Medical Faculty Heidelberg Medicine (study location Heidelberg) – Staatsexamen

Students of Medicine should demonstrate a broad interest in the natural sciences and medicine, as well as the ability to work with and communicate effectively with people.  

The regulations pertaining to the licensing of medical doctors set the following training objectives:  

• Graduates should possess fundamental knowledge of the physical functions of the human body, as well as mental and emotional characteristics 
• They should have fundamental knowledge of illnesses and how people are affected by them 
• Graduates should have acquired the general knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully diagnose, treat and prevent illness, improve patient health and support rehabilitation 
• Training should include practical experience with patients and should give students the opportunity to take an interdisciplinary approach to illness, and coordinate treatment 

Teaching should be based on current research. Students should also receive training in conducting medical consultations, and in successful interprofessional collaboration.

The Medical degree programme lasts for a period of at least six years and three months. At the end of the programme, students sit the state examination and become licenced to practice as a medical doctor. The degree programme consists in the preclinical phase which lasts for a duration of two years, after which students sit their first examination. A further three years are spent completing the clinical phase of study, at the end of which students sit their second examination. The third phase is the practice year, followed by the third examination. The training objectives, course content and structure reflect the standards established in the regulations pertaining to the licensing of medical doctors. 

Students must attend the majority of lectures and courses in person and will have a timetable of at least 25 contact hours per week. Students will also be expected to learn large amounts of material independently, and sit numerous examinations. They will have small amounts of holiday as these periods will often be used for the completion of work placements.  

Students must complete first aid training as well as a three-month period of nursing before beginning the degree programme, or during the lecture free periods. It is recommended that students complete the entire period of nursing, or at least a proportion of the three months, before beginning the course. 

The preclinical elements of the degree programme begin with a course on macroscopic anatomy: As part of this course, students in the first semester of study prepare a corpse and become familiar with the structure of the human body. From the second semester in Heidelberg, the course is interdisciplinary, and the “major” topic areas of anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry are taught across topics. From the first semester, students also study psychosocial foundations, medical investigation techniques, and sit in on medical consultations in general practice. 

Clinical elements of the degree programme are taught throughout the course and are integrated in the modular course programme. Courses are taught in blocks. Following a propaedeutic semester in which subjects including pathology, pharmacology and health economics are taught, students complete the clinical “blocks”. 

“Block I – Inner Medicine” and “Block II – Surgery” are interdisciplinary. All relevant topics are covered in one semester and these are examined at the end of this semester. Block III and Block IV are modules, or individual teaching units of a set duration. Students can register for these modules at a time of their choice. 

The final year of study is a so-called practice year. The medical knowledge and skills gained throughout the course are applied in everyday medical settings.

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