Prevention and health promotion from theory to practice: The interprofessional MeMPE Summer University for students of Medicine, Master of Public Health and Epidemiology.

Objective: During the 2015 summer semester of Munich's Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) medical school, the pilot project "MeMPE Summer University - An Interprofessional Seminar on Prevention and Health Promotion" was implemented as a compulsory elective subject. In 90 teaching units of 45 minutes each, 20 students from the degree programs of Medicine, Master of Public Health and Master of Science Epidemiology (MeMPE) completed modules in theoretical introduction, scientific project work as well as practical assignments and conference attendance. Methods: The project was evaluated by students using pre- and post-project questionnaires (26 and 57 items, evaluated on a Five-level Likert scale of 1="fully agree" to 5="fully disagree"). The evaluation interviews of the instruction participants were recorded, transcribed and analyzed according to Mayring's qualitative content analysis. Results: Questionnaire response rate was 100 %. In pre/post comparison, the students reported an improvement in factual knowledge (pre median=3.0; post median=2.0; p<0.0001), in scientific work (pre median=3.0; post median=1.0; p<0.0001) and in interprofessional work (pre median=2.0; post median=1.0; p=0.024). In 18 interviews, the instructors largely expressed their motivation to participate in the project again. Conclusion: The MeMPE Summer University can serve as an example of best practice for interprofessional communication of prevention and health-promotion topics in theory and practice. The evaluation results show that the project enjoyed a high level of acceptance among students and instructors, and that it should be conducted in a revised version again in 2016.

The Learning Objective Catalogue for Patient Safety in Undergraduate Medical Education--A Position Statement of the Committee for Patient Safety and Error Management of the German Association for Medical Education.

BACKGROUND: Since the report "To err is human" was published by the Institute of Medicine in the year 2000, topics regarding patient safety and error management are in the focal point of interest of science and politics. Despite international attention, a structured and comprehensive medical education regarding these topics remains to be missing. GOALS: The Learning Objective Catalogue for Patient Safety described below the Committee for Patient Safety and Error Management of the German Association for Medical Education (GMA) has aimed to establish a common foundation for the structured implementation of patient safety curricula at the medical faculties in German-speaking countries. METHODS: The development the Learning Objective Catalogue resulted via the participation of 13 faculties in two committee meetings, two multi-day workshops, and additional judgments of external specialists. RESULTS: The Committee of Patient Safety and Error Management of GMA developed the present Learning Objective Catalogue for Patient Safety in Undergraduate Medical Education, structured in three chapters: Basics, Recognize Causes as Foundation for Proactive Behavior, and Approaches for Solutions. The learning objectives within the chapters are organized on three levels with a hierarchical organization of the topics. Overall, the Learning Objective Catalogue consists of 38 learning objectives. All learning objectives are referenced with the National Competency-based Catalogue of Learning Objectives for Undergraduate Medical Education. DISCUSSION: The Learning Objective Catalogue for Patient Safety in Undergraduate Medical Education is a product that was developed through collaboration of members from 13 medical faculties. In the German-speaking countries, the Learning Objective Catalogue should advance discussion regarding the topics of patient safety and error management and help develop subsequent educational structures. The Learning Objective Catalogue for Patient Safety can serve as a common ground for an intensified, constructive, subject-specific discussion about these topics at the medical faculties, and guide the implementation of hopefully multiple patient safety curricula in undergraduate medical education.

The FacharztDuell: innovative career counselling in medicine.

OBJECTIVE: The selection of a future medical specialty is a challenge all medical students face during the course of their studies. Students can choose from more than sixty specialties after graduation. There is usually no structured career counselling program available at German medical faculties. So far only little data on acceptance, formats and effects of different career counselling programs are available. The aim of this study is to describe an innovative format of career counselling for medical students including its evaluation of acceptance and its possible influence on medical specialty preferences. METHODS: The need for career counselling became evident after the analysis of mentor-mentee conversations held within the mentoring program of our medical faculty, an online-based survey, an ad-hoc focus group and a pilot event. Panel discussions as an interactive format of presenting related medical specialties were developed and hence held four times under the name "FacharztDuell". Students evaluated all events separately with a questionnaire and changes in medical specialty choice preferences were documented using an Audience-Response-System (ARS). The FacharztDuell is organized regularly and supported by faculty teaching funds. RESULTS: Among the student body FacharztDuell was well accepted (an average of 300 participants/event) and rated (average grade of 1.8 (SD= 0.7, 1=very good, 6=unsatisfactory, n=424). On average, 77.8% of the participating students considered the FacharztDuell to be a decision support for their future selection of a specialty. Up to 12% of the students changed their medical specialty choice preference throughout the event. CONCLUSION: FacharztDuell was well accepted by medical students of all semesters and seems to be supportive for their selection of a future medical specialty. However, longitudinal studies are necessary to better understand the decision making process of medical students along their career path. The FacharztDuell is easily transferrable to other faculties with respect to organization, staff and technical resources.

The liver x receptor in correlation with other nuclear receptors in spontaneous and recurrent abortions.

The liver X receptors (LXRs) have been shown to be crucially involved in maternal-fetal cholesterol transport and placentation. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression pattern and frequency of LXR under normal physiological circumstances and in spontaneous abortion and/or recurrent miscarriage. A total of 29 (12 physiologic pregnancies/10 spontaneous abortions/7 recurrent miscarriages) human pregnancies in first trimester were analysed for LXR expression. Expression changes were evaluated by immunohistochemistry for receptor and quantitative RT-PCR (TaqMan) was performed to determine the level of LXR mRNA expression. We also stained for RXR α and PPAR γ as possible heterodimers of LXR. LXR expression was downregulated in the syncytiotrophoblast of spontaneous abortion placentas compared to normal pregnancy. In recurrent miscarriage there was a trend for a downregulation. Decidua showed an even stronger downregulation in both groups. In the syncytiotrophoblast we found a positive correlation for the combination of LXR/PPAR γ in abortions and a negative correlation for LXR/RXR α . In addition, double-immunofluorescence staining showed that LXR as well as RXR α and PPAR γ are expressed by the extravillous trophoblast. Finally, RXR α and LXR showed coexpression in the same extravillous trophoblast cells. To conclude, our data show that LXR expression is decreased in miscarriage.