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

Aileen Richter (specialist healthcare and paediatric nurse for intensive care and anaesthesia at Oldenburg University Hospital), Dr Constanze Kathan-Selck (Staff Unit for University Medicine and Collaborations at Oldenburg University Hospital), Prof. Dr Anne Hilgendorff (Translational Neonatology, Oldenburg 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, Faculty VI, University of Oldenburg) acting as moderator.

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

Medical students due to undertake their block placement in general practice in year 4 or 5 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 Wittmund Eurofighter squadron, 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 tutor at his own rural medical practice, is also part of the General Practice team at the University of Oldenburg.

Anatomy lessons at the ‘Anatomage’
virtual dissection table: Where is the spleen located, and which neighbouring organs leave an imprint on it? * Answer at the end Students in Oldenburg can find answers
to these and similar questions at the Anatomage virtual dissection table. As the wet anatomy facility at Oldenburg University Hospital is still under construction, the virtual dissection table offers students the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the anatomical relationships within the human body, in addition to the dissection and prosection sessions held in Groningen (for medical students only).  The table is used in seminars and open tutorials across a wide range of degree programmes (see below). Four different digital, life-size human donor bodies can be viewed and explored together. In addition, the cross-sectional images on which the digital models are based can be loaded. This helps students to develop a three-dimensional understanding of human anatomy. During tutorials, students can also work with materials relevant to the curriculum’s anatomy content or test their knowledge in a fun, prepared quiz. A digital clinical case library is currently being developed and is intended to integrate anatomy even more closely with clinical practice in future, particularly in the later semesters. As Oldenburg has deliberately chosen not to use the fifth body of a person sentenced to death, the table also encourages discussion about the moral and ethical aspects of body donation and anatomy.

Solution: The spleen is situated intraperitoneally in the left posterior upper abdomen. Its long axis runs parallel to the 10th rib. The neighbouring organs are: the stomach, the large intestine, the kidney and the 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 human medicine. During the practical component of ward-based training (block placement), medical students can use the PAuLaS Box to develop clinical and practical skills independently. 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 – 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 application of clinical practical 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 placement. 

20 fourth-year students took part in the optional module during the winter semester 2025/26. On 11 Wednesday evenings, 90-minute teaching sessions were held by tropical medicine specialists Matthias Grade and Jan Bronnert, as well as travel medicine specialist Markus Ennen, covering a variety of topics. The topics covered ranged from tropical diseases to vaccinations, general preventive measures, advice for travellers and public health. 
During a concluding workshop on a Saturday, students with clinical placement experience in countries of the Global South shared their impressions and offered advice to participants planning future placements. The day was rounded off with a delicious African potluck buffet. A new edition is planned for the winter semester 2026/27.