German doctors: vacancies are not training

A neurosurgery vacancy in Germany is not a straight training job unless the department can certify your training months. An open junior doctor post can mean the hospital needs help with ward rounds, admissions and night duty.

This matters most in neurosurgery. Many departments are small. One chief and a few senior doctors share operating lists, emergency calls, brain scans and intensive care beds.

Why vacancy numbers confuse doctors

A job advert tells you one thing: the department wants to hire a doctor. It does not tell you how many months of specialist training the department can sign off.

In Germany, the state medical chamber gives a senior doctor a training licence. That licence names the specialty and the number of months the doctor can certify.

A department may advertise for 2 junior doctors. Its training licence may cover only part of neurosurgery training. You then need another hospital later for the remaining months.

The training target is long

The national model rules list 72 months for neurosurgery specialist training. Your own state medical chamber applies its state training rules and checks your training record.

Your training record lists operations, ward work, emergency cases and courses. A signed contract alone does not fill this record.

Bavaria, Berlin and North Rhine-Westphalia use their own training rules. The basic structure is similar, but the chamber checks your papers under its own rules.

Why German surgical work matters

A small neurosurgery team rarely has time to teach basic German hospital work from day 1. The chief needs someone who can write discharge letters, call radiology and speak with families.

German surgical experience helps because you have already done these tasks in a German ward. General surgery, trauma surgery or intensive care can make your first neurosurgery application stronger.

This does not mean foreign neurosurgery years disappear. Put every operation, ICU rotation and emergency duty in your CV. The chamber decides later which months it credits.

Read the advert carefully

Look for the name of the doctor with the training licence. Look for the exact specialty named in the advert. Look for a sentence about certified training months.

• A named senior doctor with a training licence
• The number of neurosurgery months the hospital can certify
• A written rotation list for ICU, emergency care and operating theatre
• A training record with regular sign-off meetings

If the advert says only “junior doctor wanted”, treat it as a job lead. Do not treat it as a full 6-year specialist post.

What to do before signing

1. Email the chief: “How many neurosurgery training months can this department certify?”
2. Ask for the name of the senior doctor holding the training licence.
3. Ask whether you rotate through ICU, emergency care and the operating theatre.
4. Send your previous surgical certificates to your state medical chamber for a written credit decision.

Stand: 2026-10-04. 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.