European core curriculum--the students' perspective, Bristol, UK, 10 July 2006

Abstract

The International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA) and the European Medical Students' Association (EMSA) are proud to present the first outcome-based core curriculum for medicine from the perspective of the medical students of Europe. It covers 76 learning outcomes grouped around nine domains: (1) Clinical Skills, (2) Communication, (3) Critical Thinking, (4) Health in Society, (5) Lifelong Learning, (6) Professionalism-Attitudes, Responsibilities, and Self-development, (7) Teaching, (8) Teamwork, and (9) Theoretical knowledge. The statement is a result of a long process of international workshops, conferences, and discussions on numerous meetings for medical students and health-care professionals all over Europe. Previous conferences resulted in widely recognized policy statements on the 'Bologna Declaration and Medical Education' and 'Quality Assurance in Medical Schools' (Westbye 2004; IFMSA/EMSA 2005). We hope that our European core curriculum from the students' perspective may serve as a foundation for the development of outcome-based core curricula all over Europe, enhancing mobility of students and graduates and promoting excellent health care in the future.