The teaching and practical training of future doctors play an important role in the university curriculum. At the Women's Clinic of Saarland University Hospital in Homburg, we developed a five-day block placement concept that focused on learning practical gynecological and obstetric skills rather than simply imparting theoretical knowledge. The student`s satisfaction with the block placement was assessed using a non-standardized questionnaire with the two items "How do you rate your learning outcomes from the placement?" and "The placement increased my interest in gynecology and obstetrics". The assessment was based on a scale of 1 to 6. A total of 205 out of 220 students (93.2%) from the winter semester 2022/2023 participated in the evaluation and completed the questionnaire. 198 students (96.6%) rated the satisfaction with their perceived learning from the block internship as very good (1) or good (2), and 201 students (98%) reported an increase in their interest in the subject area. An overwhelming majority of students rated the practical teaching concept as very good or good, which speaks to the success of this practical teaching format. Nevertheless, the study also has several limitations. For example, only one cohort of medical students was surveyed. Furthermore, when establishing a new teaching concept, there is a risk that participants in an evaluation will not respond objectively, but rather according to the criterion of social desirability. We suggest our practice-oriented block placement concept, which focuses on learning skills relevant to the future medical profession, as a possible curriculum for undergraduate teaching in gynecology and obstetrics, to inspire students for the field.

ABSTRACT Doctoral education in Sub-Saharan Africa has expanded rapidly, yet evidence on post-PhD career trajectories remains limited. This study examines employment outcomes, career pathways, and structural constraints shaping doctoral graduates’ experiences in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Rwanda. Using a mixed-methods design, the study integrates survey data (n = 154), key informant interviews (n = 27), and multi-stakeholder policy dialogues under the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund. Guided by identity–trajectory theory and academic precarity, the analysis explores how individual aspirations intersect with institutional conditions and broader structural dynamics. Findings show that while career advancement and research engagement motivate doctoral training, graduates navigate fragmented and uncertain career pathways. Academic employment is often characterized by low remuneration, limited research funding, and weak institutional support, prompting engagement in consultancy and externally funded projects. Policy dialogues highlight systemic gaps, including weak research ecosystems, limited industry linkages, and the absence of structured postdoctoral pathways. Alignment between doctoral training and employment is stronger in Kenya and Rwanda than in Ethiopia. The study demonstrates that doctoral career trajectories are shaped by interactions across micro, meso, and macro levels, providing comparative evidence and policy-relevant insights for strengthening doctoral training, research systems, and sustainable academic careers in Sub-Saharan Africa.

ABSTRACT Professional doctorates (PDs) provide an advanced pathway for midwives to integrate clinical expertise, research, and leadership. While well established in countries such as the United Kingdom, their relevance and feasibility within small-state higher education systems remain underexplored. This study examined midwifery academics’ perceptions of the benefits, challenges, and contextual considerations associated with developing a Professional Doctorate in Midwifery in Malta. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a purposive sample of midwifery academics involved in curriculum development and leadership within a Maltese tertiary institution. Data were collected using a 41-item structured questionnaire informed by a literature review and interviews with UK professional doctorate leaders. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including Friedman’s test. Participants strongly supported the introduction of a PD, highlighting its potential to enhance research capacity, strengthen midwifery leadership, and foster integration between academic and clinical practice. Key challenges included limited supervisory expertise, resource constraints, and the need for flexible programme delivery. Comparisons with established UK models demonstrated broad alignment while identifying context-specific concerns related to sustainability within a small higher education system. Professional doctorates have significant potential to advance midwifery scholarship, leadership, and workforce sustainability. The study proposes a framework of Seven Essential Domains for Professional Doctorate Education to guide the strategic design and implementation of PD programmes that strengthen research capacity and support woman-centred, evidence-informed care.

Parenthood and PhD completion: A life course analysis of gender inequalities in doctoral training.

