Academic Career Pathways in German Medicine: Current Structures and International Comparisons

Introduction: Academic qualification processes in medicine are an essential component of excellent research and teaching. In Germany, these qualification paths are characterized by heterogeneity in the regulations both between the federal states and between the faculties. This lack of uniformity in Germany stands in contrast to internationally established models with standardized and transparent career paths. In view of growing international mobility and increasing global competition, the need to reform academic careers in medicine in Germany is increasingly coming into focus. Methods: On the basis of a systematic analysis, higher education laws, doctoral, habilitation and appointment regulations of German medical faculties were examined for defined target criteria. This was followed by a literature search in Pubmed and Google Scholar databases as well as freely accessible documents on the qualification systems of other international universities. Results: The evaluation reveals considerable differences in the requirements, regulations and transparency of academic qualification levels in Germany. There is a lack of standardization processes in German regulations, particularly in the area of habilitation and extraordinary professorship. In an international comparison, there are clear differences between countries both in the existence of qualification levels and the qualification path to the qualification level. However, many countries have structured and transparent qualification levels with underlying tenure-track models or performance-oriented criteria. Conclusion: The results of the academic qualification structures in medicine show a need for reform of the German academic system in an international comparison. The introduction of transparent and structured career paths, based on systems already established in other countries (PhD model/tenure track system), would contribute to harmonization and the promotion of international comparability and mobility.