In the Oldenburg model degree programme, general practice is firmly embedded in the curriculum from the very start. From the very first semester, we teach the essential fundamentals of medical practice in lectures, such as taking a patient’s medical history, clinical diagnosis, the range of treatment options and the context of home visits. In addition, we introduce students at an early stage to common reasons for consultation and to the specific management strategies used in GP-led primary care.

From the second to the fifth year of study, general practice accompanies students continuously and is closely integrated into the curriculum alongside the respective module topics. In our lectures, we specifically complement the clinical specialities with a primary care perspective. Thematically, we focus primarily on the 20 most common reasons for consultation in daily practice.

Furthermore, the department actively contributes its expertise to other subject areas. We are represented interdisciplinarily through teaching modules in the fields of prevention, nursing sciences and healthcare research.

As early as the first two years of their degree, students undertake a total of four weeks’ work experience in outpatient general practice. This early and practical exposure to general practice enables students to gain a realistic insight into day-to-day practice and helps to dispel any potential reservations. The teaching doctors receive specialised training from the Department of General Practice to ensure they are able to provide qualified supervision to medical students from the University of Oldenburg during their placements. Students receive preparatory instruction on organisational matters and course content through lectures and can structure and document what they have learnt during each placement using logbooks developed specifically for this purpose.

Good communication is a key factor in a successful doctor-patient relationship. As part of our model degree programme, we meet this requirement by offering targeted teaching modules on communication skills from the very first year of study and on an ongoing basis each semester. Challenging communication situations in particular are practised during internships – in some cases with the help of specially trained actors.

In this interdisciplinary teaching format, students work alongside a general practitioner and a colleague from another specialist field. A real-life clinical case is presented, along with a brief outline of the reason for the consultation. The students independently develop differential diagnoses, formulate the relevant questions for the patient’s medical history and determine the necessary examinations, under the guidance of the general practitioner. Finally, the specialist lecturer or colleague resolves the case by briefly presenting key findings and the course of action. In this way, students develop the interdisciplinary skill of clinical reasoning.

From the third year of study onwards, students are required to undertake a two-week block lab course in general practice at one of our teaching GP practices.

To implement this practice-oriented teaching concept, the department has established a network of qualified and specially trained teaching practices over the past few years. Accreditation as an academic teaching practice – particularly for the block lab course – is subject to a clear quality management framework: in addition to training, a prerequisite for recognition is the ongoing and successful supervision of students during our clinical shadowing placements.

Furthermore, in close collaboration with dedicated teaching doctors and local authorities, we offer specialised block placement formats. Particular highlights include our co-operation with Wittmund District as part of the ‘Landpartie Harlingerland’ initiative (here) and our co-operation with Friesland District, ‘Die Nordsee ruft’. As part of these programmes, students benefit from a unique, regionally embedded teaching and learning concept. This provides them with valuable insights into rural general practice and the healthcare system.

If you have any further questions about the structure of the block lab course in general practice, please do not hesitate to contact our department!

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