ABSTRACT Existing research, including scholarship influenced by Bourdieu, has shown that recognition in doctoral education is mediated by symbolic power and institutional habitus. This paper advances that debate by shifting the unit of analysis from recognition as an institutional outcome to recognition as an existential condition of intelligibility, asking when STEM doctoral students can appear as recognizable subjects in departmental life at all. Using existential phenomenology as a conceptual frame, we conducted in-depth interviews with ten STEM doctoral students across two departments. Through cross-department comparison, we show that recognition depends not only on procedures, but also on how pedagogy positions students in lived relation to authority and community. When these conditions are undermined, student reports often fail to register as legitimate and actionable, even before any formal response becomes relevant. On this basis, we argue that doctoral education must confront these existential conditions, reshaping pedagogical relations of power and responsibility.

Recent federal initiatives, including the Food and Drug Omnibus Reform Act, have emphasized improving diversity in clinical trial enrollment and expanding research into community and underserved settings. However, investigator shortages and administrative burden continue to limit clinical trial capacity and site availability. Physician associates (PAs) typically serve as sub-investigators (sub-Is) with responsibilities focused on clinical care for enrolled participants. National survey data demonstrate limited advanced practice provider (APP) involvement in trial leadership: Among 271 practices surveyed, only 15% reported APP participation in trial selection, 5% had an APP serving as a primary investigator, and 3% reported APP involvement in protocol development. These findings highlight underutilization of PAs in research leadership roles. Postprofessional PA doctoral programs provide advanced training in research design, biostatistics, evidence-based practice, leadership, and scholarly communication. These competencies are directly applicable to clinical trial oversight, regulatory coordination, and site-level operations. Doctoral-educated PAs may continue serving as sub-Is while assuming expanded responsibilities in study management and protocol development within established collaborative practice frameworks. Integrating clinical trial-focused tracks into PA doctoral curricula may strengthen research workforce capacity, reduce physician administrative burden, and expand trial access in community settings. Creating structured leadership pathways for doctoral-educated PAs aligns with federal goals to improve equitable trial representation and offers a practical strategy to enhance clinical research infrastructure.

Based on survey data on the quality of doctoral training in China, this study employs empirical research methods to assess the fairness and efficiency of the ‘Application-Assessment’ system in ‘Double First-Class’ universities. The results show that students admitted through this system do not possess superior social or academic capital; however, they demonstrate higher academic aspiration. Furthermore, compared with other doctoral candidates, those admitted through this approach exhibit weaker research output and core competencies. These findings indicate that although the ‘Application-Assessment’ system ensures fairness in access to doctoral education, its screening efficiency still requires improvement. To better balance fairness and efficiency in doctoral admissions, this study proposes the following: First, restrictions related to applicants’ academic pedigree and social background should be further relaxed to promote a more diverse doctoral student body. Second, soft skills, such as academic interest, curiosity, and research resilience, should be incorporated into the scope of ‘expert recommendation letters,’ and a broader range of assessment methods, such as multiple mini-interviews, should be considered. Finally, although entrance examinations may help identify candidates with research potential, subsequent training components such as coursework, academic exchanges, and research projects are essential for enhancing doctoral students’ academic capabilities.

Doctoral theses in France (1985\u20132025): A linked dataset of PhDs, academic networks, and institutions

ABSTRACT Growth mindsets, or the belief that abilities could improve through effort and strategies, have been extensively studied in K-12 education, where they have been found to be positively associated with academic development. However, their application in doctoral education, a more complex and autonomous learning context, has received limited attention. This represents an important gap, as doctoral students are not only expected to master existing knowledge but also to produce new knowledge under considerable intellectual and emotional demands. To address this gap, we adopted an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design to examine how growth mindsets related to doctoral students’ research development. Study 1 used a quantitative approach, involving surveys with 379 students. We found that stronger growth mindsets were associated with higher research skills, self-efficacy, productivity, and satisfaction, and these associations were consistent across gender, discipline, study phase, and socioeconomic background. Study 2 used a qualitative approach involving interviews with 18 students. The qualitative findings broadly corroborated the quantitative results and surfaced new themes, including the key roles of adaptive motivation and self-regulated learning in explaining how growth mindsets contribute to research development. Furthermore, supervisor and peer support were also important in supporting students’ growth mindsets. These findings underscore the value of fostering growth mindsets to support doctoral students’ research development amid an increasingly demanding academic landscape.

