Job profile:
Assistant Doctor (m/f/d)
You enter the medical profession as an assistant doctor, you work as a so-called doctor in training. An assistant doctor has completed their medical studies and received their license to practice medicine. They usually work under the supervision of a senior physician or head physician, are at the beginning of their career and are in training to become a specialist.
In this Hays job profile, you can find out what tasks assistant doctors have, what they are not allowed to do, what salary you can expect and how long it takes for assistant doctors to become specialists.
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What is a assistant doctor? Definition and overview
An assistant doctor is a trained doctor who has completed their studies in human medicine, received their work permit and is currently undergoing further training to become a specialist.
As an assistant doctor, you work for five to six years under the supervision of senior physicians. After that, you can treat (statutory health insurance) patients independently as a specialist, open your own practice or train to become a senior or head physician.
The assistant doctor is also called a "doctor in further training", as the term "assistant doctor" often causes confusion and it is not purely a matter of assistant tasks.
Anyone who has successfully completed their medical studies in Germany with the three-part state examination receives the so-called Approbation, i.e. a professional license. From this point onwards, you are generally allowed to work independently as a doctor.
However, if you want to treat statutory health insurance patients or later work as a head or senior physician in a hospital, you will need a specialist title. You will receive this after completing your time as a junior doctor and passing the specialist examination in your respective specialist area.
As a doctor in postgraduate training, you will gain sufficient professional experience and knowledge to be able to work as a specialist and treat patients. This is because, although your medical studies have already taken at least six years, you still have time to acquire the necessary knowledge and practical experience in your chosen specialty. As a junior doctor, you will therefore always have experienced specialists and senior physicians at your side so that you can learn from them.
However, as a junior doctor you do not usually have the title of doctor. You will only receive the title "Dr. med." after you have completed your doctorate and published your doctoral thesis. However, it is not mandatory in order to work as a doctor.
Assistant doctor salary: What do you earn as a doctor in training?
For an employed doctor in a municipal hospital and clinic, the salary is in line with the respective collective agreement. In Germany, there are public collective agreements, those of university hospitals and private hospital associations.
Your salary as an assistant doctor after four years is around €5,500 gross per month, or up to €66,000 gross per year. Additional services such as on-call duty and standby duty offer you the opportunity to increase your salary as an assistant doctor. There are no exact figures for the salary of a self-employed doctor.
In the sixth year, female doctors in further training already earn a monthly gross salary of € 6,035 - according to the collective agreement.
Starting salary as a assistant doctor: your starting salary
What does a assistant doctor do? Tasks of a doctor in further training
A junior doctor performs numerous routine tasks in a hospital (or practice) and often works on a ward, which is why they are also called ward doctors.
In this role, they are often the first point of contact for patients.
In addition, assistant doctors always discuss their procedures, new findings and all their questions with the responsible senior doctors. Although junior doctors often treat patients themselves, an experienced doctor is always present, at least in the background, and ensures that the correct procedure is followed during treatment.
Even operations can be carried out by assistant doctors - but only under the supervision of a head or senior doctor.
- Admission of patients
- Examination & diagnosis
- Taking blood samples
- Ordering laboratory tests
- Preparation of treatment plans
- Arrangement of therapies
- Treatment of patients
- Prescribing medication
- Patient rounds
- Treatment documentation
- Discharging patients
- Writing a doctor's letter for the family doctor
- Performing anesthesia and operations under the supervision of a specialist
A 24-hour shift is not unusual for female doctors and can lead to a great deal of mental and physical strain. The medical profession demands a lot from you and is therefore not suitable for everyone.
What is a assistant doctor not allowed to do?
As long as a head or senior physician is present, junior doctors are already allowed to perform a large proportion of medical tasks. However, it is important to note that junior doctors are not allowed to decide independently what treatment or therapy should look like or how it should be continued.
In principle, they always act under the supervision of experienced colleagues, which is why junior doctors do not bear full responsibility for their patients. Responsibility is always borne by the specialist in charge.
Assistant doctor training, studies & further training - How do you become an assistant doctor?
You can only work as an assistant doctor once you have completed your medical studies, passed the three-part state examination and received your license to practice medicine. Only then do you have the opportunity to become a "doctor in training" and train as a specialist. As a rule, students have already decided on a specialty during their studies. They also pursue this specialty during their time as a ward doctor in order to specialize in it.
For the assistant doctor position, the prospective doctors apply to a hospital (private, church or public) or to a practice that matches their chosen specialty.
Although a career as a specialist is a clear goal for many medical students, there are other opportunities after graduation. In the pharmaceutical industry, at universities, in consulting: you have various options for working as a doctor without training to become a specialist.
Assistant doctor training
Training to become a medical specialist, i.e. the time as an assistant doctor, takes around four to six years. The duration of training depends, among other things, on the specialty chosen and the hours worked per week.
