Workforce strategies during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective online survey at intensive care units in Germany.

Background: As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe at the beginning of 2020, healthcare systems were forced to rapidly adapt and expand to meet the sudden surge in demand for intensive care services. This study is the first systematic analysis of the strategies employed by German hospitals to recruit personnel and expand bed capacities during the first wave of the pandemic, and to evaluate the effectiveness of those recruitment measures.

Methods: 152 German hospitals with intensive care capacities were selected and invited to participate in an online-based retrospective survey.

The role of research competence as an influencing factor for the careers of young academics. Findings and implications from studies on doctorates in medicine and life sciences in Germany.

Background: When viewed internationally, Germany boasts a high rate of doctoral candidates. Fields such as medicine and life sciences have a notably high proportion of doctoral students, a trend rooted in historical factors. Despite this, comprehensive empirical studies concerning the doctoral phase and early-career researchers, especially in relation to the rise of structured doctoral programmes, have only recently gained traction.

International mobility of students in the medical disciplines from a comparative perspective.

We analyze the extent to which students of human, veterinary and dental medicine complete study-related stays abroad (frequency, type and duration of stays abroad and countries visited). Furthermore, we investigate the possible correlations between completed stays abroad and the duration of studies, the completion of a doctorate and entering professional life. The data come from a written cross-sectional survey of 742 graduates of their respective study programs at Bavarian universities.

[The specialist examination in internal medicine: a qualitative and quantitative analysis of minutes from memory].

Background: The specialist examination entitles to independent professional conduct and is therefore of great significance for the quality of medical care. It should cover the contents of the continuing education regulations. So far, little is known about the actual content of the exam.

Investigation on the acquisition of scientific competences during medical studies and the medical doctoral thesis.

Not only the amount of research related contents in German medical studies are objects of criticism, but also the medical doctoral thesis. However, the question which research competences are truly acquired within medical school and the doctoral phase is empirically open, and is thus pursued in the following research study. We used data from the Bavarian Medical Graduate Panel Survey (MediBAP) (N=455), where respondents assessed their own research competences.

Academic career intentions in the life sciences: Can research self-efficacy beliefs explain low numbers of aspiring physician and female scientists?

A lack of physician scientists as well as a high female dropout rate from academic medicine and basic life sciences is a concern in many countries. The current study analyzes academic career intentions within a sample of recent doctoral graduates from medicine and basic life sciences (N = 1109), focusing on research self-efficacy beliefs as explanatory variable of gender and disciplinary differences. To ensure that differences in research self-efficacy could not be attributed solely to objective scientific performance, we controlled for number of publications and dissertation grade.

The power of the pen: how to make physicians more friendly and patients more attractive.

Context: Studies have shown that patients' subjective perceptions of physicians' competence and friendliness are relevant aspects of a successful treatment, influencing patients' well-being and trust in the physician. Psychological research has repeatedly shown that unconsciously contracting muscles that are usually used to smile can intensify and even elicit positive feelings (known as facial feedback). Empirical evidence also suggests that a smiling person is favourably judged by others with respect to attractiveness and trustworthiness.