1 | The Charité University Hospital in the center of Berlin

Medical Specialist Training in Berlin

Charité 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.

Vocational and Higher Technical Education and Training | Medical Specialist Training in Berlin 32 | 33
2 | Practical and theoretical training goes hand in hand during the ­medical specialist programme
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”
3 | Prof. Dr. med. Felix Berger (Department of Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology) and his team.
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.
Vocational and Higher Technical Education and Training | Medical Specialist Training in Berlin 34 | 35
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 MBA
Deputy Medical Director
Charité
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Copyrights of the images
Cover: fotolia.com © Jasmin Merdan
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Bundesregierung, Steffen Kugler
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April 2015