This study examines diverse pathways leading to high academic performance among post-traditional doctoral students in English-medium education programmes. Integrating the English-Medium Instruction Academic Success (EMIAS) framework with crisp-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (csQCA), the study identifies the necessary conditions and sufficient configurations for high and non-high academic performance among Chinese doctoral students enrolled in an English-medium applied linguistics programme at a private university in Macau SAR, China. These students typically bring substantial professional experience and often balance employment alongside their studies. Four conditions derived from the EMIAS framework, i.e., academic English proficiency (AEP), perceived academic competence (PAC), prior English-medium education experience (PEME), and institutional language support (ILS), were examined using survey data from 25 students. Two equifinal configurations emerged as sufficient for high academic performance: (1) strong AEP combined with PEME and (2) high PAC combined with PEME in the absence of structured ILS. The findings demonstrate the value of configurational analysis in understanding how these various configurations facilitate high academic performance in English-medium doctoral education. Consequently, these results offer evidence-based insights for designing support systems tailored to the varied needs of post-traditional doctoral learners.

This paper proposes a conceptual model of adaptive artificial intelligence (AI) support for doctoral education that operationalizes supported autonomy across three interconnected dimensions of doctoral student development: cognitive, affective, and social. Each dimension represents a distinct but overlapping area where AI can provide responsive scaffolding while preserving student agency and intellectual ownership. This framework provides a structured approach to understanding how AI tools can enhance rather than diminish doctoral development when thoughtfully integrated into mentorship and supervision structures. Challenges and ethical use are addressed along with implications for doctoral programs. We suggest a balanced use of AI, a clear framework or guidelines for ethical use, and doctoral student supervision (dissertation chair) to reduce feelings of isolation, student attrition, and use of students’ time.

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of client or caregiver violence against counselors during in-person counseling, as well as counselors’ coping responses and organizational responses. A survey of 503 South Korean counselors found that 25% had experienced such violence within the past year. While no significant differences were found based on gender, age, certification level or years of professional experience, a significant difference was observed specifically regarding doctoral education status. In terms of coping, counselors commonly sought help from supervisors or colleagues, utilized therapeutic interventions (e.g., addressing transference), or managed the situation within a service provider-client framework(e.g., offering an apology). Regarding organizational responses, the most frequent finding was a lack of formal policies or interventions, followed by specific case discussions(follow-up measures, prevention strategies, and consultations) and direct actions taken by administrators. These findings provide essential data for developing institutional response manuals and establishing ethical and safety standards to ensure counselor protection.

Abstract Developing durable methodological capabilities is a central challenge in doctoral education. This study examined how doctoral students retain conceptual understanding and procedural execution in data visualization following formal instruction. Using a rubric-based assessment with verified inter-rater reliability, performance was evaluated at three time points: immediately after training, six months later, and twelve months later. Linear mixed-effects models captured longitudinal changes while accounting for individual variability. The results revealed significant declines in both dimensions, with sharper decay observed for procedural, tool-dependent execution. These findings suggest that conceptual understanding is relatively more resilient over time, whereas procedural fluency appears to depend more strongly on continued opportunities for practice and feedback. The study indicates that short-term methodological courses alone may be insufficient to ensure enduring competence. More broadly, the findings have implications for how doctoral education might better support the sustained development of data-visualization competence and highlight the need for further research on the learning environments and experiences that shape long-term retention. By linking cognitive theories of learning and forgetting with contemporary doctoral-training frameworks, this research contributes to understanding how methodological capabilities are retained, differentiated, and potentially strengthened through continued scholarly engagement.

