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Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate how medical students’ deal with their own questions of meaning during their studies, how they cope with patients’ questions of meaning or crises of meaning, to what extent their experience of meaning changes during their studies, and what role medical studies play in this. Methods: In 2022, we conducted an exploratory cross-sectional study in the form of an online survey at two German universities with students in the clinical part of their studies. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively, and group differences were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U tests. Free-text comments were analyzed using thematic analysis.Results: Of the 111 participants (response rate 12%), 92% had addressed questions of meaning. 64% of the students felt that their studies were meaningful, and 45% felt that their clinical internships were meaningful. 59% reported that they had been confronted with questions of meaning in their contact with patients, although many of them felt that they had been inadequately prepared for this (56%). This impression was stronger among respondents at the beginning of the clinical phase compared to respondents at the end (U(56,34)=660, p=0.012). According to the students, strategies for dealing with questions of meaning were active engagement with topics of meaning, tolerance of uncertainties, or avoidance. In addition to the basic requirement of openness to all topics of meaning, students expressed the wish to be better prepared for professional questions of meaning and for follow-up work on stressful events. A wide range of critical experiences with training and the healthcare system had an inhibiting effect on the experience of meaning. Conclusion: Since a higher sense of purpose can be associated with improved health and motivation, university programs might have the potential to support students’ sense of purpose and, in the long term, improve their capacities to support patients who grapple with questions of meaning.

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the current curricular status of content on infection prevention in hospitals during medical education prior to the development of a serious game on infection prevention in hospitals. In addition, the data collected was to be contrasted with the training for a specialist nurse in hygiene and infection prevention (FKHI). Methodology: In an online survey, persons in charge of medical degree programs and continuing education centers for FKHI, SkillsLabs and professional associations in Germany were asked to answer 28 questions on framework conditions, teaching, examinations, and gamification.Results: Data was collected for 22 medical degree programs and 5 FKHI continuing education centers. Due to the low response rate, the data for the FKHI was only analyzed in summary form. On average, 13.5 teaching units (median) are available in medical studies. Six degree programs have a longitudinal curriculum. In 7 of the 22 degree programs, teaching is based on the National Competency-Based Learning Objectives Catalogue (NKLM). Almost all locations teach this content in lectures (n=18) and/or in internships (n=13). Teaching and examinations are most common in the third year of study (n=12). In addition to practical OSCE examinations (n=5), written (n=12) and computer-based (n=8) examinations are used in particular. Gamification is known as a didactic approach to some extent but is not used for teaching infection prevention. Conclusions: Infection prevention in hospitals is given relatively low priority in medical education. Teaching and examinations are based on traditional knowledge-oriented formats, although practical teaching and practical examinations are established at some locations. In contrast to the FKHI, learning objectives currently appear to be less standardized. Further interprofessional development of teaching would be desirable in the future.

Objective: Medical students’ health and resilience have increasingly been the subject of current research in recent years. A variety of interventions are recommended to strengthen resilience or its known or suspected influencing factors, although the literature shows that the evidence on the effectiveness of the interventions is inconsistent. The present study investigated whether gratitude is a direct protective factor for resilience in medical students or whether resilience factors (optimism, self-efficacy, social support) and stress mediate the effects of gratitude on resilience.Methods: 90 medical students at Witten/Herdecke University took part in the study that determined their gratitude, resilience, optimism, self-efficacy, social support and stress levels using validated questionnaires (GQ-6, RS-25, LOT-R, SWE, F-SozU, PSS). Correlations were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients. In addition, a multivariate regression analysis and a path analysis were calculated to determine the direct and indirect effects of gratitude on resilience.Results: Multivariate regression analysis showed that only optimism, social support and stress were significantly associated with resilience (B=0.48, 95% CI: 0.31, 0.66; B=0.23, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.44 and B=-0.02, 95% CI: -0.03, -0.001, respectively). The direct effect of gratitude on resilience was minimal and not significant in the path analysis. However, there was an indirect effect of gratitude on resilience (B=0.321; p

