gms | German Medical Science

Background: While the concept of entrusted professional activities can bridge the gap between a competency-based outcome framework and clinical practice in postgraduate training, the potential relevance and applicability of this concept for undergraduate training is largely undefined. Summary of work: The Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin introduced a modular, integrated curriculum of medicine in 2010. Professional activities for students were employed as the leading measure of outcome for the organ modules in the 3^rd and 4^th semesters (ranging from “skin” to “nervous system”). They were defined on the basis of one single, prototypic disease per week and consisted of complete and clinically meaningful complete tasks, i.e. the ability to show focused history-taking and clinical examination in the selected disease and to describe to the supervisor or the patient principles of diagnosis, treatment and patient care. The selected disease was presented in a patient-based lecture and an on-ward patient-related clinical skills training. Basic science courses, problem-based learning and communication training accompanied each module. Students were assessed in patient-based structured practical-oral examinations or OSCE) at the end of term.

Summary of results: Students and teachers evaluated positively on professional activities as weekly outcomes and the supporting curricular structure. More than 90% of the students passed end-of-term assessments.

Conclusions: Professional activities can serve as a curricular structure to integrate and align the acquisition of knowledge, understanding and skills in competency-based curricula, including their early stages. They allow translation of competency-based curricula into clinically meaningful students´ outcomes.