gms | German Medical Science

Considering the roles defined in the CanMeds2000 project [1] and the 5-star-modell of the WHO [2] the medical faculty of the university of Ulm has developed a qualification profile («Ulmer Ausbildungsprofil« [3]) for its undergraduate students, which is divided in nine fields (teaching, professionalism, lifelong learning, interests of patient and society, medical expertise, emergency care, methodological approach and research, communication and teamwork, management). Each of the nine fields is concretized with specific learning outcomes.

Within the Bologna reform the Tuning Project [4] as well presents a list of learning outcomes for the development of competence-oriented medical study courses. Beside compiling interdisciplinary competences and transmittable general skills, expert groups defined more subject-specific competences and structured them in a two-level-model: Level 1 determines a general pattern of basic competences, level 2 specifies particular learning outcomes and concrete procedures.

Study question: Aim of our study has been to test if the qualification profile of the «Ulmer Ausbildungsprofil« fulfil the demands of the European qualification standards according to the Tuning Project.

Methods: Five independent raters (2 medical doctors, 3 curriculum developers) have been comparing the education profile of Ulm and the competence fields determined in the Tuning Project Medicine. Numbering the competences as an instrument for classification made the estimate of the raters comparable.

Results: The interrater-reliability of the comparison between the learning outcomes defined in the Tuning Project Medicine and in the education profile of Ulm was very high. The results show that both profiles are equivalent to a very high degree. Some fields of the education profile of Ulm are more differentiated (teamwork, teaching). On the other hand the Tuning Project Medicine describes some outcomes that are not formulated directly in the education profile of Ulm: some interdisciplinary competences (e.g. multicultural competences, computer skills), the definition of precise medical procedures (e.g. taking blood) and the direct reference to European directives (e.g. the European standard for resuscitation).

In addition some differences in the intentions of both approaches appeared which even could explain some of the differences in content: The Tuning Project Medicine represents a matrix for further regional development, whereas the education profile of Ulm effectively represents already a regional and specific profile for the medical faculty of Ulm. This profile is concretized in detail in an electronic outcome catalogue.

Conclusions: The study shows that the education profile of Ulm can be seen as an example how to realize the goal of the Tuning Project Medicine. It should be discussed if it is necessary to add some of the (few) missing elements.