ABSTRACT This study examines the relationship between Generative AI (GenAI) usage and research self-efficacy (RSE) among Chinese doctoral students, a topic of growing importance as AI technologies become embedded in academic practices. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design, data were collected via a survey from 587 doctoral students across STEM and humanities and social sciences (HSS) disciplines. Hierarchical multiple regression and moderation analyses (PROCESS macro) were employed to examine predictive relationships and interaction effects. Results revealed that both the frequency and purpose of GenAI use significantly predicted RSE, with an augmentative approach – using AI as a critical thinking scaffold – emerging as the strongest positive predictor. Furthermore, perceived supervisor support and academic discipline moderated this relationship, with supportive supervision amplifying the benefits of augmentative use, and STEM students demonstrating a stronger link between frequency of use and RSE than their HSS counterparts. The findings underscore the importance of fostering critical AI literacy and providing supervisory guidance to maximize the psychological and scholarly benefits of GenAI integration. This study contributes to doctoral education research by empirically demonstrating how augmentative GenAI usage serves as a psychological scaffold that enhances research self-efficacy, and by identifying supervisor support and disciplinary context as key moderating factors in this relationship.

ABSTRACT Existing literature contends that research in China’s humanities and social sciences (HSS) has significantly lagged behind its remarkable progress in the natural sciences and engineering. Yet under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China’s international education has expanded to include doctoral training in HSS fields. The Chinese government and universities have offered generous scholarships to doctoral students from geopolitically “peripheral” BRI partner countries, who now engage with China’s HSS discourses – often grounded in Confucian, Marxist, or state-defined frameworks. Drawing on the concept of knowledge power and informed by world-systems analysis, this study explores China’s evolving position as a regional knowledge core in HSS – a dimension often overlooked in global higher education research. Based on in-depth interviews with eleven international doctoral students, the study examines how they navigate the epistemic, institutional, and cultural complexities of pursuing HSS doctoral education in China. The findings reveal both the potential and limits of China’s expanding influence as a knowledge power among its peripheral partners. While rich historical and cultural resources enhance China’s academic appeal, tensions persist between state-defined epistemic boundaries and students’ own disciplinary agency. This study contributes to advancing the conceptualisation of knowledge power by illuminating how China’s international HSS education reflects both a challenge to Western epistemic dominance and a possible reproduction of new academic hierarchies. It also offers practical implications for universities and policymakers seeking to cultivate international research talent within China’s nationalised academic frameworks.

This study explored PhD medical students' attitudes toward ChatGPT as a learning tool and evaluated the psychometric properties of the Serbian version of the Attitudes Toward Using ChatGPT (ATUC) questionnaire. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2025 among University of Belgrade PhD medical students using a structured questionnaire. The ATUC scale demonstrated excellent reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.939). Most students (78%) demonstrated low to moderate scores on the total ATUC scale toward the use of ChatGPT. These findings suggest that, although students are aware of the potential benefits of ChatGPT, their attitudes are not strongly positive, indicating a need for clearer guidance and structured training on the appropriate and effective use of generative AI tools in doctoral medical education.

ABSTRACT PhD careers have diversified over the last decade. Working in academia has become a less prominent career target for PhD graduates, and variations in careers across disciplines have grown. The private sector is the largest employer of STEM PhDs outside academia, whereas the public and para-public sectors primarily employ HSS PhDs. Academic careers emphasise research-focused tasks and scholarly outputs, while non-academic careers prioritise interdisciplinary collaboration, innovation, and practical application of research skills. Limited research on PhD careers beyond academia leaves doctoral educators ill-prepared to support PhD candidates pursuing non-academic careers. This study contributes to the literature by providing a comparative analysis of academic and non-academic career trajectories of PhD holders using national cohort data from Finland. By examining the employment status of PhD graduates, the sectors in which they work, and their job profiles, this study bridges gaps in the literature on PhD careers. The results of the study show that PhD holders often undertake expert-level tasks requiring advanced research skills. Academic roles typically align with research-intensive profiles, whereas non-academic roles emphasise multi-skilled profiles that demand broader competencies. These insights contribute to a research-based understanding of PhD career paths and support tailored career guidance for PhD candidates during doctoral education.