Objectives: Physicians and the medical/scientific establishment during Nazism and the Holocaust committed egregious ethical violations including complicity with genocide. Critical reflection on this history serves as a powerful platform for scaffolding morally resilient professional identity formation (PIF) with striking relevance for contemporary health professions education and practice. Study aim was to explore the impact of an Auschwitz Memorial study trip within the context of a medicine during Nazism and the Holocaust curriculum on students’ personal and PIF.Methods: The authors analyzed 44 medical and psychology students’ reflective writings from a 2019 Auschwitz Memorial study trip using immersion-crystallization qualitative thematic analysis. Results: Six distinct themes and 22 subthemes were identified and mapped to a reflective learning process model: Particularly compelling subthemes of and referred to impactful course elements.Conclusions: This curriculum catalyzed a critically reflective learning/meaning-making process supporting personal and PIF including critical consciousness, ethical awareness, and professional values. Formative curriculum elements include narrative, supporting emotional aspects of learning, and guided reflection on moral implications. The authors propose Medicine during Nazism and the Holocaust curriculum as a fundamental health professions education component cultivating attitudes, values, and behaviors for empathic, moral leadership within inevitable healthcare challenges.

In Germany, about two thirds of students and doctoral candidates in medicine are female. The proportion is only about 35% for post-doctoral degrees and much lower for many leadership positions at medical schools and on medical education committees. Although reasons for this have long been known, changes are slow in coming. Therefore, with this commentary, we would like to shed light on the current situation regarding gender equality in Germany in medical education and identify and discuss measures. These include, for example, mentoring and networking programs as well as greater consideration of women in committees.

Introduction: The promotion of physicians’ empathy (PE) skills in medical school plays a central role in physician-patient communication. However, a significant decline in empathy among medical students during their training has been repeatedly reported. Gratitude could be a possible protective factor for PE. However, as some students do not seem to be affected by this empathy loss, this study explores the relationship between gratitude and PE. Methods: Using validated questionnaires (JSPE-S, IRI and GQ-6), 88 medical students at LMU München evaluated their self-assessed PE and gratitude. In addition, they went through four OSCE stations focusing on general medicine, in which their empathy and communication skills were assessed by simulated patients (SP) and by an assessor using the Berlin Global Rating. Correlations were analysed using Pearson's correlation coefficient and gender differences were analysed using Mann-Whitney U-tests. Results: In the self-assessment, there was a significant, moderate correlation between students' attitude towards empathy (JSPE-S) and their gratitude (GQ-6) and a weak correlation between the IRI subscale “Empathy” and the GQ-6. In terms of the performance-based assessment, there were also weak correlations between PE or communication skills and gratitude. There were no gender-specific differences in the gratitude of the students. Conclusion: We were able to demonstrate a correlational relationship between gratitude and empathy in medical students. Whether gratitude acts causally as a protective or supportive factor for empathy remains open. A causal relationship of gratitude to empathy should therefore be examined in a prospective study design.

Background: In October 2018, the University of Witten/Herdecke (UW/H) launched the new reformed medical education programme called Medicine 2018+. A major innovation compared to the existing model programme was the introduction of thematic focuses. A longitudinal communication skills curriculum was integrated into the new thematic focus “professional and personal development – inner work” (IAP). With the start of the new programme, the IAP curriculum has been built step-by-step over time, i.e. the first four semesters have already been implemented, the following semesters are being planned.Project description: IAP aims to provide students with patient-centred medicine. Five areas of competence were defined: Doctor-patient communication, team competence, staying healthy, my paths to becoming a doctor, medicine and society. The focus of this article is on the communication curriculum. The first year of study focusses on the training of basic communication skills. In the 2 year of study, students practice these basic skills in small groups with simulated patients (SP), whereby the emphasis in the 3 semester is on history taking and in the 4 semester is on sharing information. In the 3 semester, students complete a communication station in an OSCE. From the 5 semester onwards, the focus of training is on the consolidation of basic and advanced communication skills, which can be applied in clinical clerkships, and the reflection of clinical experiences. Key didactic elements are, in addition to teaching the theoretical basics, experience-based small group work with and without SP, feedback and reflection. The evaluation of the summer semester 2020 showed high agreement ratings of the students regarding the overall satisfaction with the individual courses (83-100% agreement).Discussion: The introduction of IAP has been very positively received by the students. Challenges are the adequate handling of the increasing student workload when planning new courses, the implementation of a longitudinal e-portfolio as well as the recruitment and training of clinical teachers and SPs.Conclusion: As the evaluation results of the summer semester 2020 show, the first steps of implementing a longitudinal communication curriculum at UW/H have been successful. Helpful strategies were the orientation on published examples from other faculties as well as regular feedback and discussions with students and teachers in order to adapt and integrate educational considerations into the existing model programme in Witten.

