Exploring the current state of medical education in obstetrics and gynecology: A nationwide survey among German teaching coordinators (original) (raw)

2023, Research Square (Research Square)

Background: Obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) is an essential medical eld that focuses on women's health. Universities aim to provide highquality healthcare services to women through comprehensive education of medical students. The objective of the present survey was both to ascertain perspectives on the teaching methods, resources, and challenges faced by medical educators in the eld of OB/GYN in Germany and to identify possible room from improvement. The survey was conducted with teaching coordinators from most German university OB/GYN departments. Methods: A questionnaire was sent to the teaching coordinators in all 41 OB/GYN departments at German university hospitals. The survey was delivered via email with a link to an online survey platform. Results: The study received 30 responses from 41 universities. In addition to standard teaching formats, such as lectures, seminars, and clinical clerkships, the universities differed in their additional teaching offerings. Gynecological history-taking and general gynecology had the highest rates of learning success, while sub elds such as reproductive medicine and urogynecology performed poorly. E-learning was found to be widely used and was considered advantageous. While good teaching was found to be essential and valued by students, a shortage of resources for medical education was noted. Conclusion: The present study provides valuable insights into the current state of medical education in OB/GYN at German universities from the perspective of teaching experts. We discuss approaches to overcoming current obstacles and offer suggestions for improvement. Background Obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) is an essential medical eld that focuses on women's health. Providing medical students with comprehensive and up-to-date education in this area is vital to ensuring the delivery of high-quality healthcare services to women. In the German medical education system, only university hospitals and their a liated teaching hospitals are authorized to provide medical teaching, examinations, and licensing. Teaching coordinators-who hold an o cial position within a department (such as OB/GYN)-are appointed by the medical faculty and are usually senior physicians who work part-time in this role. Typically, one person with expertise and experience in medical teaching is responsible for the position in each medical department. Teaching coordinators are responsible for organizing and supervising all theoretical and practical student courses. They also develop the curriculum and implement innovative teaching formats within their respective departments. Moreover, along with other teaching coordinators from various departments, these coordinators often serve as members of the central decision-making body when it comes to coordinating medical teaching. Teaching coordinators usually also participate in teaching during lectures, seminars, and hands-on courses together with the teaching staff (1). Medical studies in Germany are divided into three phases and typically take six years in total to complete. The initial two pre-clinical years focus on fundamental sciences, such as biology, physics, anatomy, physiology, and (bio-)chemistry, and are followed by three years of comprehensive clinical education. The clinical curriculum encompasses all major and minor specialties, which are taught through lectures, seminars, and bedside teaching (2). The nal year-called the "Praktisches Jahr" (PJ)-involves full-time training in usually three 16-week blocks that consist of internal medicine, (general) surgery, and an elective specialty. The nal year allows students to gain hands-on experience in different medical settings, such as hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities (3). As medical knowledge and practices constantly evolve, it is critical to regularly assess the status of medical education in OB/GYN and to identify any gaps or areas that require improvement. To that end, in cooperation with the Young Forum of the German Society for Gynecology and Obstetrics (i.e., the German interest group and organization of young physicians in training in OB/GYN), we conducted a nationwide survey among German teaching coordinators with the goal of exploring the current state of medical education in OB/GYN (4). The goal of the survey was to gather insights into the teaching methods, resources, and challenges faced