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New cooperative agreement: Jacobs University and Gesundheit Nord prepare young people for the study of medicine


29 September 2016

In the future, Jacobs University and the Bremen hospital group Gesundheit Nord will work together to get young people ready to study medicine. The two institutions have now signed a corresponding cooperative agreement. The chiefs of staff and senior executives from three Bremen hospitals provided insights into the specific challenges of various medical disciplines to participants in the Medical Preparatory Year.

The Medical Preparatory Year, or MedPrep for short, is a new offering from Jacobs University, which began at the start of the new academic year. The Preparatory Year is aimed at prospective medical students who would like to prepare for admission to German and international medical schools. After all, it’s not easy to get in. The number of applicants in Germany is high; only about every fifth applicant is admitted.
 
MedPrep combines theory and practice. Seminars in anatomy, biology, chemistry, and physics are part of the program, as are lab courses and two internships in various units of Gesundheit Nord. The MedPrep participants complete a four-week integrated nursing internship in one of the hospitals in the hospital group, along with a one-week medical curriculum in one of the clinics, Nord, Mitte, and Links der Weser. In a mix of lectures and hospital rounds, the chiefs of staff and other senior executives present and explain various areas of medical activity. In this way the participants become familiar with the work areas of the emergency unit, anesthesia, surgery, and outpatient pediatrics. In addition, the participants are familiarized with state-of-the-art surgical techniques and the specific challenges in dealing with old patients and those requiring nursing care. With the help of these offerings, the participants can orientate themselves in the professional field of medicine early on.
 
“Considering the shortage of skilled personnel in medicine, we welcome the initiative of Jacobs University in establishing a preparatory year for the study of medicine,” says Jutta Dernedde, Medical Director at the Gesundheit Nord hospital. “We are particularly pleased that the prestigious international university has selected the municipal hospital group in Bremen as a partner in this cooperation, so that we may be able to provide a decisive impetus for the further career path of students. Science, training, and teaching intertwine optimally in this cooperative effort, and this is being achieved within the city.” The university’s President, Professor Katja Windt, is also pleased at the cooperation with Gesundheit Nord: “High relevance to actual practice is part of the self-conception of our university. Our goal is to support young people in the best possible way in reaching their professional goals. This can only succeed when a foundation of theoretical knowledge becomes tangible through practical experience.” Considering the enormous technological progress in diagnostics and therapy, the profile of tasks in the medical professions is nowadays more complex than ever before, emphasizes Windt. “It thus seems all the more important to us that young people get an understanding of the opportunities and challenges of these professions at an early point. The cooperation with Gesundheit Nord enables our MedPrep graduates to gain such knowledge.”
 
At Jacobs University, the MedPrep participants can expand their knowledge in the natural sciences. They learn in small groups from experienced teachers, professors, and medical practitioners. They provide the participants with individualized preparation for the various medical tests, such as TMS or the Austrian admission test MedAT. In addition, they provide support and assistance for the application process at medical schools in Germany and abroad. If participants decide that they do not want to study medicine, they are guaranteed the option of continuing to study at Jacobs University after successfully completing the program. Some of the ECTS credits earned in the program can be transferred for later study at Jacobs University.

 


MedPrep-students together with Dr. Karin Hochbaum who developed the curriculum together with
Jacobs University.

 


Students at Jacobs University.
 

Additional information:
www.jacobs-university.de/study/preparatory-study-programs/medprep/program

Contact:
Thomas Joppig | Brand Management, Marketing & Communications
t.joppig [at] jacobs-university.de | Tel.: +49 421 200-4504