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including hands-on report and interview with Danny Bever, project coordinator of the subproject IQ med MV in the IQ Network Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

International doctors of medicine in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are learning online en route to recognition of their international qualifications and to support their day-to-day work.

Starting point/challenge

Since 2015, the Medical Council of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has been supporting international doctors on their path to achieving full recognition of their international qualifications in Germany with the funding project IQmed MV – Competence training for international doctors of medicine. The multifaceted training programme in the IQ Network Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania helps to refresh medical knowledge to state examination level. Medical, communication and cultural competencies are trained in a practical way and consolidated for the long term alongside work.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has a large geographical area and in order to reach as many participants as possible and to optimize learning effects, blended learning concepts combining digital e-learning and face-toface concepts were required. The aim in this regard was also to improve learning material in the area of German for medical practitioners at level B2/C1 where existing learning materials were inadequate.

Implementing the e-learning

When producing programmes for web-based learning – or Web Based Training (WBT) – project stakeholders first had to clarify the target group’s training requirements. The next challenge involved sourcing authentic language material and implementing the exercises using the technically advanced authoring software “Lectora”. Films, worksheets and course outlines were prepared in addition to the WBTs for doctors preparing for the specialist language examination, the knowledge test, or generally for day-to-day work in Germany. In total, 14 digital selfstudy modules have been available on the ILIAS learning platform since the end of February 2022.

Even in this highly specialised area of technical language, the modules are based around fun learning. A combination of education and entertainment (edutainment) means that the teaching methodology focusses on motivation. Four doctors support learners through modules such as “Empathie im Patientengespräch” (“Empathy in patient consultation”) or “Schmerzen erfragen” (“Asking about pain”).

The design is visually appealing with lots of pictures, audio and videos. Learning content is practised in very varied exercises and, in the process, learners can significantly expand and develop their specialist language skills. The e-learning offers are available anywhere at any time and can also be used by participants during pandemic restrictions. For teachers looking for additional materials when running courses for international doctors and preparing participants for the specialist language examination or knowledge test, the project provides a digital media library containing worksheets, practice sheets, videos and selected lesson plans.

Conclusion

The competence training in Mecklenburg- Western Pomerania has created innovative job training methods for international doctors of medicine in order to support them in using flexible learning on their path to recognition. There are now over 100 registrations for the online modules annually and around a quarter of these are lecturers.