Abstract

Background and Purpose. Teaching practical medical skills is one of the objectives of the medical curriculum at the University of Tartu (UT). Nearly 10 years ago, the medical curriculum was revised so that the final year of studies was entirely dedicated to clinical practice. As medical education must keep pace with changes in healthcare, the aim of this study was to update the list of practical skills in UT’s medical curriculum. The broader objective of the study was to identify which practical skills medical students need to acquire during their pregraduation education, both now and in the next 10 years, to be prepared to work as general practitioners or continue their studies in specialized residency programs.
Methodology. To update the list of practical skills, a two-stage Delphi study was conducted. In the first stage, participants identified which practical skills they considered to be essential and worthy of inclusion in the updated list. The second stage aimed to assess proficiency levels required for medical curriculum graduates to master these practical skills. The study involved physicians engaged in teaching and/or supervising clinical practice for medical students at the University of Tartu, as well as medical residents.

Results and Conclusions. Based on the results of the Delphi study, the list of practical skills has been updated. The 2024 list now includes 87 practical skills and assessments of the proficiency levels required for medical curriculum graduates. The updated list of practical skills contributes to the organization of clinical content in the medical curriculum, making teaching more efficient and practical. This updated list serves as the foundation for the clinical practice of the 6th-year medical curriculum and the objective structured clinical examination at the end of the curriculum.