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Düsseldorf Curriculum of Medicine

Medical Education for Today

Changing pressures, expectations and structures in our society, as well as developments within the healthcare system, are constantly placing new demands on future physicians. The influence of digitalization, the immense increase in knowledge in medicine and options that change almost daily as a result also influence expectations of the medical profession. We are convinced that these challenges must already be taken into account and specifically addressed in medical training. Preparing for the medical profession of tomorrow therefore requires new, contemporary, forward-looking training strategies. This perspective is confirmed by the findings of modern teaching and learning research and is in line with the recommendations of the German Council of Science and Humanities.

We have combined our experience and visions of contemporary medical education and established a modern model course of study: it combines proven and new concepts with the aim of optimally preparing students for the medical profession of tomorrow. The Düsseldorf Medicine Curriculum is geared to the competences that make up the medical profession today. In the training of future physicians, we also focus on interdisciplinary knowledge transfer, a strong focus on patients and practical training from the first semester onwards, as well as on a wide range of elective options.

Our Journey to the Model Study Programme

The basis for our comprehensive renewal process is our Teaching Mission Statement, which was adopted by the Faculty Council in 2009. The requirements that society, patients and colleagues place on physicians today have been defined by the faculty as the desired graduate profile. The mission statement also articulates the resulting expectations for faculty, learners, and the curriculum: a "community of learners and faculty that continues to evolve through vibrant interaction and mutual appreciation."

With the opening of our O.A.S.E. as a "place of exchange, study and development" (in 2011, we already came one step closer to realizing our mission statement. The modern learning and communication center offers not only a specialized library for medicine and modern study, counseling and learning rooms, but also event rooms for exchange within the faculty. Thus, the O.A.S.E. stands as a symbol for the value our faculty gives to teaching.

Development and Implementation

In order to create optimal opportunities for the realization of our goals, the model course of study finally started at our faculty in the winter semester 2013/14. The Düsseldorf Curriculum Medicine was designed on the basis of modern research findings and is continuously being further developed.

Our goal is to create the best possible conditions for the training of our doctors of tomorrow. To this end, both the subject representatives and all those responsible or involved in teaching are comprehensively involved in the design and further development of the curriculum. They are involved organizationally, e.g. through working groups, teaching commissions or as block coordinators. The main responsibility for the organization and further development of the Düsseldorf Curriculum Medicine lies with the Vice Dean for Teaching and Study Quality in the Dean's Office. She is advised by a steering group consisting of didactic experts, representatives of the Dean of Studies as well as lecturers and students of the Faculty of Medicine.

The didactic qualification and further training of our teaching staff is an important factor in the implementation and further development of the Düsseldorf Curriculum Medicine. The Medical Didactics department in the Dean of Studies is responsible for regular didactics training and coaching for teachers and is available to them as a contact point for didactic questions. In addition, our teaching staff have the opportunity to learn about modern educational theories and teaching methods from a practical perspective as part of the postgraduate Master of Medical Education (MME) program. The faculty offers an annual stipend for this purpose. MME students act as multipliers in our clinics and institutes and make a significant contribution to professionalizing and increasing the quality of teaching.

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