Enhancing Team Competencies in Medical Education: Conceptualization and Implementation of a Teaching Unit for German...

The quality of interprofessional collaboration significantly impacts the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare, making it increasingly important in medical education. Strengthening team culture should be integrated into the medical curriculum as early as possible to lay the foundation for successful interprofessional collaboration.

At the University Medical Center Magdeburg (UMMD), a course titled "Team Competencies - Professional Collaboration in Medicine" was developed and implemented for third-year medical students. The course comprises two lectures and one seminar. The seminar focuses on firsthand experiences, conveyed through simulated interprofessional situations, including structured feedback sessions.

A total of 20 courses were conducted with 197 medical students. Attendance at the two lectures was optional, while the seminar was mandatory. The teaching concept demonstrated its practicality by using role-plays to create realistic learning experiences, further enhanced by the crucial element of differentiated and structured feedback. Self- and peer-reflective exercises promoted openness and communication skills in interprofessional contexts, as well as fundamental competencies in interprofessional collaboration.

Following the initial implementation phase of the new course, a further development phase is planned. This includes the introduction of an online self-learning module and the implementation of video feedback to intensify self-reflection. Additionally, there are plans to integrate this course with other modules and to establish a longitudinal approach to the overarching competency of interprofessionalism, as outlined in the NKLM 2.0. This will provide students with multiple opportunities to engage with interprofessionalism throughout their education, fostering the development of respectful and appreciative attitudes toward other healthcare professions.