More than 90% are satisfied with their doctoral education.
Anders Gustafsson, the Dean of Doctoral Education, says that it was positive that of those who had jobs, some 40% worked within universities and that of those, 88% worked in some aspect of research.
Survey together with Gothenburg, Linköping, Lund and Umeå
In autumn 2011, KI initiated an alumni survey, together with the medical faculties at the universities in Gothenburg, Linköping, Lund and Umeå. The survey, entitled PhDs their research training and entry into the labour market , was targeted towards those who received their PhDs in the academic years 2003/2004 and 2007/2008 and was conducted by Statistics Sweden.
For all the participating medical faculties, the survey showed that 86% had work during the reference week. Among those, more than 40% worked within universities and colleges, a third worked within county councils and approximately 15% within the private sector. A small percentage worked elsewhere within the public sector or in municipalities. Two thirds said that a doctorate was a formal requirement for the work tasks that they carried out during the reference week.
The majority of alumni had work
The results showed that undergraduates within healthcare science gained employment almost immediately. Those with a degree in biomedicine, pharmacy or natural sciences had the greatest difficulties in establishing themselves on the labour market. In this group, nearly 1 in 4 had been unemployed at some point after obtaining their doctorate.
Nearly half had received research grants and/or postdoctoral financing
More than 40% of all PhDs received research grants as principal investigators; slightly less than half have post-doc positions or have received post-doctoral scholarships. Among those working in universities and colleges, 88% stated that research was a part of their job description.
More than 90% are satisfied with their doctoral education. Three-quarters stated that they received good supervision during their research training.
This is an interim report and the work will continue during 2012.
