Learning and working on the „clinical education ward“

At the CEWIM, 3-4 medical students in their final year are responsible for up to 10 patients on the medical ward of the Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Herdecke. Students work independently as much as possible: beginning with a patient's admission, through daily medical rounds, all the way to the letter of discharge for the patient. Each admitted patient will be discussed the same day with a teaching physician and together they plan the continuing diagnostic and therapeutic progression. Additionally, there are weekly teaching rounds. Students attend team conferences with nurses and discuss the further approach with art therapists in case conferences.

Topic-related seminars regarding clinical issues of the treated patients also take place on a daily basis. Practical skills such as blood extraction (by vein or artery), sonography, puncture of ascites and pleural fluid are carried out independently or under supervision, depending on acquired skills and degree of difficulty. Clinical „mini“ exams (so-called Mini-C-EX: "Mini Clinical Evaluation Exercise") make the current medical topics more representable and help support the continuous flow of learning.

Apart from the continuous progression of already existing therapeutic abilities, "anthroposophical medicine" in this phase of the medical education means being able to grasp the biographical dimensions of a disease and take them into consideration during treatment.

External applications, rhythmic massage, art therapies, healing eurhythmy as well as anthroposophical and naturopathic healing substances expand the entire concept of orthodox medicine. Based on experiences and abilities already acquired during ICURAM, students will learn how integrated medicine can be implemented in real-life situations with the help of supervision. Possibilities as well as limitations of each therapy are thus experienced realistically. Twice a week a case-based psychological supervision takes place at the students' request in order to support personality development and reflection on interactions with patients.