The commentary deals with the question of what constitutes communicative competence (or communication skills) and to what extent findings regarding motor and social skills are transferable to the domain of communication. After a proposal for a definition, the commentary considers how learners acquire communicative competence and what needs to be considered from the trainers’ perspective in order to support learners in their competence development. The commentary does not claim to present all definitions of the concept of competence or communicative competence in a comprehensive way. Nor does it aim to present the current state of research. Our aim is to provide teachers and interested individuals in medical education with a pragmatic guide to how communicative competence can be taught and learned based on a skills model.

Since October 2018, a longitudinal communication curriculum for medical students has been implemented at Witten/Herdecke University. In the summer semester 2020, the concept for the 4 preclinical semester included a practical training on “sharing information”, which consisted of three two-hour face-to-face sessions with simulated patients (SP). Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, teaching was changed to an inverted classroom concept combining asynchronous and synchronous teaching. The students worked at the beginning of the semester on an e-learning module of the learning platform docCom.deutsch on the topic “sharing information” using reflection and processing tasks. In two digital sessions, the students then were able to practice discharge interviews and discussions about risk communication illustrated by the example of screening methods for cancer prevention. In the first zoom session, students practiced in role-plays among themselves. In the second zoom session, they practiced with SP. The evaluation results revealed that 76% of the responding students considered working with the e-learning module as a good preparation for the interviews. According to the evaluation results, satisfaction with the Zoom meeting including SP contact was slightly higher than those with role-plays among themselves. Although the group atmosphere was rated by all responding students as conducive to learning, almost half of them confirmed that using Zoom significantly impaired the atmosphere (47%). In retrospect, the conversion of the communication training to a digital format worked better than expected from both the perspective of teachers and students. The students explicitly appreciated working with SP. From the teachers’ perspective, some specific aspects of successful communication were difficult to reflect on, e.g. non-verbal communication. The use of e-learning as a preparation for practical exercises has proven successful and will be continued in the future.

Background: As a teaching method, feedback is an integral part of medical education. However, there is a lack of a uniform theoretical basis or generally recognized guidelines for its specific design. Against this background, the aim of this article is to discuss conceptual considerations and empirical findings regarding feedback using various practical examples.Procedure and conceptual considerations: Building on the results of a workshop of the Committee for Communicative and Social Competences of the Society for Medical Education (GMA), this article first explains central conceptual considerations and empirical results on the topic of feedback. A particular focus is on various variables that influence the effect of feedback. This includes the feedback source, the frequency of feedback, starting points of feedback, the connection between feedback and reflection as well as the motivation and meta-cognitive skills of the feedback recipient.Practical examples: The implementation of feedback in practice is illustrated using eight examples from the field of medical and dental education. They stem from various settings and the focus is on formative oral feedback. It will become evident that the focus is more on the givers of feedback than the recipients of feedback. Instructions for recipients of feedback on how to reflect on it is still the exception.Discussion: Many of the relevant aspects for the effect of feedback described in the literature are already taken into account in the practical examples discussed. In conclusion, seven recommendations are made for implementing feedback in practice.

