The university's medical faculties required additional financial resources which fulfills the unity of research, teaching and health care. There were no political commitments, but positive signals.
The Medical Faculty Day comes to Halle at the right time, ”emphasized Prof. Dr. Udo Sträter, Rector of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, at the opening of the 74th Ordinary Medical Faculty Day (MFT) on May 30th in Halle / Saale.
This saying had double meaning: On the one hand, the MFT returned to its 100th anniversary . Anniversary to the place of its foundation in January 1913. On the other hand, the conference took place at the very location of the medical faculty that is currently worried about its continued existence due to the state government's planned austerity measures.
The medical faculties in Germany therefore jointly campaigned for the preservation of the medical faculties in Halle and Magdeburg in resolution. They called for the university medicine in Saxony-Anhalt to be “at least maintained at the current level of funding and to enable independent development concepts on site”. According to the MFT, in addition to the 500-year tradition, the successful local development profiles in research, teaching and health care as well as the social and economic added value speak in favor of maintaining university medicine at both locations in Saxony-Anhalt.
"In times of The establishment of new medical faculties, the reduction of study places - or even the closure of an entire university medicine - must be taboo. The state government is primarily responsible here. Ensuring high quality medical care is also national responsibility, ”explained the MFT President, Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Heyo Kroemer, in his opening speech.
But there were also no clear commitments from Federal Research Minister Johanna Wanka (CDU), who had taught at the University of Halle for years. “It was right that the federal government made it possible to keep the university medicine in Lübeck few years ago. But actually it can't be, ”countered Wanka and asked the MFT to articulate its ideas for 2020 science landscape.
The university's medical faculties required additional financial resources which fulfills the unity of research, teaching and health care. There were no political commitments, but positive signals.
The Medical Faculty Day comes to Halle at the right time, ”emphasized Prof. Dr. Udo Sträter, Rector of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, at the opening of the 74th Ordinary Medical Faculty Day (MFT) on May 30th in Halle / Saale.
This saying had double meaning: On the one hand, the MFT returned to its 100th anniversary . Anniversary to the place of its foundation in January 1913. On the other hand, the conference took place at the very location of the medical faculty that is currently worried about its continued existence due to the state government's planned austerity measures.
The medical faculties in Germany therefore jointly campaigned for the preservation of the medical faculties in Halle and Magdeburg in resolution. They called for the university medicine in Saxony-Anhalt to be “at least maintained at the current level of funding and to enable independent development concepts on site”. According to the MFT, in addition to the 500-year tradition, the successful local development profiles in research, teaching and health care as well as the social and economic added value speak in favor of maintaining university medicine at both locations in Saxony-Anhalt.
"In times of The establishment of new medical faculties, the reduction of study places - or even the closure of an entire university medicine - must be taboo. The state government is primarily responsible here. Ensuring high quality medical care is also national responsibility, ”explained the MFT President, Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Heyo Kroemer, in his opening speech.
But there were also no clear commitments from Federal Research Minister Johanna Wanka (CDU), who had taught at the University of Halle for years. “It was right that the federal government made it possible to keep the university medicine in Lübeck few years ago. But actually it can't be, ”countered Wanka and asked the MFT to articulate its ideas for 2020 science landscape.
"The MFT should not react, but actively think ahead strategically for this time," Wanka called out to the deans of the medical faculties in Germany. In order to be able to effectively represent university medicine in the future, he must be specifically involved in health and science policy discussions, especially when it comes to questions of future funding, said the minister.
The Medical Faculty Day responded promptly: In resolution, the deans recommend introducing third pillar of funding for university medicine. "We need the participation of the federal government", explained Kroemer this demand. In view of the austerity constraints of the federal states, it is no longer possible to withstand the competition, while the funds for research and teaching for non-university institutions are continuously being increased.
The university clinics have special role
Rüdiger Strehl , General Secretary of the Association of University Hospitals in Germany (VUD), referred in this context to the specific characteristics of university medicine: the university hospitals train almost all future doctors, and further training is often carried out at university hospitals. Additional financial resources would also be needed for university outpatient clinics, innovation centers, the provision of high-performance emergency care and the treatment of rare diseases. Only recently, ranking showed again that the best 30 out of 100 German hospitals are university clinics. "Politically, however, that has no echo," said the outgoing VUD Secretary General outraged.
Strehl pointed out that there is separate funding pillar for university medicine in various other countries, but not in Germany . Instead, the hospitals are financed in two ways: the federal states bear the investment costs, the health insurance companies pay via flat-rate per case. "The Federal Ministry of Health treats the university clinics like all other hospitals, and the Federal Ministry of Research stays out of the way and pushes Helmholtz," criticized Strehl. “The federal government must finally create an allowance for university medicine.”
The MFT received support in this matter from Doris Ahnen, Chair of the Joint Science Conference. "University medicine has specifics that must also be reflected in the financing," she emphasized. “We have to find way that allows the federal government to get involved in university funding.