The changing landscape of health care calls for recalibration of educating the next generation of physical therapists. Physical therapist education programs rely on external clinical entities to prepare students for practice. Descriptions of relationships between academic and clinical entities are scarce despite a national call to explore this concept. The objective of this study is to describe existing relationships from the perspectives of the multiple key decision makers within Doctor of Physical Therapy clinical education (CE). This study used a qualitative investigation using a multi-site descriptive case study design. A national call for participants was made to Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapist Education (CAPTE) accredited programs, serving as case, followed by purposeful recruitment to achieve maximum variation. Programs varied by categories such as size, public/private institutions and residential/hybrid programs. Cases included academic and clinical participants associated with a single institution in varied academic and clinical roles as well as students. Participants completed a demographic survey and engaged in an individual virtual semi-structured interview or a focus group. Thematic analysis both within-cases and cross-cases was followed. Qualitative themes were reported by participants surrounding their perceptions about the different types of relationships that exist in CE. A total of 10 cases with 88 interview/focus group transcripts were analyzed. Seven themes emerged identifying and describing different relationships in physical therapist CE. Relationship types included: One and Done, Transactional, Collaborative and Trusting, Systems Relationship, Go-to Site, Existing Relationship, and Strained Relationship. A variety of relationships are valuable in professional level CE. Flexibility andcustomization of relationships are essential to accommodate changing demands of health care, education, and student needs. Further research is needed to optimize communication and efficiency, to ensure the sustainability of relationships and, consequently, the profession. This study provides insight into the nature of clinical-academic relationships,contributing to the development of models that may enhance quality and sustainability of CE in physical therapist education.

ABSTRACT Developing an academic identity is fundamental to becoming and evolving as a scholar. While prior research highlighted the influence of supervisors on students’ academic identity, the specific mechanisms through which this influence unfolds remain underexplored. Given that meetings are key sites of sensemaking, this qualitative study investigates supervision meetings as spaces for academic identity construction. We interviewed twenty students at German universities. Using a critical realist framework and reflexive thematic analysis, we identified five themes: (1) meetings as structuring moments, (2) a hierarchical relationship, (3) feedback as a source of security and direction, (4) emancipation through competence and confidence, and (5) negotiating one’s fit to academia. Our findings suggest that supervision meetings are important sites for academic identity. The study offers actionable insights for improving supervision practices in doctoral education.

The PA Education Association (PAEA) formed a Doctoral Education Commission to advance PAEA's strategy on physician assistant/associate (PA) doctoral education. One of the Commission's objectives is to examine the readiness of the profession to transition to an entry-level professional doctorate. The Commission interviewed 6 institutional accrediting (IA) agencies, administering a set of 15 standardized questions to each. These questions were provided to the IA representatives in advance of their scheduled interviews with the Commission chairs and PAEA staff. Five of the 6 interviews were recorded, with one agency opting to decline recording. The researchers subsequently reviewed, compared, and contrasted the responses, identifying prevailing themes and points of divergence. Themes included leaving curriculum decisions to the sponsoring institutions, states, credentialing bodies, or specialty accreditors. The organizations gave no minimum requirements for the length of a doctoral program compared with a master's. The groups agreed the experiential phase of PA education should be modeled with professional competencies and aligned with the programs' goals. There were no prescriptive guidelines regarding admissions criteria. Two organizations described the need for transparency with applicants. Scholarship expectations for faculty should align with broader institutional accreditation standards. Institutional accreditors expect terminal degrees for doctoral faculty but allow for institution-level flexibility in justifying qualifications based on expertise and contributions to the field. Physician assistant/associate program understanding of the organizational accrediting requirements is critical when considering a change from a master's to an entry-level doctoral degree. The importance of transparency in this process with all stakeholders is essential.