necessary for the practice of medicine. So far, little is known about doctoral candidates' view on the individual benefit a doctoral thesis has for them. Consequently, this is the subject of the present investigation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from surveys with graduates of the five medical faculties of Baden-Württemberg from the graduation years 2007/2008 (N=514) and 2010/2011 (N=598) were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One and a half years after graduating 53% of those interviewed had completed their doctorate. When asked about their motivation for writing a doctoral thesis, participants answered most frequently "a doctorate is usual" (85%) and "improvement of job opportunities" (75%), 36% said that an academic career has been their primary motive. Less than 10% responded that they used their doctoral thesis as a means to apply for a job. The proportion of graduates working in health care is equally large among those who have completed a thesis and those who have not. Graduates who pursued a thesis due to scientific interest are also currently more interested in an academic career and recognise more opportunities for research. An implicit benefit of a medical thesis emerged with regard to the self-assessment of scientific competences as those who completed a doctorate rated their scientific competencies higher than those who have not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although for the majority of physicians research interest is not the primary motivation for completing a doctorate, they might nevertheless achieve some academic competencies. For graduates pursuing an academic career the benefit of completing a medical thesis is more obvious.
authors.affiliation: University of Freiburg, Medical Faculty, Office of Student Affairs, Centre for Evaluation of Teaching in Medicine Baden-Württemberg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giesler
authors.affiliation: University of Freiburg, Medical Faculty, Department for Medical Biometry and Medical Informatics, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boeker
authors.affiliation: University of Freiburg, Medical Faculty, Department for Medical Psychology and Sociology, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Götz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fabry
authors.affiliation: University Basel, Medical Faculty, Office of Student Affairs, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Biller
mesh_terms: D004212:Academic Dissertations as Topic; D000124:Achievement; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002321:Career Choice; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004501:Education, Medical; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D012106:Research / Q000193:education; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Doctorate, medical; Evaluation; Graduate survey; Methods, academic; Motivation