Health Minister Gerlach Hands Over Funding Decision

The "Beste Landpartie Allgemeinmedizin" training programme at Würzburg University Hospital can be continued until 2028. The Bavarian Minister of State for Health, Care and Prevention, Judith Gerlach, handed over the funding decision for around 1.2 million euros at the University Hospital Würzburg (UKW) on 12 September 2024.

The aim of the "Beste Landpartie Allgemeinmedizin" project is to promote the next generation of GPs in order to guarantee comprehensive medical care in rural regions as close to home as possible. The Institute of General Practice is in charge of the programme in Würzburg. In the first funding phase since 2020, 39 medical students have already taken part in the programme.

The Backbone of Our Healthcare System

When handing over the approval notice, the Minister emphasised: "I am confident that the programme will also be successful in its continuation and further development and that it will continue to find and inspire students as committed as before to work as GPs in rural areas. These future rural doctors are the backbone of our healthcare system. The BeLA programme therefore plays an important role in motivating them to study general practice and thus also to decide to become a GP."

"The programme offers a comprehensive additional curriculum with intensive support for medical students, for example during internships in cooperating teaching hospitals or in GP practices in the region. Participants also benefit enormously from the network of experienced colleagues and like-minded fellow students," explained Professor Anne Simmenroth, one of the two directors of the Würzburg Institute of General Practice. The programme also offers a monthly grant of 600 euros if part of the practical year at the end of the course is completed in the region.

Great Dynamism at the University Medical Centre Würzburg

The Minister of Health also found out about the work of the National Centre for Tumour Diseases (NCT) WERA and the university's planned nursing science degree programme during talks with the management of the University of Würzburg and the UKW.

PD Dr Tim von Oertzen, Chairman of the Board and Medical Director of the UKW, emphasised during the Minister of State's visit: "Würzburg University Medicine is characterised by enormous dynamism. The financial support from the Free State of Bavaria for projects such as the "Beste Landpartie Allgemeinmedizin" is therefore an important incentive for us. In addition to research and first-class patient care, our tasks also include training the necessary specialists in the various professions. We at the UKW want to continue to set the pace and provide impetus for the entire region in the future. Of course, the Germany-wide appeal of the National Centre for Tumour Diseases, NCT WERA, which is coordinated from Würzburg, also contributes to this."

Professor Paul Pauli, President of the University of Würzburg: "Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg is a comprehensive university with strong research capabilities in all disciplines. Medicine and the life and health sciences make a significant contribution to this profile. The fruitful collaboration with the University Hospital enables a close interlinking of excellent basic research and direct application in clinical practice, which benefits our students and all people in the region and far beyond."

"NCT WERA" Strengthens Innovative Cancer Care With a Focus on Rural Areas

Prof Dr Hermann Einsele, Director of Medical Clinic II at the University Medical Centre Würzburg, Erlangen, Regensburg and Augsburg and spokesperson for NCT WERA, presented details of the merger of the four university medical sites in Würzburg, Erlangen, Regensburg and Augsburg, or WERA for short. WERA was accepted into the National Centre for Tumour Diseases of the German Cancer Research Centre last year. "Preparations are currently underway for the first joint studies within the six NCT networks, which are spread across Germany. The aim is to transfer the latest cancer research findings to patient care as quickly as possible," says Einsele.

Personalised immunotherapy with genetically modified immune cells - known as CAR-T cell therapy - is a key component of this. According to Einsele, this therapy is already showing astonishing success in the treatment of cancers that affect the haematopoietic system. NCT WERA is now working flat out to extend cell therapy to solid tumours. The four WERA partners cover an area with around eight million people. NCT WERA is coordinated by the Würzburg University Medical Centre.

Minister Gerlach commented on the NCT WERA: "This Bavarian university hospital network illustrates the innovative strength of university medicine in Bavaria. Here, cutting-edge research is combined with state-of-the-art patient care, with a specific focus on the rural region," said the Minister of Health during her visit to the university hospital.

Important Impetus for Training and Retaining Specialists

The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Würzburg is making an important contribution to the major task of professional development in the healthcare professions with two of its Bachelor of Science degree programmes. The "Midwifery Science" degree programme was already introduced in 2022, while the "Nursing Science" degree programme is expected to start in the winter semester of 2025/26. As dual, primary qualifying study formats, the academic qualification takes place at the university, while the practical training takes place at Würzburg University Hospital and, in the case of Midwifery Science, also at Würzburg Central Hospital.

"Both degree programmes place a special focus on interprofessional teaching and the promotion of young scientists," explained Professor Sarah König, Dean of Studies at the Faculty of Medicine. The aim is to prepare students for the independent care of pregnant women and patients and to enable them to work in interprofessional care structures in complex situations. In addition, the further development of the subjects is to be promoted through specific research activities.

The degree programmes focus increasingly on promoting practical and communication skills for the future working environment. In addition, innovative technologies and simulations are used to ensure practical training. Cooperation with other degree programmes, such as human medicine, is a key element.