The Reformed Medical Curriculum (RMC) at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin was launched in autumn 1999, while medical schools in Canada, the United States, Scotland, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia already had adapted educational reforms in medical education many years before , . For eleven years, 63 medical students per year trained at the Faculty in accordance with international standards governing the RMC. It was the first and perhaps most revolutionary reformed medical curriculum at a German university after the commencement of “Modellklausel”, a new section in the Licensing Regulations for Doctors (Approbationsordnung für Ärztinnen und Ärzte) in 1999 that paved the way for fundamental reforms within undergraduate medical education in Germany. The idea was to establish and test a “pilot project of a fundamental reform of medical education in Germany” , thus aligning Germany with international developments and establishing a model for other reform initiatives. The first part of the article will provide an overview of how the RMC were able to emerge. It reports who initiated the project and why, who kept it running and encountered opposition and what were the social and political conditions. The second part of the article describes the principles that were fundamental for the development of the RMC. The third part illustrates the quality assurance measures, and the final section covers the termination of the RMC.

Background and aim: Communication is object of increasing attention in the health professions. Teaching communication competencies should already begin in undergraduate education or pre-registration training.The aim of this project was to translate the Health Professions Core Communication Curriculum (HPCCC), an English catalogue of learning objectives, into German to make its content widely accessible in the German-speaking countries. This catalogue lists 61 educational objectives and was agreed on by 121 international communication experts. A European reference framework for inter- and multi-professional curriculum development for communication in the health professions in German-speaking countries should be provided.Method: The German version of the HPCCC was drafted by six academics and went through multiple revisions until consensus was reached. The learning objectives were paired with appropriate teaching and assessment tools drawn from the database of the teaching Committee of the European Association for Communication Health Care (tEACH).Results: The HPCCC learning objectives are now available in German and can be applied for curriculum planning and development in the different German-speaking health professions, the educational objectives can also be used for inter-professional purposes. Examples for teaching methods and assessment tools are given for using and implementing the objectives.Conclusion: The German version of the HPCCC with learning objectives for communication in health professions can contribute significantly to inter- and multi-professional curriculum development in the health care professions in the German-speaking countries. Examples for teaching methods and assessment tools from the materials compiled by tEACH supplement the curricular content and provide suggestions for practical implementation of the learning objectives in teaching and assessment. The relevance of the German HPCCC to the processes of curriculum development for the various health professions and inter-professional approaches should be the subject of further evaluation.

Objective: With this article we want to support teachers and curriculum planners to be aware of and apply knowledge and recommendations of organisational (OD), curriculums (CD) and human resource development (HRD) ideas already in the planning phase of a project. Taking these into account can influence the process of change successfully and controlled during the introduction and establishment of curricula in the field of communication and social skills in medical education.Approach and Results: In the context of a multi-stage developmental process, a recommendation on CD for "Communicative and social competencies" was developed. The basis for it was made during two workshops of the GMA-committee "Communicative and social competencies" and supplemented by the available literature and the experience of communication experts. The "Undeloher Recommendation" (see attachment ) includes a compilation of recommendations and guiding questions, which is geared to the various phases of CD. Additionally, general approaches and recommendations of organisational and human resource development were integrated, which turned out to be particularly relevant in the process of CD. Thus, the "Undeloher recommendation" includes an orientation for each phase of the curriculum development process, the organisation and the staff in order to successfully implement a longitudinal curriculum. In addition to theoretical models the long-term discussion process and the personal experiences of a variety of curriculum planners and teachers have been integrated.Conclusion: The "Undeloher recommendation" can support the implementation processes of curricula in communication and social skills during development and realisation. Its application was reviewed in the context of workshops based on concrete examples. The participating teachers and curriculum planners assessed it to be very helpful. The recommendation goes beyond of what has been described in terms of content models in the CD so fare. In particular, the organisational and human resource development related aspects such as the formation of a steering committee and recommendations for the phase of sustainability.

