[Basic medical competence: a neglected educational goal in medical education?]

This paper analyses some recent proposals of how to change undergraduate medical education in Germany and in other countries. This leads to the formulation of a set of fundamental clinical competencies, which are defined as skills that enable physicians to react to challenges pertaining to their work in a professional way. These fundamental clinical competencies comprise knowledge, skills and attitudes. With regard to the actual performance of the German system of undergraduate medical education, deficits are depicted in the following areas: psychosocial and communicative competencies including advice and provision of information to patients, primary care, public health, ethics and clinical epidemiology/evidence-based medicine. For each of these areas, a proposal for change is provided.