German doctors: check each rotation

A general practice rotation in Germany only counts when the named trainer is authorised to certify that exact time and work. A hospital contract alone does not protect your training months.

This matters before your first junior doctor job. A department can hire you for 12 months, while its senior doctor can only sign 6 months in your training record.

Who decides your training time?

Your state medical chamber decides whether each job counts toward general practice training. Germany has 17 state chambers, and each chamber has its own training rules.

The chamber gives a senior doctor a training licence. This licence names the specialty, the workplace and the number of months they can certify.

For general practice, your training record needs time in family medicine and hospital departments. Internal medicine is a central part of the usual rotation list.

The exact months and required departments depend on your state chamber's training rules. Bavaria, Hesse and Berlin publish separate rules, even when the basic structure looks similar.

The contract is not enough

A hospital may advertise a general practice training post. That does not show how many months your supervisor can certify.

Ask for the trainer's name before you sign. Then ask for their written training licence, called a Weiterbildungsbefugnis, with its current end date.

Read 3 details on that paper. Look for the workplace, the specialty and the number of months.

• The named trainer, not only the hospital name
• General practice or the hospital specialty listed on the licence
• The months the trainer may certify at this workplace
• The licence end date during your proposed contract

Your training record needs signatures

Your state chamber uses an online training record, often called an eLogbuch. Your trainer enters rotations, patient work and required procedures there.

Do not wait until your final year to open it. Open the training record after you start, then check that your trainer appears in the system.

Save your job contract, rotation schedule and employment certificate in one folder. These papers help when a chamber asks why your eLogbuch shows a gap.

Questions to ask before signing

Ask these questions by email. A clear written answer is better than a quick promise during an interview.

1. “Who will be my named trainer for general practice?”
2. “Please send the current training licence and its certified months.”
3. “Which rotation will I complete here: family practice, internal medicine, paediatrics or another department?”
4. “Will you enter my completed months and tasks in my online training record?”
5. “Has a junior doctor completed this rotation here in the last 2 years?”

What to do now

• Download the general practice training rules from your state medical chamber.
• Request the named trainer's current training licence before accepting the contract.
• Compare the authorised months with the months written in your contract.
• Open your online training record in your first week at work.

Stand: 2026-10-01. 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.