[Competency-based medical education: National Catalogue of Learning Objectives in surgery]

Competency-based medical education is a prerequisite to prepare students for the medical profession. A mandatory professional qualification framework is a milestone towards this aim. The National Competency-based Catalogue of Learning Objectives for Undergraduate Medical Education (NKLM) of the German Medical Faculty Association (MFT) and the German Medical Association will constitute a basis for a core curriculum of undergraduate medical training. The Surgical Working Group on Medical Education (CAL) of the German Association of Surgeons (DGCH) aims at formulating a competency-based catalogue of learning objectives for surgical undergraduate training to bridge the gap between the NKLM and the learning objectives of individual medical faculties. This is intended to enhance the prominence and visibility of the surgical discipline in the context of medical education. On the basis of different faculty catalogues of learning objectives, the catalogue of learning objectives of the German Association of Orthopedics and Orthopedic Surgery and the Swiss Catalogue of Learning Objectives representatives of all German Surgical Associations cooperated towards a structured selection process of learning objectives and the definition of levels and areas of competencies. After completion the catalogue of learning objectives will be available online on the webpage of the DGCH.