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The structure of Medical Education in Europe: Implementing Bologna – On the way to a European success story?
International Conference hosted by the German Rectors' Conference (HRK)

10 - 11 October 2008, Berlin

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The new diploma programme 'Human Medicine' at the Medical University of Graz

Abstract

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  • corresponding author presenting/speaker Simone Manhal - Medical University of Graz, Vice Rector´s Office for Teaching and Studies, Graz, Austria
  • H. Neges - Medical University of Graz, Vice Rector´s Office for Teaching and Studies, Graz, Austria
  • G. Reibnegger - Medical University of Graz, Vice Rector´s Office for Teaching and Studies, Graz, Austria
  • J. Smolle - Medical University of Graz, Vice Rector´s Office for Teaching and Studies, Graz, Austria

The Structure of Medical Education in Europe: Implementing Bologna – On the way to a European success story?. International Conference hosted by the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK). Berlin, 10.-11.10.2008. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2011. Doc08hrk9

doi: 10.3205/08hrk09, urn:nbn:de:0183-08hrk092

Published: January 13, 2011

© 2011 Manhal et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.

Outline

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Motivation and legal frame: In 1997, Austria’s medical faculties were required by new law to transform the traditional study of medicine (‘Rigorosenstudium’) into a 6-year diploma programme, at the latest by year 2002. It was legally impossible to introduce a Bachelor/Master structure for human and dental medicine.

Basic structure: Because of the legal prerequisite, an integrated module-/track-based syllabus was decided to replace the former discipline-oriented approach. Twenty-five compulsory and five elective modules form the curriculum of the first five years whereas the sixth year focuses on practical training.

Major problems and their solutions:

Reduction of traditional disciplines (in order to save space in the curriculum for new issues) on the one hand, and integration of formerly ‘autonomous’ disciplines on the other hand were the two main challenges that had to be met.

Integration of 'autonomous' disciplines by

  • coordination of each module by one ‘host’ discipline (‘Gastgeberfach’) (see figure 1 [Fig. 1]).
  • strong support of the institutes and clinics in organisational issues by university‘s central administrative forces.
  • strong commitment of university‘s leading bodies.
  • strong cooperation with the students‘ union.
  • development of a tailored virtual platform.

At the Medical University of Graz a virtual platform, the Virtual Medical Campus, was implemented to represent in digital format the new syllabus and to facilitate the integration of different disciplines into the new modules. Since its implementation, the Virtual Medical Campus has offered strong support to students, teachers, and administrative staff alike. Furthermore, it has proven to be a valuable tool for establishing close national and international cooperation in terms of curriculum development.

Goals: Digital representation of the new syllabus, support for students, teachers, and administrative staff, and to create a platform for blended learning.

Achievements: The availability of more than 15,000 reusable learning objects. A created successful virtual semester with a stable function of even with more than 15,000 downloads per day, and a platform for national and international cooperation.