In 2013, the Methodology in Medical Education Research Committee ran a symposium on “Research in Medical Education” as part of its ongoing faculty development activities. The symposium aimed to introduce to participants educational research methods with a specific focus on research in medical education. Thirty-five participants were able to choose from workshops covering qualitative methods, quantitative methods and scientific writing throughout the one and a half days. The symposium’s evaluation showed participant satisfaction with the format as well as suggestions for future improvement. Consequently, the committee will offer the symposium again in a modified form in proximity to the next annual Congress of the German Society of Medical Education.

[english] Background: Within the Bologna reform, a longitudinal curriculum of “social and communicative competencies” (SOKO) was implemented into the new Bachelor-Master structure of undergraduate medical education in Basel (Switzerland). Project description: The aim of the SOKO curriculum is to enable students to use techniques of patient-centred communication to elicit and provide information to patients in order to involve them as informed partners in decision making processes. The SOKO curriculum consists of 57 lessons for the individual student from the first bachelor year to the first master year. Teaching encompasses lectures and small group learning. Didactic methods include role play, video feedback, and consultations with simulated and real patients. Summative assessment takes place in objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE). Conclusion: In Basel, a longitudinal SOKO curriculum based on students’ cumulative learning was successfully implemented. Goals and contents were coordinated with the remaining curriculum and are regularly assessed in OSCEs. At present, most of the workload rests on the shoulders of the department of psychosomatic medicine at the university hospital. For the curriculum to be successful in the long-term, sustainable structures need to be instituted at the medical faculty and the university hospital to guarantee high quality teaching and assessment.[german] Hintergrund: Mit der Umstellung auf die Bachelor-/Masterstruktur wurde in Basel (Schweiz) ein longitudinales Curriculum „soziale und Kommunikative Kompetenzen“ (SOKO) in das Medizinstudium implementiert. Projektbeschreibung: Ziel ist es, den Studierenden grundlegende Techniken einer patientenzentrierten Kommunikation in dem Sinne zu vermitteln, dass die Studierenden in der Lage sind, Informationen zu erheben und Informationen an Patientinnen und Patienten weiterzugeben, um sie als gut informierte Partner am Entscheidungsprozess zu beteiligen. Das SOKO Curriculum umfasst aus Sicht der Studierenden 57 Unterrichtsstunden. In Vorlesungen und kleinen Gruppen kommen vom 1. bis 3. Bachelor- und im 1. Masterstudienjahr Rollenspiele, Videofeedback, Simulationspatienten und der Kontakt mit realen Patienten als didaktische Methoden zum Einsatz. Die Lernziele werden in den summativen klinisch-praktischen OSCE-Prüfungen abgeprüft.Schlussfolgerungen: In Basel konnte mit der Umstellung auf die Bologna-Struktur ein longitudinales SOKO-Curriculum implementiert werden, das kumulatives Lernen erlaubt, auf die Inhalte des sonstigen Studiums Bezug nimmt und regelmäßig in den OSCEs abgeprüft wird. Zurzeit wird ein Großteil der Lehre durch die Psychosomatik des Unispital Basels geleistet. Für die Zukunft wird entscheidend sein, nachhaltige Strukturen in der gesamten Fakultät und im gesamten Unispital zu verankern, um dauerhaft eine hohe Qualität des Unterrichts und der Prüfungen sicherzustellen.

