Undergraduate medical education: tendencies and requirements in a rapidly developing Europe

This study pinpoints the necessity to constantly monitor local approaches in undergraduate medical education on an inter-European scale. Traditional undergraduate medical curricula need restructuring to account for the increasing amount of medical knowledge and rapid changes and developments in societies, nosology, therapy and IT. European undergraduate medical curricula should be harmonized not egalized, with a focus on inter-European sharing of resources, mobility, credit (allocation, accumulation and transfer), definition of European and trans-European mission statements, identification of quality metrics, advice on dealing with conflicting aims such as specialization and generalization, on communicating core knowledge instead of providing overabundance of information, and on introducing multifaceted teaching and learning methods, as well as providing strategies for life long learning. Sound medical education can no longer and nowhere be considered under the autonomous auspices of individual Medical Schools or national philosophies. It has to be perceived and structured as a competitive and flexible approach which promotes life long learning of teachers, students, physicians and other related staff with international awareness. It is stressed that student and staff mobility, as well as virtual mobility in the form of worldwide available teaching modules and expertise have to be incorporated into national medical curricula. This is to guarantee up-to-date education in support of patient demands, future professionality and competitiveness of students, physicians and Public Health System institutions. The formal approaches of traditional subject related curricula as well as problem based learning must be linked with quality approved state of the art ODL, evaluated international CME strategies and training in the utilization of IT in preparation of lifelong learning. Strategies for the use of IT need updating on a regular basis to diminish the gap between undergraduate and postgraduate medical education. General European perspectives of medical education are discussed in relation to ECTS, ODL, compulsory credited and evaluated CME and relicensing of physicians. Prime features of ETM--the most reputed and well-known European medical CME initiative fostering quality assured international awareness are described and recommended for local and nationwide implementation. Specific links of the Bonn undergraduate medical curriculum with credited and evaluated CME and imminent European strategies are detailed. The authors conclude that European universities not adapting at least some of the outlined curricular necessities will rapidly lose their competitiveness compared to other national and international Medical Schools. Harmonized European ethical mission statements and consequent utilization of IT deserve special considerations in this context.