Smaller German cities hire doctors

Foreign doctors get more neurology and psychiatry interviews in smaller German cities than in Berlin, Munich, or Hamburg. Start there if you need your first junior doctor job in Germany.

Many doctors send 40 applications to famous hospitals. They write Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt, and Munich on every cover letter.

Then they wait for an answer that never comes. Their letter looks like every other letter in the chief's inbox.

Why smaller cities reply first

Smaller hospitals need doctors for ward work, admissions, discharge letters, and night duty. Their neurology and psychiatry departments cannot leave these jobs empty for long.

A chief in Kassel, Chemnitz, Cottbus, or Paderborn sees fewer applications than a chief in Berlin. Your German B2 certificate, medical language exam, and clear CV get more attention there.

This does not mean every small hospital is easy. A good department still wants clear German, a complete application, and a doctor ready for ward work.

Why these two fields help

Neurology has stroke units, emergency admissions, lumbar punctures, EEGs, and rehabilitation links. Psychiatry has admission wards, crisis care, addiction medicine, and night duty.

Both fields need doctors who speak calmly with patients and nurses. You need clear sentences during admission, handover, and phone calls.

Do not apply only to famous cities

Metro hospitals receive applications from German graduates, EU doctors, and doctors already working in Germany. A small-city hospital may invite you because you chose its department on purpose.

Name the hospital, the ward, and the specialty in your letter. Write that you want neurology or psychiatry, not simply any job in Germany.

Pick the hospital carefully

A smaller city is a first job choice. It is not a reason to accept a bad contract.

Read the rota and count the junior doctors. Ask where night duty starts for new junior doctors.

For psychiatry, ask about general psychiatry, addiction medicine, and emergency admissions. For neurology, ask about stroke care, emergency admissions, and intensive care rotations.

Your work permit still matters

You need a full doctor licence (Approbation) or a temporary work permit before you work as a doctor. The temporary permit lasts at most 2 years in total.

The hospital usually needs your licence decision, language papers, passport, and CV before signing. Send these papers as one clean PDF file, with German file names.

What to do this week

• Add 10 smaller cities to your neurology or psychiatry job list.
• Send one German cover letter naming the department and ward.
• Ask each hospital: “When does night duty begin for junior doctors?”
• Ask for the rota and contract before you accept an interview offer.

Stand: 2026-10-11. This is a guide, not legal advice. Every German state has its own rules, and rules change. Check with your state's [medical chamber (Landesärztekammer)](https://www.bundesaerztekammer.de/aerztekammern) before you act.