[Teaching and learning in surgery--The Gottingen curriculum]

Abstract

The study of medicine in Germany is in need of reform. Oversubscribed courses, the lack of practical reference, scarce patient contact and cancelled lessons define the educational landscape for many students. Since at present we cannot carry out global reforms, the quality of medical education is highly dependent on the commitment of those responsible in the individual institution. The aim of the revised surgical curriculum in Göttingen is to demonstrate how medical education with a high didactic level including multimedia teaching can be realised despite large student numbers. Duties both in patient care and education are coordinated through integrated organisation. Educational content and structure are made transparent by online guidebooks. In the surgical examination course and the practical course in surgery, patient-oriented tuition takes place consistently in small groups. The Teaching Studio provides additional aids such as interactive CD-ROMs, online research, textbooks, ultrasound equipment, examination and suturing dummies. Curriculum-relevant information, including the weekly case examples and instruction guides for clinical practical experience, is presented on an Internet website. Constant evaluation of the curriculum not only documents student motivation, but also serves to improve the educational concepts on a continuous basis. On completion of the practical course in surgery, 65% of participants maintain that they have reached the defined learning objectives "well" or "very well" (prior to reform only 17%). In the summer semester 2000, 46% of students gave top marks in the practical course in surgery with respect to tuition in patient contact. The results of the evaluations verify the positive feedback from the student body.