gms | German Medical Science

How to motivate and enthuse medical students for science is a longstanding question in medical education. That physicians need not only a solid foundation in critical thinking skills but also need to understand how science is made is self-evident since Abraham Flexner’s famous report in 1910. But efficient ways how to present the research topics of the faculty to the students and how to promote early scientific carriers remain to be elucidated.

The Medical Faculty of the University of Cologne (UoC) is strong in basic, clinical and translational research with an excellent international reputation and high scientific impact. However, if you are medical student, it might be difficult to get a full scope of the research landscape of Cologne.

To overcome this unsatisfying situation the Research Track (RT) program was launched in winter semester 2012/13. It is a joint venture of the study and research dean’s offices of the Medical Faculty of the UoC and aims to bring research-interested and highly motivated students in contact with scientists and consequently foster early scientific careers.

The RT program consists of a preclinical part for 1^st and 2^nd years students (since winter semester 2012/13) and a clinical part for 3rd and 4th year students (since summer semester 2013).

In the preclinical part, scientists of the Medical Faculty and the Natural Sciences Faculty present their research topics in English. After the lecture so-called “practical parts” are performed in which the students visited laboratory, animals housings, and many other research facilities at the University of Cologne. The second part are internships in which the students should perform experimental work. The main educational objective of the internship is the scientific method – research question → testable hypothesis → experimental setup – to confirm or reject the hypothesis. Thus, the students are ask to write a short project proposal to ensure that they understand the scientific impact of their project. The minimum duration of the internship are 2 weeks full-time and the protocol must be written in the style of a brief communication. In winter semester 2012/13 24 students participated in the RT and 10 of them already performed their internship during the semester break. The lecture series including the “practical parts” was evaluated with the overall grade good (1.7±0.43, n=22, median 2) highlighting the generally positive evaluation of the RT by the students. On the poster preliminary data from the evaluation of the RT participants (internships and lecture series) and the involved scientists (internships and usefulness of the RT program) will be presented. Of special interest will be the assessment of the RT participants by the scientists compared to the non-RT students.

Preliminary data regarding the clinical part of the RT, which has been launched this summer semester, will be presented as well.