Internal medicine: ward work with often older patients with several conditions, the emergency department and intensive care, and a lot of differential diagnosis.
Training in Germany (model regulations)
• Training 60 months, including 6 in the emergency department and 6 in intensive care
No answers yet
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Rate only how much you would like the situation.
Core task
Ward rounds
Twenty patients with pneumonia, heart failure, diabetes and delirium. You prioritise and coordinate.
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Rather yes
Very much
Core task
Older patients with several conditions
Five diagnoses, ten medicines. You weigh up what helps and what harms.
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Very much
Core task
Differential diagnosis
Fever of unknown origin, anaemia, weight loss. You work systematically through a long list.
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Very much
Core task
Discharge letters and coordination
A large part of the day is documentation, orders and coordination with other specialties.
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Very much
Emergency department
Six months in the emergency department are part of the training: breathlessness, chest pain and syncope, often at once.
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Very much
Intensive care
Ventilation, sepsis, circulatory support. Six months of intensive care are mandatory too.
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Very much
Ultrasound and punctures
You often do abdominal ultrasound and pleural or ascitic taps yourself.
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Very much
On-call shifts
Night and weekend shifts, often responsible for several wards.
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Very much
Talking about goals of care
With patients and relatives you discuss prognosis, advance directives and palliative care.
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Rather yes
Very much
This test is a structured self-assessment, not a validated psychometric instrument. The specialty profiles are informed estimates. Use the result as a starting point for conversations and check it with shadowing days and talks with specialists. Training information applies to Germany; the binding rules are those of the relevant state medical chamber. Specialty preferences often change during medical school, so retake the test after new rotations.
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