Oldenburg and Groningen: Doctoral studies in two countries

After studying medicine, it was clear to me that I wanted to pursue a career as a clinical specialist and do research at the same time - preferably with a binational doctorate in Oldenburg and Groningen. In 2022, I therefore became one of the first participants in the new joint MD/PhD programme of the University Medicine Oldenburg and the Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen in the Netherlands. I'm still putting the finishing touches to my doctoral thesis so that I can defend it. In the end, I will have a doctorate - awarded by the University of Oldenburg and the University of Groningen respectively.

I already spent two semesters abroad at the University of Groningen during my medical studies - and was impressed by the research infrastructure in the medical field. The University of Groningen is very well networked internationally and has access to large data sets. The resources there helped me a lot for my doctoral thesis.

In Oldenburg, I was able to work directly with patients in everyday clinical practice and recruit participants for my studies at the same time. I am working on non-invasive deep brain stimulation for the chronic disease Parkinson's disease. In this procedure, electrodes are attached to the patient's head and a very weak current is passed through them. I am investigating the hypothesis that this could change neuronal activity in patients and alleviate Parkinson's symptoms - without the need for surgery.

A binational doctorate means additional organisational work. The application process is more complex. You need two supervisors from the two universities. I live with my family in Oldenburg and commuted to Groningen every week for compulsory courses. But I would always do it again. I benefited greatly from having two supervisors with experience in neurostimulation but different research focuses at my side. I deal with both motor and neuropsychiatric Parkinson's symptoms. Professor Karsten Witt, Director of the University Clinic for Neurology at the Evangelical Hospital in Oldenburg, is an expert in movement disorders. Prof André Aleman, former Professor of Cognitive Neuropsychology at the University of Groningen, deals in particular with depression and apathy.

I can later use the title of doctor (Dr rer. nat.) in Germany and the title MD/PhD (Medical Doctor - Doctor of Philosophy) internationally. A binational doctorate is therefore an elegant way to obtain an international qualification that is associated with a certain reputation. And, of course, I got to know our neighbouring country, the Netherlands, better.

It's been a while since I completed my binational doctorate. I started it in 2018 and defended it in Groningen in November 2023 after a parental leave interruption. My supervisor and the working group from Oldenburg were also there. I spent the first year and a half in Groningen and the rest of the time in Oldenburg. After my doctorate, I initially switched to healthcare research - as scientific coordinator for joint projects with Groningen. I owe this in part to my binational doctorate, as I was specifically approached by the Dean's Office because I had exactly the right experience. Today, I am the programme coordinator for the Master's degree programmes in Health Services Research and Advanced Nursing Practice at the University of Oldenburg. I decided to switch from research to science management.

I've always enjoyed travelling internationally and like the change of perspective: I did an interdisciplinary Bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences in Maastricht in the Netherlands and a Master's degree in Oncology at the University of Oxford in England. I found it attractive to then do a binational and interdisciplinary doctorate as part of the Joint Graduate Research Training Group, a joint programme from Oldenburg and Groningen. This allowed me to specialise in another field: research into cardiovascular diseases.

My doctoral thesis focussed on the molecular basis of complications following surgery. The binational doctorate gave me different methods and perspectives on the subject. In Groningen, I mainly focussed on the microvasculature - a fine network of tiny blood vessels that is responsible for the exchange of blood and tissue in organs. In Oldenburg, I focussed more on the macrovasculature, i.e. larger vessels such as arteries and veins. Among other things, I analysed cell material to find out more about how vascular diseases such as arteriosclerosis are a risk factor in operations.

In Oldenburg, it was new for me that I also have teaching duties as a doctoral candidate. In the Netherlands and England, doctoral students work exclusively on their doctoral thesis. Overall, many people with their own expertise were involved in the doctoral group at both locations, in different academic systems: This allowed me to learn valuable skills in project management alongside pure research - which still helps me in my job today.