GMS journal for medical education
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Aim: With the resolution from April 28, 2014, the Bavarian state government in Germany decided to found a new medical school at Augsburg University, thereby requiring the development of a competency-based medical curriculum. Methods: Two interdisciplinary groups developed a spiral curriculum (following Harden) employing the model of Thumser-Dauth & Öchsner. The curriculum focuses on specifically defined competencies: medical expertise, independent scientific reasoning, argumentation and scholarship, as well as communication skills. ⋯ Conclusion: It is not only the degree of integration und intensity of the Augsburg University undergraduate medical degree program, but also its targeted advancement of academic, social and communication skills that have not yet been realized to such an extent elsewhere in Germany. On July 8, 2016, the German Council of Science and Humanities unanimously gave this concept a positive evaluation. Future research will examine and evaluate the Augsburg medical curriculum and the impact of the new medical school on the hospital and university in Augsburg.
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Historical Article
"History, Theory and Ethics of Medicine": The Last Ten Years. A Survey of Course Content, Methods and Structural Preconditions at Twenty-nine German Medical Faculties.
Objective: "History, Theory, Ethics of Medicine" (German: "Geschichte, Theorie, Ethik der Medizin", abbreviation: GTE) forms part of the obligatory curriculum for medical students in Germany since the winter semester 2003/2004. This paper presents the results of a national survey on the contents, methods and framework of GTE teaching. Methods: Semi-structured questionnaire dispatched in July 2014 to 38 institutions responsible for GTE teaching. ⋯ Teaching in ethics (79 from a max. of 81 possible points) is, when compared to history (61/81) and theory (53/81), attributed the most significance for the training of medical doctors. Conclusion: 10 years after the introduction of GTE the number of students and the personnel resources available at the institutions vary considerably. In light of the differences regarding the content elicited in this study the pros and cons of heterogeneity in GTE should be discussed.
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Objective: A well-designed final year may ease the transition from medical school to postgraduate training, if it has enough depth to enable the acquisition of early specialty expertise, while keeping enough breadth to support the graduation as all-round physician. Aim of this article is to describe the design of a multidisciplinary dedicated transitional year (DTY) around the theme of recognition and initial treatment of vitally threatened patients. Methods: Undergraduate and postgraduate training directors from the departments of Anaesthesiology, Cardiology, Emergency Medicine, Intensive Care Medicine and Respiratory Medicine at UMC Utrecht and partnering hospitals have collaboratively developed and implemented a curriculum for a final year focusing on three entrustable professional activities (EPAs) in the domain of acute care. ⋯ Attainment of clinical competence, experience of students and staff, and exploration of graduates' early careers are subjects of current research projects. Conclusion: This multidisciplinary dedicated transitional year aims to graduate students with profile-specific competence in acute care. It prepares for residency in a range of specialties.
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Since the report "To err is human" was published by the Institute of Medicine in the year 2000, topics regarding patient safety and error management are in the focal point of interest of science and politics. Despite international attention, a structured and comprehensive medical education regarding these topics remains to be missing. ⋯ The Learning Objective Catalogue for Patient Safety in Undergraduate Medical Education is a product that was developed through collaboration of members from 13 medical faculties. In the German-speaking countries, the Learning Objective Catalogue should advance discussion regarding the topics of patient safety and error management and help develop subsequent educational structures. The Learning Objective Catalogue for Patient Safety can serve as a common ground for an intensified, constructive, subject-specific discussion about these topics at the medical faculties, and guide the implementation of hopefully multiple patient safety curricula in undergraduate medical education.
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Objective: Contemporary healthcare requires physicians to have well developed ethical judgment skills in addition to excellent clinical skills. However, no consensus has been reached on how to best teach ethical judgment skills during medical training. Previous studies revealed inconclusive results and applied varying theoretical frameworks. ⋯ Conclusions: Over the course of their medical training, the participants seemed to increasingly frame the presented vignette as a medical problem. To optimize the development of ethical judgment teaching of ethics should be more integrated in clinical teaching. In addition to the analysis of rare and extreme cases, teaching ethics should also expand on challenges students and junior doctors commonly encounter themselves to promote ethical sensitivity and confidence in students.