Academic Medicine and University Hospitals

The system of academic medicine is shaped by regulations of the European Union as well as by federal and state authorities. The federal states coordinate all relevant topics in the field of academic medicine through the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs. These include the training of healthcare professionals, particularly physicians, research and teaching, as well as the medical care of the population provided by university hospitals. The combination of these three tasks is a unique feature of the 37 university hospitals, which is not found in any other type of hospital. University hospitals are among the key pillars of healthcare provision.

The training of future physicians takes place in medical degree programs at medical faculties and university hospitals through research-based academic teaching and practical experience.

Currently, around 12,000 first-year students begin their studies in human medicine at public universities each year. In addition, significant increases in the number of study places are planned in several federal states, so that by 2030 approximately 13,000 public study places per year can be expected (Source: German Academic Medicine).

Since admission to the medical profession and all other health professions falls under the jurisdiction of the federal government according to the Basic Law, and training is therefore largely shaped by federal regulations, the Conference of Ministers of Science maintains ongoing dialogue with the federal government on this subject and is involved in upcoming federal legislative initiatives.

The university hospitals, supported by the science departments of the federal states, fulfill a wide range of special functions.

• They serve, on the one hand, as training institutions for future physicians.
• They are research centers for basic medical research, clinical research, and health services research. In doing so, they make a significant contribution to the advancement of medicine and the improvement of healthcare for the population.
• They are legally authorized as hospitals to provide medical care to the population. Across Germany, from Kiel to Munich and Aachen to Berlin, around 180,000 people work in university hospitals. Each year, they provide inpatient care for about two million patients. In the outpatient clinics of the university hospitals, approximately twelve million people are treated annually.

With their special role as research and training institutions, they ensure maximum care that goes far beyond the services offered by other hospitals. They maintain highly specialized medical and technical facilities staffed by highly qualified personnel. They guarantee the treatment of complex and rare diseases, provide emergency care around the clock, and offer specialized outpatient clinics.

The associated planning, logistical, and financial effort requires appropriate consideration in the political arena. Only in this way can university hospitals continue to fulfill their important tasks adequately in the future. 

For this reason, the Conference of Ministers of Science maintains constant dialogue with the health ministries of the federal and state governments, with health insurance funds, medical associations, and hospital associations regarding the appropriate financing of the comprehensive services provided by university hospitals and is involved in the frequent legislative changes concerning hospital financing. The scope of activities of the Conference of Ministers of Science and the science ministries in the field of academic medicine extends far beyond the scientific domain into the healthcare sector.