PhD in Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Why do this PhD?

The Department of Paediatrics, Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Preventive Medicine and Public Health of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona has for many years offered a large range of undergraduate and graduate courses.

With the introduction of new legal provisions and the aim of gaining coherence and competitivity is has been agreed to split what was previously a single programme into two: Biomedical Research Methodology and Public Health, and Paediatrics, Obstetric & Gynaecology.

Professional opportunities

PhD graduates from this programme will find most work opportunities in the various services of hospitals, primary healthcare centres, and social and health centres; applied research institutes; private healthcare companies and international organisations.

Coordinator

Carlos Rodrigo Gonzalo de Liria

Administration

Cecília Jiménez Jiménez
Department of Paediatrics, Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Preventive Medicine and Public Health
Faculty of Medicine - Building M
Campus UAB
08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès)
Tel. 93 5811903
d.pediatria@uab.es

Thesis supervisor/s and academic tutor/s

Thesis supervision and thesis tutoring

Admission application

This PhD programme has, for the 2025-2026 academic year, the following pre-registration periods:

• From May, 12 to July, 11
  • RESOLUTION maximum by the School of Doctorate: October, 2
• From September, 1 to October, 10
  • RESOLUTION maximum by the School of Doctorate: November, 3
• From October, 20 to November, 14
  • RESOLUTION maximum by the School of Doctorate: December, 15

Documentation necessary for admission

In addition to the documentation that each programme indicates, two documents (Other documents1 and Other documents2) that serve as a wildcard are attached for each programme so that the interested person can attach other documents that he or she considers appropriate or that the PhD programme indicates.

Admissions before the established period and pre-admissions

The Doctoral School, following the indications of the coordination of the PhD programme, can issue before the start of the term of admission of an academic course, or before the end of the term of resolution, letters of admission so that you can request a scholarship or to do the visa procedures in your country. It is only necessary that you enter your application in the computer application and that you indicate it in the Observations field, where you must indicate that you need a letter of admission and the scholarship to which you are opting. If the computer application is closed, you can contact the coordination of the programme.

If you need a preadmission, the coordination of the programme can issue it if it considers it appropriate. You must contact the coordination of the programme to inform you of the procedure.

On the International Support Service website you can see more information about future foreign students related to residencies in Catalonia, legal procedures and the UAB campus.

Monitoring your application

You can monitor your application using the same page as you made it. Below are the explanations of the different stages:

• Application made by student: your pre-registration has been saved.
• Incomplete application: there are documents missing from the application.
• Validated by the administrative office: the application and attached documents have been checked.
• Admitted: the coordinator has considered the pre-registration and proposed an offer or admission.
• Offer of admission: the Doctoral School has considered the proposals for admission made by the coordinator and has made a definitive offer. The PhD student will also receive an e-mail informing them of this decision. The PhD student must wait to register.
• Waiting list: the coordinator has considered the pre-registration and has agreed on admission but there are no places on the PhD course.
• Application rejected: the coordinator or the Doctoral School have considered the application but do not agree to admission as not all the requirements have been fulfilled.

If you need it, here you will find a complementary information document on PhD studies.

Requirements and selection criteria

General access requirements

Specific access requirements

Interest and/or experience in paediatrics or obstetrics and gynaecology.

Selection criteria

The criteria used to assess applicants' merits in the selection process are as follows.

• Doctoral thesis pre-project: summary of the research project, which must be linked to one of the lines of research of the PhD programme (60%).
• Affinity of previous studies with the different lines of research of this PhD programme (20%).
• Personal interview (20%).

Within a maximum of 30 days, the programme's academic committee will notify applicants in writing of the decision on admission to the programme, and will inform them of any bridging courses that they will need to take.

Registration and fees

Calendar and Registration documents

After the registration

Training activities

Transversal training activities

Mandatory and optional specific activities

The programmed activities for this PhD are as follows:

Obligatory

• Attendance at seminars or conference given by expert in the area of knowledge
  PhD students attend seminars or conferences which gives them contact with speakers, lecturers and delegates etc. This is a great opportunity to get to know about first hand experiences of practical or pioneering work being carried out in other areas and be able to discuss it.

• Production of a research article sent to a high impact scientific journal
  Writing of at least one article published in an indexed journal in the speciality of Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology or a field related to the thesis. Beforehand PhD students have the opportunity to act as second authors in the writing of another article. This encourages them to get more in-depth knowledge of the English language.

• Giving a seminar on the research project
  Presentation of the general lines of the research project. One seminar should be given at the beginning of the research period once the methods and objectives have been defined, another in the middle to describe the progress of the project and a third when the work is in the final strait.

• Participation in internal group or departmental seminars
  PhD student take part in seminars or workshops held by the research group they belong to in order to discuss aspects common to the different projects, formulate new hypotheses and report the results of funding competitions, etc.

• Participation in a research project
  PhD students participate in the planning and carrying out of at least one research project with other PhD students and researchers. This means carrying out the corresponding systematic review of the bibliography, developing a rigorous and appropriate methodology that meets the planned objectives, elaboration of the logics and budget for the project, etc.

