title: [The medical dissertation in Germany : A quantitative analysis of promotion regulations in medical faculties].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The medical dissertation represents an independently processed scientific project. In the field of medicine this has for many years displayed the basis for controversial discussions. The aim of the study presented here was to evaluate the prerequisites of all current promotion regulations in German medical faculties in order to develop a comparability on the basis of a scoring system.
  
  
  METHODS
  An independent analysis of all promotion regulations from German medical faculties for the year 2014 was carried out according to 12 primary outcome measures and a scoring system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average total score of promotion regulations at 37 German medical faculties was 57.2 points (SD ±9.5) out of a possible 100 scoring points. The highest scores with 72-85 points were achieved by 3 faculties and 5 achieved scores of only 42-45 points. The range of the different criteria tested was broad. While the written thesis, the review process, the examination requirements as well as the grading of the thesis were defined in all regulations, the introduction into good clinical practice, knowledge of methodology as well as a check for plagiarism only seem to play minor roles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The promotion regulations at German medical faculties show a great variation using the scoring system presented here for the first time. Standardized federal promotion regulations might help to establish a structured transparency as well as a national equality of opportunity.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Plastische, Rekonstruktive und Ästhetische Chirurgie, Handchirurgie, Alfried Krupp Krankenhaus, Hellweg 100, 45276, Essen, Deutschland. heiko.sorg@krupp-krankenhaus.de.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sorg
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Plastische Chirurgie, Handchirurgie, Verbrennungszentrum, Universitätsklinik Schleswig-Holstein Campus Lübeck, Universität Lübeck, Lübeck, Deutschland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Krämer
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Plastische, Rekonstruktive und Ästhetische Chirurgie, Handchirurgie, Alfried Krupp Krankenhaus, Hellweg 100, 45276, Essen, Deutschland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grieswald
authors.affiliation: Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE) e. V., Witten, Deutschland.|Department für Pflegewissenschaft, Fakultät für Gesundheit, Universität Witten/Herdecke, Witten, Deutschland.
authors.forename: C G G
authors.initials: CGG
authors.lastname: Schwab
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Plastisch-Ästhetische und Rekonstruktive Chirurgie, Handchirurgie, Agaplesion Diakonieklinikum Rotenburg, Rotenburg (Wümme), Deutschland.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Paprottka
authors.affiliation: MeoClinic, Berlin, Deutschland.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Steiert
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Plastische, Rekonstruktive und Ästhetische Chirurgie, Handchirurgie, Alfried Krupp Krankenhaus, Hellweg 100, 45276, Essen, Deutschland.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Tilkorn
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Plastische, Rekonstruktive und Ästhetische Chirurgie, Handchirurgie, Alfried Krupp Krankenhaus, Hellweg 100, 45276, Essen, Deutschland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hauser
mesh_terms: D004212:Academic Dissertations as Topic; D000073978:Academic Performance; D004501:Education, Medical; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans
keywords: Medicine; Plagiarism; Promotion; Regulations; Scoring