How to Select which Students?
Medizinstudium 2013/2020, 22.11.2017, 16:30
After the successful kick-off of the series of events "Medical Studies 2013/2020" in the summer semester 2017, the faculty-internal exchange was continued on Wednesday, 22.11.17. In the forum of the exchange in the O.A.S.E., numerous faculty, students, and staff of the Faculty of Medicine came together to discuss a topic requested by the majority at the kick-off event: the selection criteria for the study of medicine.
Since the establishment of further selection criteria in addition to the Abitur grade for the study of human medicine is being demanded more and more urgently politically, the event was now dedicated to the consideration of which selection criteria should play a role at our faculty. The focus was on the core question:
"Which students do we want to select and how?"
After a short opening video, which showed a wide variety of selection procedures ranging from serious complexity to absurdity, the Vice Dean for Teaching and Academic Quality Prof. Dr. Stefanie Ritz-Timme welcomed the participants and immediately carried forward the Dean's wish to develop an initial mood for future selection criteria within the framework of the event.
To this end, Prof. Decking first presented the selection process to date and the current student data. Afterwards, the guest speaker from the University of Augsburg, Prof. Dr. Martina Kadmon, provided an important impulse with her presentation on the importance of various selection criteria for success in studies and career. Based on research results, Prof. Kadmon showed the evidence of individual criteria and addressed the question "which students do you want to educate?" to the participants as a starting point for further discussion.
The members of the medical student council Raphael Menke and Julia Arends looked at the topic from the students' point of view. They presented the characteristics they would like to see in their future fellow students and then discussed which selection criteria would be most likely to produce this desired profile. As an example for a possible implementation of further selection criteria, they presented a proposal of the MFT and the bvmd, which was formulated as an answer to the requirements mentioned in the "Masterplan Medizinstudium 2020".
During the subsequent discussion, the guests were given the opportunity to ask questions to the speakers and to contribute their own opinions and experiences on the topic. It was important for all of them to use further selection criteria to attract not only successful students but also good future physicians. The majority of the participants also wished that social and communicative skills as well as the stress resistance of the applicants should play a stronger role in addition to the Abitur grade.
Finally, Prof. Ritz-Timme asked for an opinion poll as a basis for the development of a proposal. A large part of the audience voted for the introduction of the TMS and for the consideration of work experience in the medical field as an additional selection criterion.
The event ended in the foyer of the O.A.S.E. with tasty snacks and cool drinks and a continuation of the lively exchange.