Our first panel discussion took place on 23.04.2026 with a high-calibre line-up.

Aileen Richter (Specialist Health and Paediatric Nurse for Intensive Care and Anaesthesia, Klinikum Oldenburg), Dr Constanze Kathan-Selck(Staff Unit University Medicine Oldenburg and Co-operations, KlinikumOldenburg), Prof. Dr Anne Hilgendorff(Translational Neonatology, Klinikum Oldenburg) and Dr Martin Tholl (Deputy Clinic Director Anaesthesiology,Klinikum Oldenburg). Martin Tholl(Deputy Clinic Director Anaesthesiology, Oldenburg Clinic), moderated by Dr Vincent Hoeber(Head of the Dean's Office School VI, University of Oldenburg), answered numerous questions from the student body about the start of the clinical teaching section.

The format is regularly offered in the 3rd year of study and is part of the "Introduction to the Clinic" course. This course also includes four introductory internships with the topics "Blood sampling", "Physical assessment of patients", "Documentation and communication" and "Hygiene" and was newly established for the summer semester 2026.

For some time now, medical students whose general practice block placement is due in year 4 or 5 have had a special option to choose from:

Under the motto "The North Sea is calling!", up to six fellow students can come together as a small group and complete their internship in the district of Friesland at the same time. Suitable accommodation will be provided free of charge, where the students can form a temporary flat share for a fortnight, stay overnight, cook and share their experiences. During the day, they then swarm out to particularly committed teaching practices in the region and experience an intensive time and deeper insights into GP work. On Wednesday afternoons, medical excursions take place together with the teaching doctors, such as a visit to the ADAC air rescue centre at Sanderbusch Hospital, a large physiotherapy practice, the aeromedical service at the Eurofighter Wittmund or the Bernhard Gruben sea rescue cruiser in Hooksiel. Free periods such as the weekend between the practice weeks are often used to explore the coastal region.

Interested parties should contact Dr Markus Ennen, who, in addition to his role as a teaching doctor in his own country practice, is also part of the general practice team at the University of Oldenburg.

Anatomical teaching on the virtual dissection table "Anatomage"
Where is the spleen located and which neighbouring organs leave an imprint on it? * Solution at the end
Students in Oldenburg can use the Anatomage virtual dissection table to find answers to these and similar questions. As the wet anatomy unit at University Medicine Oldenburg is still under construction, the virtual dissection table offers the opportunity to familiarise oneself with the positional relationships of the human body in addition to dissection and prosection in Groningen (only for students of human medicine). The table is used in a wide range of degree programmes (see below) in seminars and free tutorials. Four different digital, life-size human donor bodies can be viewed and explored together. The sectional images on which the digital models are based can also be loaded. This helps students to develop a three-dimensional understanding of human anatomy. In the tutorials, students can also work with materials that match the curricular anatomy content or playfully test their knowledge in a prepared quiz. A digital clinical case library is currently being set up and is intended to link anatomy even more closely with the clinic in future, especially in the higher semesters. As the fifth body of a person condemned to death is deliberately omitted in Oldenburg, the table also invites discussions on the moral and ethical aspects of body donation and anatomy.

Solution: The spleen is located intraperitoneally in the left posterior upper abdomen. Its longitudinal axis is parallel to the 10th rib. The neighbouring organs are: Stomach, large intestine, kidney, pancreas.

"PAuLaS Kiste" (Paediatric training and teaching on the ward: develop skills interactively, independently, topic-related) "PAuLaS Kiste" is part of the didactic concept for paediatrics in human medicine. Medical students can use PAuLaS Kiste to independently develop practical clinical skills during the practical part of their training on the ward (block placement). The teaching methods and content are based on the specialist content of the National Competence-Based Catalogue of Learning Objectives in Medicine (NKLM) and follow the concept of Entrusted Professional Activities (EPA). PAuLaS Kiste provides clinical materials in combination with digital case studies - individualised for the eight specialist areas of the paediatric clinic. The students use the paediatric cases to develop skills in differential diagnostics and decision-making, which are combined with practical clinical skills in writing medical letters, diagnosing X-ray images and laboratory findings. The project originated from a student LFC project at the University Clinic for Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Elisabeth Children's Hospital and is used in the block practical course.

20 fourth-year students took part in the elective module in winter semester 2025/26. On 11 Wednesday evenings, the tropical medicine specialists Matthias Grade and Jan Bronnert and the travel medicine specialist Markus Ennen held 90-minute teaching units on various thematic aspects. The content ranged from tropical diseases to vaccinations, general preventative measures, advice for travellers and public health.
At a concluding workshop on the Saturday, students with clinical traineeship experience in countries of the Global South described their impressions and gave tips for the participants' planned internships. The day was rounded off with a tasty African buffet. A new edition is planned for winter semester 2026/27.