[english] The aim of this paper, written by the committee of educational research methodology of the “Society for Medical Education” of the German-speaking countries, will give recommendations for the review process of scientific papers in medical education. The recommendations are based on the results of a workshop in 2007 and on a survey among reviewers of the journal GMS Z Med Ausbild. It reflects on international standards and research in medical education in Germany. The paper describes reviewer’s function concerning the journal of GMS Z Med Ausbild and specifies criteria for the review process with regard to the editors and reviewers; it also gives proposals for a feedback to the author. The catalogue of criteria for the reviewers is pictured in a checklist. The present recommendations shall help to increase the quality of the review process and to improve the national and international acceptance of the journal GMS Z Med Ausbild. Additionally, transparency of the review processes will support authors to submit a scientific article of high quality. [german] Ziel des vorliegenden Artikels des „Ausschusses für Methodik der Ausbildungsforschung“ der Gesellschaft für Medizinische Ausbildung ist, Empfehlungen für die Begutachtung von Manuskripten in der medizinischen Ausbildungsforschung vorzustellen. Die Empfehlungen basieren auf den Ergebnissen eines Workshops 2007 und einer Befragung von Gutachtern. Sie berücksichtigen darüber hinaus sowohl internationale Standards als auch die Situation der medizinischen Ausbildungsforschung in Deutschland. Es werden die Aufgaben eines Gutachters der GMS Z Med Ausbild dargelegt und Kriterien für den Begutachtungsprozess sowohl für die Herausgeber als auch für die Gutachter beschrieben. Sie enthalten außerdem Vorschläge für ein Autoren-Feedback. Der Kriterienkatalog für die Gutachter wird darüberhinaus in einer Checkliste abgebildet. Die vorliegenden Empfehlungen sollen dazu beitragen, die Qualität des Begutachtungsprozesses zu steigern und das nationale und internationale Ansehen der Fachzeitschrift GMS Z Med Ausbild zu verbessern. Die Transparenz des Begutachtungsprozesses dient den Autoren, einen qualitativ hochwertigen und anspruchsvollen Beitrag einzureichen.

[english] In the autumn of 2006, the first cohort of students started with the bachelor programme in Basle. The whole curriculum had to be changed from the old system to the new two-cycle system. The implementation of the Bologna reform in Switzerland has been successful especially with regard to the very tight time schedule. Ongoing evaluation will detect fields for improvement which will of course arise in such a fundamental process of change. A major challenge for the future will be the sustainable consolidation of high quality in medical education.

[english] Aim: The aim of the project is to present and discuss a longitudinal model curriculum “Communication and social competencies” for undergraduate medical education. Procedure and results: In a two-day workshop, a multidisciplinary, cross-faculty group of medical educators developed a curriculum model based on the “Basel Consensus Statement”. It can now be used by German-speaking medical schools as a blueprint for curriculum planning and implementation processes. The modular structure enables it to be implemented either in whole or in part. The model can also be used to facilitate the conversion of medical education into Bachelor and Master degree programmes. The longitudinal model curriculum features 131 educational objectives and makes suggestions for didactic concepts and assessment tools. For various disciplines, it also recommends at what point in time specific topics should be taught. Conclusion: The longitudinal model curriculum “Communication and social competencies”, based on the educational objectives of the “Basel Consensus Statement”, is a new curricular instrument that can be used by German, Austrian and Swiss medical schools. It can help to simplify the realisation of the Bologna process, also across different faculties. [german] Zielsetzung: Ziel des Projekts ist es, ein longitudinales Modell-Curriculum „Kommunikative und soziale Kompetenzen“ für die medizinische Ausbildung zur Diskussion zu stellen. Vorgehen und Ergebnisse: Auf einem 2-tägigen Workshop wurde interfakultär und interdisziplinär auf der Grundlage des „Basler Consensus Statements: Kommunikative und soziale Kompetenzen im Medizinstudium“ ein Curriculum entwickelt, das deutschsprachigen Fakultäten bei der Planung und Implementierung als Vorlage dienen kann. Das Modell lässt sich als Gesamt-Curriculum oder in Teilmodulen implementieren. Es kann auch bei der Umstellung auf Bachelor- und Masterstudiengänge genutzt werden. Das longitudinale Modell-Curriculum weist neben 131 definierten Ausbildungszielen geeignete didaktische Konzepte und Prüfungsformate auf und gibt Vorschläge, zu welchem Zeitpunkt die verschiedenen Fächer die entsprechenden Lernziele vermitteln können. Fazit: Mit diesem longitudinalen „Modell-Curriculum Kommunikative und Soziale Kompetenzen“ liegt für den deutschen Sprachraum erstmalig ein curriculares Instrument vor, das breite Anwendung an einer Vielzahl deutscher, österreichischer und schweizerischer Fakultäten finden und eine Umsetzung des Bologna-Prozesses auch fakultätsübergreifend vereinfachen kann.

