Medicine, Model Course of Study

When first studying medicine, students are often frustrated: they find themselves in lecture halls instead of having contact with patients and they wrestle with dry theory rather than experience medicine in practice! With anatomy, biochemistry and physiology being the typical subjects of the first semesters, the joy of studying medicine and the initial enthusiasm for the medical profession can easily fall by the wayside. RWTH Aachen has been taking a different track. Since 2003, this innovative approach to medical studies combines preclinic and clinic from the very first semester. Besides students reaching top grades in their exams, there is another nice effect: This type of course work is just more fun - not only for the students, but for the lecturer as well!

---

Early Patient Contact

Studying medicine in Aachen means "Patient contact from day one" – even if it is first fellow students or the patient "dummies" in the skills lab. The introductory course in first aid, emergency medicine, and hygiene set the tone at the beginning of studies for a study strategy that creates more passion for learning. In the next stages of course work, the combination of preclinic and clinic offers daily opportunities for students to experience medical practices. They accompany and observe their instructors "at sickbeds" and thus are able to implement learned material early on. Students learn to look at facts in a holistic context - a way of thinking that will guide the future doctors in later diagnoses and therapy!

Organ-Centered Teaching Approach

Instead of traditional subject-centered lessons the model course of study in medicine offers an interdisciplinary teaching approach that logically looks at each topic from different subject perspectives. Instead of learning individual facts, students learn about the structure, function, and pathogenetic principles of organs and organ systems. This "multi-perspectivity" trains our students for later problem solving skills in diagnosis and therapy.

Combining Scientific Research and Medical Practice

The medical program creates the prerequisites for working as a doctor by teaching basic scientific principles as well as practical abilities from the very first semester. Moreover, in addition to learning proven facts, students are familiarized with scientific research structures, concepts and methods, which leads to new insights and furthers progress in medical scientific research. Students develop their ability to assess not only chances but also problems and sources of errors in the scientific method of approach. They will then be able to put acquired theoretical knowledge into practice.