gms | German Medical Science

Background: A family physician is present at many crossroads in medicine and in education. Not only do we educate patients about their specific burden, we also train and educate other medical specialties to work hand-in-hand as a team on a daily basis. Medical students and residents oftentimes feel at a loss when confronted with family medicine cases where they need to make diagnostic or therapeutic decisions. In seminars and e-learning sessions (blended learning), students are confronted with symptom-based – clusters that link to general and specific competencies. Specific focus is placed on practical and procedural approaches.

By using a blended-learning approach, basic cognitive information conveyance can be replaced by the presentation and application of family medicine specific competencies.

Objective: How the implementation of e-learning changes the gain-of-knowledge over time. Secondly we would like to evaluate whether a competency-based curriculum will create a broader understanding of Family Medicine in students in staff. We would like to show that the on-the-job skill applicability can be increased by out redesign-approach.

Methods: This project applies a constructivist- pragmatic study research paradigm. It applies a combined mixed methods approach.

Expected results/outlook: This study will change the way family medicine is portrayed at medical schools all over the country. It will change the recruitment grounds for prospective, future family physicians and it will help to change the approach to students and their learning from practicing family physicians. It will create a foundation for medical educational research in Family Medicine at Saarland University.

Note: This is a status update presentation on the Junior Research Award 2019 (BratislavaVDGM/Wonca2019). Pilot study approach: Saarland University//Homburg