• Participation in methodological or technical specialisation workshops or courses
  PhD students attend workshops to specialise in the necessary complementary methodology or techniques. These activities enable PhD students to master some of the essential techniques and instruments for the preparation of their doctoral theses.

• Presentation of a paper (oral or poster) at a national or international conference
  Preparation and presentation of at least one scientific paper (poster or oral) at an international or national meeting or conference to acquire the necessary skills fop generating precise and convincing language and familiarise themselves with answering questions and responding to comments and possible criticisms. 

• Collaboration in teaching tasks (Grant holders and Clinical Associates)
  Participation in postgraduate seminars or workshops, technical biological or clinical practicals min the field of Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology under the supervision of a lecturer. Students may also take part in the preparation of exercises or practicals and the correction of some of the evaluated tests.

Optional

• Periods of research in national or foreign research centres
  PhD students can spend period of several weeks or months at national or international research centres to gain deeper knowledge of aspects related to their thesis projects. Contacts are established by the thesis supervisor so that the host institution can prepare a detailed programme of work and individual tuition.

• Attendance and doctoral working groups
  Participation in working or discussion groups made up of PhD students and other researchers. The activities in these groups offers the chance to gain deeper knowledge in aspects that are common to the different theses, critically read the bibliography of common interest, learn certain specific biological techniques, etc.

• Participation in summer schools
  PhD students can take part in summer school courses or courses for specialisation in paediatric, obstetric or gynaecological techniques related to the field of interest of the thesis. This offers an excellent opportunity to make contact with colleagues and researchers from other centres and plan for future collaborations.

• Participation in journal clubs
  PhD students can take part in groups to discuss interesting published articles in the scientific literature. The groups are made up of PhD students and other researchers. In these sessions PhD students apply the rules of critical reading according to the design of the study in question.

• Participation in collaboration meetings between research groups
  Participation in groups to discuss biological or clinical research projects with the participation of researchers from different groups. These meetings are a great opportunity to fine tune methodological and logistical details of the different projects and include the perspectives and views of different members of the team.

• Language or English improvement course
  PhD students must be able to accredit a good command of spoken and written English. During the preparation of the thesis they have the opportunity to take part in bibliographic session in English and to attend conferences and workshops with foreign speakers.

Typologies and Research Ethics

Internationalization

Foreign residencies

PhD thesis under joint international supervision

International Doctoral Research Component

Evaluation and annual review

Thesis deposit

If you want to deposit the doctoral thesis in this PhD programme, remember that you must confirm the complete application (status DI) 10 dies before the maximum thesis completion date that appears in your file.

Look out! If you want to deposit before the end of this academic year and thus not have to pay the fees for the next course, you must confirm your deposit request before 20 September 2023.

At the time of making your online deposit, you must attach these documents to your application, in the section "Attach documentation":
 

All PhD students

• 01 - Examining board proposal (the signature is not necessary)

International Doctoral Research Component: Mandatory documentation if requested

• 09 - International Doctoral Research Component: 1 report of the external member
• 10 - International Doctoral Research Component: 2 report of the external member

Compendium of publications: Mandatory documentation if requested

• 08 - Compendium: Resolution of acceptance by the CAPD

Writing a thesis in a language other than Catalan, Spanish and English: Mandatory documentation if requested

• 11 - Resolution if the thesis is written in other language than Catalan, Spanish or English

Information related to the thesis

Internal Quality Assurance System of the centers

Verification

Evaluation process previous to the implementation of the degree: presentation of a proposal for a new PhD programme for AQU-Catalunya (Agency for the Quality of the University System of Catalonia) to issue the binding evaluation for the Council of Universities (Ministry of Universities), which is the responsible agent for verification.

• Report on the PhD programme
• Resolution on verification by the Spanish Universities Council
• Registry of Universities, Centres and Degrees (RUCT)

Monitoring

Periodic monitoring process of the development and results of the PhD programme: self-evaluation carried out, every 3 years, by themselves.

• Monitoring report on the programme

Accreditation

Degree implementation renewal process: presentation, every 6 years from the implementation of the programme, of a self-report so that AQU-Catalunya issues the binding evaluation for the Council of Universities, which is the body responsible for accreditation.

• Accreditation self-report
• Accreditation report
• Register of Universities, centers and degrees (RUCT)

AQU VSMA Framework

Internal Quality Assurance System of the faculty

Set of processes to manage and monitor the different aspects of degrees, with the strategic objective of ensuring continuous improvement

• Internal Quality Assurance System
• Tutoring Action Plan (PAT)
• Standing Committee

Opina UAB

A channel for suggestions, complaints and praise regarding the functioning of the UAB

PhD data

• Satisfaction surveys of Doctors
• Satisfaction surveys of thesis supervisors
• Check here the results of the doctor's job placement survey
• The PhD figures

Recognition and awards

In this link you will find the doctors who have obtained the Special Prize Award in this PhD programme.