Medical education and reform initiatives in Germany

The health care systems of highly industrialized countries are being restructured in the face of aging populations, economic dislocations, and limited resources. They also face reforms to medical education. Despite significant differences in their systems, countries can learn from examining the advantages and disadvantages of others' approaches to educating medical students. Germany has begun to implement various reforms of medical education and medical practice, and the unification of East and West Germany has reinforced these reform efforts. The author presents background data and information on the number of practicing physicians in Germany and their practice settings; the number of medical students; admission policies and the curricula of German medical schools; and the nature of post-medical school training. He then describes some proposed reforms to the medical curriculum, and the experience of the Medical School of Hannover in implementing and evaluating some of these changes.