During this time, the young doctors work in their chosen specialty and deepen their knowledge. The specific content of the specialist training depends on the further training regulations for the respective specialty.
Only through this training as an assistant doctor do people with a license to practice medicine have the opportunity to treat statutory health insurance patients and later work as a chief physician or senior physician.
You choose one of many different specialties for your residency. You can choose from the following specialties, among others:
- General medicine
- Internal medicine
- Surgery
- Urology
- Gynecology and obstetrics
- Orthopaedics
- Radiology
- and many more
During their training, assistant doctors must document their progress and fulfill certain requirements and record these in a logbook. These requirements are set out in the respective training regulations and include certain treatments and knowledge that the assistant doctor must have learned. Only then can they later sit the specialist examination.
At the end of your time as a junior doctor, you will take the examination to become a specialist at the respective state medical association. Only after passing the examination are you allowed to call yourself a specialist and have the opportunity to set up your own practice. Establishment means that you can open your own practice or continue to work in a hospital. In hospital, your next career options are head physician or senior physician. You can also undertake additional further training to deepen your knowledge even further.
Studying to become a junior doctor: studying human medicine
The only course of study that prepares you for the position of assistant doctor is the medical degree. It takes around 12 semesters, i.e. six years, and is therefore considered one of the longest subjects. You can only apply for assistant doctor positions after you have completed your medical studies and received your license to practice.
During their studies, students have already completed various internships, so-called clinical traineeships, which prepare them for working in a hospital and contact with patients. Nevertheless, the course primarily serves to create a solid theoretical basis in human medicine. Students gain the necessary practical experience later during their time as assistant doctors.
You can study medicine at a number of universities in Germany, such as
- University of Heidelberg
- University of Regensburg
- Humboldt University Berlin
- University of Frankfurt am Main
- University of Magdeburg
What does "doctor in training" mean?
How long is a junior doctor?
In Germany, the time as an assistant doctor lasts between four and six years, with only three of the specialties lasting four years. The exact time depends on the specialty chosen. For example, while the specialties of internal medicine and general medicine require five years of specialist training, further training for the specialty of surgery takes six years.
This is due to the different requirements that each specialty places on specialists. The content of specialist training courses therefore differs greatly. It is therefore important to make a well-considered decision about your specialty. Changing it afterwards is often complicated.
In principle, the duration of specialist training can also deviate from the minimum period. A certain number of special treatments and examinations are also required to pass a specialist examination. If these are not completed in the minimum time, the phase as an assistant doctor lasts until the required treatments have been completed.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
Skills of an assistant doctor
A degree in human medicine is required to work as a doctor. The course takes at least six years and is one of the longest degree courses in Germany. You need extensive knowledge and must constantly learn in line with scientific findings. After completing their studies, they undergo further practical specialist training as an assistant doctor. Doctors are resilient and committed, work with concentration and determination. That is why much more is demanded of them in addition to a degree.
The skills required of an assistant doctor are
- Need to help people in need
- Resilience and commitment
- Concentrated and determined work
- Empathy and a sensitive approach to people
- Strong stress resistance
- Ability to work in a team
- Strong communication skills in dealing with patients and colleagues
Assistant doctor career: opportunities on the job market
A doctor spends the first few years of their career working as a junior doctor. As part of their work, they decide on a specialty, for example surgery or general medicine. The opportunities for assistant doctors on the job market are very good; doctors have been considered a shortage occupation for years. There is a great demand for doctors in Germany.
Your career opportunities as a junior doctor are very good: after passing your specialist examination in your field, you can open your own practice or apply to a hospital. With several years of professional experience, you have the opportunity to become a senior or head physician.
Depending on the specialty and location, it may also be more difficult to obtain the desired position in a practice or clinic. However, due to the perennial shortage of doctors, the future prospects for doctors are very positive.
Top vacancies for assistant doctors: jobs throughout Germany
FAQ
An assistant doctor is a "doctor in training". They have just completed their medical studies, received their license to practice and will train to become a specialist in 5 to 6 years. Only then can they treat patients independently as a doctor.
The duration of the assistant doctor position depends on the chosen specialty, but usually lasts between 4 and 6 years. Only when all requirements have been met and the minimum period has passed can you take the specialist examination.
To work as an assistant doctor, you need to have completed a degree in medicine and passed a three-part state examination. Only then will you receive your license to practice medicine and be allowed to work as an assistant doctor.
As an assistant doctor, you mainly take care of routine tasks in the hospital and contact with patients. Under the supervision of a senior physician, you may also perform operations or anesthesia.
Anyone who successfully completes their time as an assistant doctor takes the examination to become a specialist in the relevant field. As a specialist, you can specialize further and advance to senior physician.