[A questionnaire among 171 students with MB enrolled in a PhD program. Financing, time schedules and future research...

One hundred and seventy-one medical doctors registered as Ph.D.-students at the Faculty of Health Science, University of Aarhus, Denmark, were asked to answer a questionnaire concerning the local Ph.D.-programme. No financial problems were revealed concerning the wages of 69% of the Ph.D.-students, however 31% had financial problems. One third of the Ph.D.-students found it difficult to complete the Ph.D.-programme within the scheduled three years and delays were expected. Most Ph.D.-students intended to continue research after their Ph.D.-study, suggesting that the Ph.D.-programme promotes the scientific education of future generations of medical doctors. However, problems concerning the recruitment of physicians into preclinical/theoretical medicine were revealed and it is suggested that steps should be taken to ease career planning in this field.