During pancreas development, Neurog3 positive endocrine progenitors are specified by Delta/Notch (D/N) mediated lateral inhibition in the growing ducts. During neurogenesis, genes that determine the transition from the proneural state to neuronal or glial lineages are oscillating before their expression is sustained. Although the basic gene regulatory network is very similar, cycling gene expression in pancreatic development was not investigated yet, and simulations of lateral inhibition in pancreas development excluded by design the possibility of oscillations. Here, we developed a dynamic 3D model of a growing duct that results in an oscillatory phase before the determination of endocrine progenitors by lateral inhibition. The basic network (D/N + Hes1 + Neurog3) shows scattered, stable Neurog3 expression after displaying transient expression. Furthermore, examining network designs that were discussed in neurogenesis we included Hes1 negative feedback and show the consequences for Neurog3 expression in pancreatic duct development. A weakened HES1 action on the Hes1 promoter allows the coexistence of stable patterning and oscillations. In this way, we argue for a unified mode of D/N mediated lateral inhibition in neurogenic and pancreatic progenitor specification.