Teaching of the Interdisciplinary Subject Rehabilitation, Physical Medicine, Naturopathic Treatment in the German Medical Faculties

Rehabilitation, Physical Medicine, Naturopathic Treatment (Querschnittsbereich Q12) was introduced as a compulsory interdisciplinary subject in the revised Federal Medical Licensing Regulations (Approbationsordnung fur Aerzte) in October 2003. The implementation of the Q12 in the German medical faculties with consideration of the educational objectives recommended by the German Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and by the German Society of Rehabilitation Science and of innovative teaching methods was investigated by means of several questionnaires and internet searches. Even several years after the introduction of the Q12 considerable differences between the faculties have been noted. Stronger effort is needed to harmonise more detailed curricula, which have to consider a broader spectrum of the educational objectives recommended by the German Scientific Societies in order to ensure the nationwide basic teaching regarding Q12. General teaching conditions have to be improved in order to apply innovative teaching, learning and examination methods.