Cruising through the journey without getting drowned: The saga of a PhD student in the Netherlands

Young medical trainees all over the world are encouraged to investigate unknown areas of medicine that need clarification. This often leads them to undertake a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy). Being curious, critical, and creative are necessary competences which enable us to engender scientific research within acute (internal) medicine. Worldwide, huge numbers of professionals are pursuing a PhD, with the aim of receiving a 'Doctor'-title. These PhD trajectories vary distinctly between countries. Since the distances in the scientific world are getting smaller and it is becoming more easy to work with each other across borders, it might be interesting to know what it requires to become an academic 'doctor' overseas. Hereby, we provide a concise insight in to the differences between doing PhD in (acute) medicine in the Netherlands and in the UK.