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Medical Specialist Training in BerlinCharité University Hospital Berlin, Germany

German medical education and the German healthcare system have a global reputation for maintaining excellence. For this reason, Germany has been an important partner of the Arab world in the field of medical specialist training for many years.

German universities and hospitals have realized that interna-tional cooperation provides great chances. Internationalization is a key instrument in reaching a global standard of medical education and medical treatment, and particularly in the Arab countries, there is a growing interest for taking the opportunity to train domestic medical specialists in Germany.

To meet the demands of both sides, the Ministry of Higher Education of Saudi Arabia and the Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin have developed a structured program for medical spe-cialist training with the support of the German Federal Minis-try of Health.

The Cultural Office of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia is repre-senting the Ministry of Higher Education in Germany. One of its main tasks is the supervision of Saudi scholarship holders in Germany and the Scandinavian countries. It is currently super-vising almost 600 physicians and 700 students in Germany.

The Charité is one of the largest university hospitals in Europe where medical research and treatment is carried out with excellence and expertise. More than half of Germany’s Nobel Prize winners in the field of medicine originate from this

renowned institution, which is comprised of more than 100 specialized clinics and institutes. With its 13,000 employees and an annual turnover of more than € 1,4 billion, the Charité is one of the greatest entrepreneurs in Germany’s capital and its agglomeration.

Training in Germany — a challenge for medical specialists from the Arab world

Medical specialist training in Germany poses a great challenge to trainees from abroad. Not only do they have to master a for-eign language, they also have to meet the rigorous demands of the German education system and adapt to a largely different hospital culture. The program takes these challenges into con-sideration offering its candidates solid preparation and sup-port throughout the duration of the training. The concept of the program focuses on structuring the whole process of medi-cal specialist training, starting from the selection and prepara-tion in the aspirant’s home country to the final examination in Germany.

1 | The Charité University Hospital in the center of Berlin

Vocational and Higher Technical Education and Training | Medical Specialist Training in Berlin

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The medical specialist training program at the Charité in Berlin

The program and selection commission, coordinated by the Ministry of Higher Education of Saudi Arabia and the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia, met in Riyadh in January 2015. This event was excellently organized and marks a further important step of the cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the Charité. The program and selection commission—consist-ing on the Saudi side of Prof. Sami Al-Nassar, Chairman of the Medical Education Department at the King Saud University Hospital, Prof. Yousef Talic and Dr. Abdullah Aljedai, both con-sultants for the King Abdullah Scholarship Program at the Min-istry of Higher Education, Ronald Kaduk, Academic Advisor rep-resenting the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Berlin, and the Charité representatives PD Dr. med. Joachim Seybold MBA, Deputy Medical Director, Prof. Dr. med. Dr. h. c. Torsten Zuberbier, Head of the Department of Dermatology and Allergy, and Tim Quester, lecturer and coach of the Charité International Academy — has chosen 15 candidates who will start the program in June 2015.

The candidates have been assessed and selected based on their academic excellence and their potential to act as promi-nent players concerning the change and development of their home country’s health and medical system.

The duration of the program (5 to 6 yaears) depends on the chosen specialization and is divided into the following stages.

Stage 1: Preparation of the candidates at the Charité International Academy

In order to ensure a smooth start in the new working environ-ment, the Charité International Academy provides substantial assistance for the candidates upon arrival in Germany. This includes help with residence and work permit, housing, and insurances.

The thorough preparation at the Charité International Acad-emy guarantees a successful integration of the candidates into the working context of the hospital. After finishing a general German course, participants are prepared for their clinical work within a communication course in “Medical German”. Apart from equipping participants with the necessary medical language and terminology, this course has a special emphasis on intercultural awareness. Training with simulation patients and individual feedback will enable foreign medical doctors to communicate successfully at their work place.

The following seminars complement this preparationstage: – “The German healthcare system” – “Introduction to the day-to-day work in German hospitals” – “Introduction to the medical specialists’ training”

2 | Practical and theoretical training goes hand in hand during the medical specialist programme

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Stage 2: Placement at qualification hospitals

The placement of the candidates at teaching Charité clinics and cooperating hospitals is significantly important. In order to ensure that clinics/hospitals and participants are well matched, candidates are selected according to their ability and area of expertise.

Stage 3: Mentoring, support, and supervision of candidates during medical training

The continuous individual advisory service and a yearly evalua-tion by independent experts guarantee the optimal progress of the training program. Candidates will be given the opportunity to reflect upon their progress and will be encouraged to seek guidance and assistance if needed.

The quality guidelines are: – At the teaching hospitals, participants are advised by

a training officer. – The participants have to document the training progress

annually according to the regulations of the Berlin Chamber of Physicians.

– Furthermore, the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia requires regular short progress reports per quarter from the training officer.

– A commission of experts assesses the progress of the train-ing once a year.

Stage 4: Preparation for final examinations

Examination preparation takes place in the final two years of the specialization training. The candidates will be prepared for the final examinations using specific training methods such as realistic simulation of test situations by using official examin-ers from the Medical Board. The medical specialist examina-tion terminates the training phase.

Stage 5: “Community building” and alumni activities

After their return home, the participants will be included in the alumni activities of the Charité. This network will enable them to communicate with German and foreign colleagues and to remain updated with all current developments in their speciali-zation field. By proactive community building and alumni activi-ties, the structures for further cooperation between physicians and institutions from Germany and Saudi Arabia are created.

PD Dr. med. Joachim Seybold MBADeputy Medical DirectorCharité

3 | Prof. Dr. med. Felix Berger (Department of Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology) and his team.

Vocational and Higher Technical Education and Training | Medical Specialist Training in Berlin

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April 2015