[english] Background: Changes in requirements governing licensing regulations for physicians in Germany (ÄAppO) in 2002, has led to complex discussions within the German Society of Medical Sociology (DGMS). In order to support the process of curricular agreement, the DGMS workgroup entitled ‘teaching’ conducted a survey on how the doctor–patient relationship is taught in medical sociology. Method: The survey was conducted in spring 2005 via e-mail. A standardized questionnaire including a total of thirty educational objectives comprised the survey, whereby each objective was evaluated by five criteria. Thirteen experts in the field of medical sociology variously representing eleven medical faculties responded. According to suggested methods of the Delphi survey, means and ranges were calculated. Results: Of the thirty educational objectives surveyed, two were evaluated negatively by a majority of individuals. Twenty objectives showed variances in evaluation (i.e., controversial objectives). Eight objectives, for example, the social framing of the doctor–patient relationship, the elaborateness of language use, or the asymmetry of the doctor–patient relationship, were generally judged positively. Controversial objectives revealed some areas of contradiction. Some objectives – for example, exploring the social background of a patient – were evaluated as important items but were not frequently taught during regular sociology courses. Conclusions: The results show an interesting picture of present teaching practices in eleven medical faculties and will likely stimulate further discussion in the field of medical sociology. The response rate and discussions held in recent years demonstrate the need to discuss questions of relevance to medical education before a wider audience, both within the DGMS and other disciplines. Educational objectives and didactic methods need to be further developed to bring teaching in step with actual practice as well as to make it more multifaceted. [german] Hintergrund: Die 2002 eingeführte neue Ärztliche Approbationsordnung (ÄAppO) löste in der Fachgesellschaft Deutsche Gesellschaft für Medizinische Soziologie e.V. (DGMS) eine vielschichtige Diskussion aus. Um den Prozess der curricularen Verständigung zu forcieren, wurde von der AG Lehre der DGMS eine Befragung zum Thema Arzt-Patientin-Beziehung im medizinsoziologischen Unterricht durchgeführt. Methode: Die Befragung fand im Frühjahr 2005 per E-Mail statt. Instrument war ein standardisierter Fragebogen mit insgesamt dreißig Lernzielen, welche nach fünf Kriterien beurteilt werden sollten. Insgesamt 13 ExpertInnen aus Instituten der Medizinischen Soziologie an elf Medizinischen Fakultäten antworteten auf die Befragung. Die Daten wurden EDV-gestützt erfasst. In Anlehnung an die für Delphiverfahren empfohlenen Methoden wurden arithmetische Mittel und Streuungsmaße berechnet. Ergebnisse: Von den insgesamt dreißig Lernzielen wurden zwei von der Majorität der Befragten negativ beurteilt. Zwanzig weitere zeigten Beurteilungsvarianzen. Acht Lernziele, wie die soziale Rahmung der Arzt-Patientin-Beziehung, die elaborierte Sprache oder auch die Asymmetrie der Arzt-Patientin-Beziehung, wurden kollektiv positiv eingeschätzt. Bei den Lernzielen mit Beurteilungsvarianzen werden Widersprüche sichtbar. Bei einigen Lernzielen, wie etwa der Erhebung einer Sozialanamnese, klaffen erkannte Relevanz und praktische Umsetzung auseinander. Schlussfolgerungen: Die Ergebnisse bezüglich der gegenwärtigen Lehrpraxis zum Thema Arzt-Patientin-Beziehung an elf Medizinischen Fakultäten geben Orientierungen für weiterführende Diskussionen in der Medizinischen Soziologie. Zum einen führen die Antwortquote und die Diskussionspraxis der letzten Jahre zu der Schlussfolgerung, dass die Diskussion in der Fachgesellschaft über den Kreis der Fachvertreter resp. der langjährig in der Lehre Tätigen hinaus geführt werden sollte. Zum anderen zeigen die Ergebnisse, dass eine auf unterschiedlichen Ebenen geführte Diskussion dazu führen kann, den Unterricht noch praxisnäher und inhaltlich facettenreicher zu gestalten.

