New interdisciplinary teaching concept for the cross-sectional subject of allergology in human medicine studies

Abstract

Although allergic diseases are among the most important health disorders, allergology is not anchored as an independent subject in the clinical part of medical studies in Germany. As all universities and institutes face the same challenge, the aim of our project was to establish exemplary coordination and networking of education in allergology at one location in agreement with all involved departments and institutes. Particularly, Comprehensive Allergy Centers (CAC) offer an established infrastructure via which the revised allergology education program can be transferred to other universities. After an extensive inventory of the current allergological curriculum at the University Medical Center Göttingen, anew teaching concept was developed in interdisciplinary consensus, supplemented by first-time provision of additional digital contents ("blended learning"), and finally evaluated. Initially, we observed ahigh level of fragmentation in the teaching of allergology in the clinical study sections of human medicine, with no coordination between the 12clinical departments/institutes involved and no coherent framework for the specific learning content. Within the established structure of the interdisciplinary CAC, we revised, coordinated, and defined key areas for improved student education in clinical allergology. The allocation of new interactive learning elements as well as supplementary materials for self-studies was welcomed by the students and positively evaluated. Asurvey among students after completing the former vs. current curricula showed significant improvements in achieving the desired educational objectives.