Conceptualisation and Implementation of a Competency-based Multidisciplinary Course for Medical Students in Neurosurgery

Abstract

The field of medicine is quickly evolving and becoming increasingly more multidisciplinary and technologically demanding. Medical education, however, does not yet adequately reflect these developments and new challenges, which calls for a reform in the way aspiring medical professionals are taught and prepared for the workplace. The present article presents an attempt to address this shortcoming in the form of a newly conceptualized course for medical students with a focus on the current demands and trends in modern neurosurgery. Competency-based education is introduced as a conceptual framework comprising academic and operational competence as well as life-world becoming. This framework provides a sound educational foundation for future medical professionals, equipping them with the knowledge as well as skills needed to successfully navigate the medical field in the current day and age. Three competencies are identified that are central to day-to-day medical practice, namely digitalization, multidisciplinarity, and the impact of recent developments on the changing patient-practitioner relationship. These competencies are relevant for all medical disciplines, but are demonstrated here in a neurosurgical context and visualized using a real patient’s case study. Students follow this sample patient’s way through each step of the neurosurgical workflow, from planning to performing the procedure, and can see for themselves the importance and application of the aforementioned competencies based on this real-world example. Courses such as the one presented here may prepare medical students more adequately for their future work by combining theoretical and practical skills and critical reflection, thereby providing holistic and practical insights as well as a conceptual framework for their future careers.

Keywords:

• competency-based learning
• medical education
• multidisciplinarity

Abbreviations

CBME, Competency-based Medical Education.

Declaration of generative AI in scientific writing

The authors did not use any generative AI or AI-assisted technologies during the process of manuscript writing.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all participating students and lecturers for their contribution.

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors declare no relevant financial or non-financial conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

Additional information

Funding

The authors acknowledge the support of the Cluster of Excellence Matters of Activity. Image Space Material funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany’s Excellence Strategy – EXC 2025 - 390648296“.