[english] Purpose: The purpose of the position paper is to present a guideline about which communicative and social competencies medical students should have achieved at the end of their medical studies. This guideline is based on a consensus of experts from different disciplines and medical faculties. Referring to the English-speaking consensus statements developed in Toronto and Kalamazoo, the German speaking guideline has been called “Basel Consensus Statement”. Methods: The guideline was developed in three steps, an initial two-day workshop in Basel, followed by a two-step Delphi-survey. The aim of the Delphi-survey was to evaluate the competencies and educational objectives that were developed at the workshop in Basel according to their importance for medical education. 30 persons attended the workshop. They were also the target group for the first Delphi-round. Recipients of the second Delphi-round were the members of the Association for Medical Education in German-speaking countries. 77 persons participated in the survey. Altogether, over 100 persons from 30 different faculties could be involved into the development of the guideline. Results: Based on the survey results, five areas of competencies were defined divided in general and specific competencies. These areas were operationalised into topics and educational objectives. The areas of specific competencies are: doctor-patient-relationship, teamwork, personality and professionalism, reasoning and decision making. Altogether, 19 themes and 131 educational objectives were enclosed into the guideline. Conclusion: The position paper presents a first interdisciplinary German speaking guideline for communicative and social competencies in medical education that hopefully will strengthen the importance of these competencies in medicine. In addition, it will hopefully be a worthwhile theoretical foundation for improving teaching, learning, and assessment in this field. [german] Zielsetzung: Ziel des vorliegenden Positionspapiers ist es, abgestützt auf einen interdisziplinären und fakultätsübergreifenden Konsens, Empfehlungen darzustellen, welche kommunikativen und sozialen Kompetenzen Medizinstudierende am Ende ihres Studiums besitzen sollten. In Anlehnung an die bestehenden angloamerikanischen Consensus Statements, die in Toronto und Kalamazoo erarbeitet wurden, wird die vorliegende deutschsprachige Empfehlung „Basler Consensus Statement“ genannt. Methodik: Die Entwicklung erfolgte in drei Schritten, einem zweitätigen Workshop in Basel und einer zweistufigen Delphi-Befragung. Ziel der Delphi-Befragungen war es, die Kompetenzbereiche und Ausbildungsziele, die in Basel erarbeitet worden waren, nach ihrer Wichtigkeit für das Medizinstudium zu beurteilen. Am Workshop nahmen 30 Personen teil, die auch die Adressaten der ersten Delphi-Befragung waren. In die zweite Delphi-Befragung wurden die Mitglieder der Gesellschaft für Medizinische Ausbildung (GMA) einbezogen, von denen 77 Personen an der Befragung teilnahmen. Insgesamt konnten damit über 100 Personen aus 30 Fakultäten im deutschsprachigen Raum in den Entwicklungsprozess involviert werden. Ergebnisse: Auf der Basis der Ergebnisse der ersten und zweiten Delphi-Runde ergaben sich fünf Kompetenzbereiche, die in allgemeine und spezifische Kompetenzen unterteilt wurden. Für beide wurden Themengebiete und Ausbildungsziele festgelegt. Die spezifischen Kompetenzen umfassen die Bereiche: Ärztin-Patientin-Beziehung, Teamarbeit, Persönlichkeit und Professionalität, Urteilsbildung und Entscheidungsfindung. Insgesamt wurden 19 Themengebiete und 131 Ausbildungsziele in die Empfehlung aufgenommen. Fazit: Mit dem Basler Consensus Statement liegt nun ein diskussionswürdiges deutschsprachiges Positionspapier vor, das die Wertigkeit kommunikativer und sozialer Kompetenzen als einen wichtigen curricularen Bestandteil stärken wird und das als Basis für die curriculare Entwicklung in diesem Bereich fungieren kann.