gms | German Medical Science

Background: Until 2012, skills training at the Medical University of Vienna in year 2 was the same for students of human medicine and dentistry. However, the need for a more tailored skills training for dentistry students led to extensive adaptations of the skills training in year 2 of the curriculum.

Purpose: This study describes these adaptations and implementation of an intertwined approach and its challenges in form and content.

Methods: In an interdisciplinary team, and with great assistance and support of the organizational specialists, the adaptation regarding content and implementation was continuously discussed and realized.

Results: In semester 3 (WS 2012/2013), the skills course “Basic Clinical Skills” was restructured by substituting training unities more relevant for human medicine students (N202) by tailored unities for dentistry students (N203) (e.g. topic “catheterization” by topic “clinical functional analysis [‘Muskel- und Kiefergelenksbefund’]”). The basic communication skills course in semester 3 was not altered for N203- students.

In semester 4 (SS 2013), a new course was established [‘Zahnärztliche Erstuntersuchung’], incorporating contents and structural organization from the skills line course “Physical Examination”. Major adaptations are conceptualized for the practical examination of all four skills lines which takes place in May 2013 (‘Practical Repetitorium’).

Conclusions: The implementation of the tailored skills lines for dentistry students proved feasible on an organizational level. First adaptations for the basic communication skills course are to be discussed, to master the special needs of a tailored skills line in year 2 for dentistry students.