On 23 April 2026, we held our first panel discussion featuring a distinguished line-up of speakers.

Aileen Richter (specialist healthcare and paediatric nurse for intensive care and anaesthesia at Oldenburg University Hospital), Dr Constanze Kathan-Selck (Corporate Affairs and Co-operation Department, University Medicine Oldenburg), Prof. Dr Anne Hilgendorff (Translational Neonatology, Oldenburg University Hospital) and Dr Martin Tholl (Deputy Head of the Department of Anaesthesiology, Oldenburg University Hospital) answered numerous questions from the student body regarding the start of the clinical training phase, with Dr Vincent Hoeber (Head of the Dean’s Office for Academic Affairs, School VI, University of Oldenburg) acting as moderator.

This format is offered as a regular feature in the third year of study and forms part of the ‘Introduction to Clinical Practice’ course. This course also comprises four introductory internships covering the topics of ‘Blood sampling’, ‘Physical assessment of patients’, ‘Documentation and communication’ and ‘Hygiene’, and was newly established for the summer semester of 2026.

Medical students due to undertake their block lab course in general practice in their fourth or fifth year have, for some time now, had a special option available to them:

Under the slogan ‘The North Sea is calling!’, up to six fellow students can form a small group and complete their placement together in the district of Friesland. Suitable accommodation is provided free of charge, where the students can form a temporary flat-share for two weeks, stay overnight, cook and share their experiences. During the day, they then fan out to particularly dedicated teaching practices in the region, enjoying an intensive experience and gaining deeper insights into general practice. On Wednesday afternoons, medical excursions take place together with the supervising doctors; examples include a visit to the ADAC air rescue station at Sanderbusch Hospital, a large physiotherapy practice, the Aviation Medical Centre at the Eurofighter squadron in Wittmund, or the Bernhard Gruben sea-rescue vessel in Hooksiel. Free time, such as the weekend between practice weeks, is often used to explore the coastal region.

Those interested should contact Dr Markus Ennen (), who, in addition to his role as a teaching doctor in his own rural 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: developing skills interactively, independently and in a topic-based manner) ‘PAuLaS Kiste’ forms part of the paediatrics teaching concept for medical students. During the practical component of ward-based training (block lab course), medical students can use the PAuLaS Box to develop clinical practical skills independently. The teaching methods and content are based on the subject-specific content of the National Competence-Based Catalogue of Learning Objectives for Medicine (NKLM) and follow the concept of entrusted professional activities (EPA). PAuLaS Kiste provides clinical materials – tailored to the eight specialist departments of the paediatric clinic – in combination with digital case studies. Through the paediatric cases, students develop skills in differential diagnosis and decision-making, which are linked to the practical application of clinical skills such as drafting medical reports, interpreting X-rays and analysing laboratory results. The project originated from a student’s LFC project at the University Clinic for Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Elisabeth Children’s Hospital, and is used during the block lab 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.