"The MFT should not react, but actively think ahead strategically for this time," Wanka called out to the deans of the medical faculties in Germany. In order to be able to effectively represent university medicine in the future, he must be specifically involved in health and science policy discussions, especially when it comes to questions of future funding, said the minister.
The Medical Faculty Day responded promptly: In resolution, the deans recommend introducing third pillar of funding for university medicine. "We need the participation of the federal government", explained Kroemer this demand. In view of the austerity constraints of the federal states, it is no longer possible to withstand the competition, while the funds for research and teaching for non-university institutions are continuously being increased.
The university clinics have special role
Rüdiger Strehl , General Secretary of the Association of University Hospitals in Germany (VUD), referred in this context to the specific characteristics of university medicine: the university hospitals train almost all future doctors, and further training is often carried out at university hospitals. Additional financial resources would also be needed for university outpatient clinics, innovation centers, the provision of high-performance emergency care and the treatment of rare diseases. Only recently, ranking showed again that the best 30 out of 100 German hospitals are university clinics. "Politically, however, that has no echo," said the outgoing VUD Secretary General outraged.
Strehl pointed out that there is separate funding pillar for university medicine in various other countries, but not in Germany . Instead, the hospitals are financed in two ways: the federal states bear the investment costs, the health insurance companies pay via flat-rate per case. "The Federal Ministry of Health treats the university clinics like all other hospitals, and the Federal Ministry of Research stays out of the way and pushes Helmholtz," criticized Strehl. “The federal government must finally create an allowance for university medicine.”
The MFT received support in this matter from Doris Ahnen, Chair of the Joint Science Conference. "University medicine has specifics that must also be reflected in the financing," she emphasized. “We have to find way that allows the federal government to get involved in university funding.“The federal and state governments are aware of the problems, as well as the particularities of university medicine. A first step is working group within the Standing Conference that wants to consult with the health ministers of the federal states. The chairwoman of the conference of health ministers, Anita Tack, also admitted before the faculty day that the current funding was inadequate. "We need financial reform that takes better account of maximum providers," she said.
In an internal meeting, the deans also discussed the establishment of “German U15”. This grouping is network of 15 large, research-intensive universities that are calling for solutions to be found for the continuation of the Excellence Initiative. However, resolution on this was not passed in Halle. “Any division of German universities into quality classes first requires the assessment of quality. But size is not feature of quality, ”explained MFT Secretary General Dr. rer. nat. Volker Hildebrandt to the Deutsches Ärzteblatt. According to quality criteria, public funds would have to be awarded in an open competition.
A critical look at private medical schools
This year's Faculty Day also focused on teaching and access to medical studies. The German deans and student deans discussed the selection of new students with their colleagues from Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands. It was shown that the aptitude test for medical professionals developed in Germany is now also widely used in Austria and Switzerland.
At the same time, the deans also called for independent quality assurance for newly emerging private medical schools. The reason for this debate was an application by the Medical School Hamburg for recognition as medical university by the Hamburg Senate. “The name 'Medical School' says it all, because it is not full university. Theory should be imparted at the technical college level and the practice at the teaching hospital level, ”explains Kroemer. The MFT President fears that such concept will lead to decoupling of medical studies from the current state of science and research and thus to deterioration in education. “The academic content of such an application therefore requires an independent review. Even private providers must not ignore the high requirements for medical training, ”emphasized Kroemer.“The federal and state governments are aware of the problems, as well as the particularities of university medicine. A first step is working group within the Standing Conference that wants to consult with the health ministers of the federal states. The chairwoman of the conference of health ministers, Anita Tack, also admitted before the faculty day that the current funding was inadequate. "We need financial reform that takes better account of maximum providers," she said.
In an internal meeting, the deans also discussed the establishment of “German U15”. This grouping is network of 15 large, research-intensive universities that are calling for solutions to be found for the continuation of the Excellence Initiative. However, resolution on this was not passed in Halle. “Any division of German universities into quality classes first requires the assessment of quality. But size is not feature of quality, ”explained MFT Secretary General Dr. rer. nat. Volker Hildebrandt to the Deutsches Ärzteblatt. According to quality criteria, public funds would have to be awarded in an open competition.
A critical look at private medical schools
This year's Faculty Day also focused on teaching and access to medical studies. The German deans and student deans discussed the selection of new students with their colleagues from Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands. It was shown that the aptitude test for medical professionals developed in Germany is now also widely used in Austria and Switzerland.
At the same time, the deans also called for independent quality assurance for newly emerging private medical schools. The reason for this debate was an application by the Medical School Hamburg for recognition as medical university by the Hamburg Senate. “The name 'Medical School' says it all, because it is not full university. Theory should be imparted at the technical college level and the practice at the teaching hospital level, ”explains Kroemer. The MFT President fears that such concept will lead to decoupling of medical studies from the current state of science and research and thus to deterioration in education. “The academic content of such an application therefore requires an independent review. Even private providers must not ignore the high requirements for medical training, ”emphasized Kroemer.What happens in Hamburg is of fundamental importance, because similar applications have also been made in other countries.
Dr. med. Eva Richter-Kuhlmann
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