[Students evaluation of a sports-orthopaedic and sports-traumatological course in theory and practice].

Sports traumatology and sports orthopaedics are two closely interconnected fields usually more or less non-existent in a medical curriculum. Optional courses are difficult to coordinate because of the densely packed course schedule of a medical student, although the overall interest in it shows a continually upward trend. The course that is being offered since the winter semester 2004 / 2005 has been conceived as a seminar with lectures on a variety of subjects but it contains a practical part as well, e. g. for improving examination techniques. The offered course is particularly aimed at students of higher clinical semesters. The evaluation was carried out using questionnaires that were designed especially for this purpose. Subject to evaluation were not only general topics, but also the course instructors who had participated in the theoretical and practical implementation of the course. Suggestions for improvement or other comments were encouraged and taken into consideration. A total of 116 medical students (m = 68, f = 48) who have taken the course since the winter semester 2004 / 2005 have answered the questionnaire for the present evaluation. The interdisciplinary topics, covered the theoretical as well as the practical ones, were considered as interesting and important by 90 % of the students, organization and commitment on the part of the instructors were largely commended. Additional training in sports orthopaedics and sports traumatology enjoys great popularity on the part of medical students, in spite of their densely packed course schedule. Especially its multidisciplinary orientation provides students with a general overview in sports orthopaedics and sports traumatology and raises further interest in both fields of study.