What contribution has the Institute made to the development of medical teaching since its foundation? What were the milestones? Who were the influential personalities? How have these developments affected the training of medical professionals? Where does the Institute stand today?
From IAE and IAWF to IML
The Institute for Education and Examination Research (IAE) was founded in 1971, originally founded from the Department of Education Research (AAF) created in 1969. In 1991 it was renamed the Institute for Education, Training and Continuing Education (IAWF) and in 2005 the Institute for Medical Education (IML).
Milestones in medical education
At the beginning of the 1970s, the Bern Reform Model, as a pilot within the framework of the «Rossi Plan», brought about a surge of innovation in medical education. Among other things, there was a reduction in lectures in favour of «bed side teaching» delivered as group and block teaching (1973). Other important changes were the introduction of «problem-based learning» in the 1990s, the aptitude test for admission to medical studies in 1999 (numerus clausus) and workplace-based assessment (2011). Today's Clinical Skills Training (CST) is a further development of group teaching. As part of the reorganisation of CST, the first OSCEs with simulated persons (SP) were conducted in 2002. In 2009, the first communication trainings with SPs took place. The creation of the medical didactic master's course (Master of Medical Education MAS, 1999) was initiated by the then IAWF, and is still an internationally successful programme today.
Of particular national and international significance were the introduction of the Bologna system (from 2006), facilitation mobility of medical doctors across European borders. The development of the new federal examination for human medicine and its introduction (2011) in accordance with the new Medical Professions Act (MedBG, 2006) was also a landmark milestone. The Institute has followed and also helped to shape this entire development.
The medical education landscape continues to transition, shaped by societal needs, as seen by the recent shift to online teaching and assessments as a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic.
We hope you will enjoy reading it and that it will provide you with exciting and instructive insights into the medical cosmos. The commemorative publication should be available from the beginning of 2023.
© IML Example practical course examination (OSCE)
