In this paper we discuss the doctoral programs in which we have been enrolled as students during the last four years. We describe the doctoral programs at the University of Georgia (Athens, Georgia, USA) and at the Royal Danish School of Educational Studies (Denmark). Then we discuss these doctoral programs taking into account four issues: the aims of mathematics education research, the discipline of mathematics education, research approaches, and support strategies for students. We conclude with some reflections about our experiences in terms of their complementarity and implications for the Colombian mathematics education research community.