Smart questions to ask a German hospital back
When a German hospital interview ends with 'any questions for us', ask about training coverage and shifts, not pay. It signals you came to work, not just to get hired.
Ahmed Quteishat
Assistenzarzt, Innere Medizin (Berlin) · Founder of Klaro
Every German hospital interview ends the same way. 'Haben Sie noch Fragen?', any questions for us. Say nothing, or ask about vacation days, and the chief already has your answer.
Why this moment decides more than it looks like
A chief doctor is not just checking your German here. He is checking what you noticed during the whole conversation.
A junior doctor (Assistenzarzt) who asks nothing looks like someone who just wants any job. One who asks about salary first looks like someone who has not thought about the work at all.
What to ask instead
Four questions do the real work. Each one shows you understand how a German department actually runs, not just that you want in.
- How many years of my specialty training (Weiterbildung) can you certify in this department?
- Which rotations will I do in my first year, and who decides that schedule?
- How many night and weekend shifts (Bereitschaftsdienst) a month is normal here for a junior doctor?
- Will I see patients alone, or with a senior doctor present, while I am still building my medical German?
Why the training-licence question matters most
One senior doctor in the department holds the training licence (Weiterbildungsbefugnis). If that person can only certify 3 of your 5 training years, you will have to move hospitals to finish.
Asking this in the interview, not after you sign, tells the chief you have done this before. It also gives you the real answer before you move your family to that city.
Why the shift question matters
A department that cannot say how many night shifts is normal usually means the rota changes every month. That is fine for some doctors and exhausting for others with small children.
Ask it plainly. A chief who answers with a number, not a shrug, runs a department that plans ahead.
What to do before your next interview
- Write down 2 of these 4 questions before you walk in, in your own words.
- Ask the training-licence question out loud, even if it feels forward.
- Save your real questions about pay and contract length for the written offer, not the interview room.
Stand: 2026-10-30. 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) before you act.
Ahmed Quteishat — Assistenzarzt, Innere Medizin (Berlin) · Founder of Klaro
Ahmed built Klaro after watching how much of a doctor's move to Germany gets lost in paperwork rather than medicine.
