In 1863 the faculty of medicine was established at the Karl-Franzens-University of Graz. The foci were and are still today on medical research and the education of the students. 2004 the Faculty of Medicine was replaced by an autonomous university. High standard training and education, research at an international level and the improvement of top quality medicine are the core competences of today following the bio-psycho-social model. A new curriculum started in 2002 regarding this holistic model in all steps and all subjects during the whole education. The students are trained in developing to practice in a patient centered way, so they start with a practical training. After a short program where they are trained in the basic communication skills they stay at a department of the hospital, so they can get a first impression of the daily life of the medical staff and the patients. In the supervision-groups the focus is on the bio-psycho-social aspects to make them sensitive .In the modules multidiscipline teams are teaching on a main topic to get a profound medical knowledge. Aspects of communication, interaction, supervision, basic knowledge in medical psychology, social and ethical aspects are taught and trained during the whole curriculum. So they have practical experiences, seminars and small groups tuition. At the last year there is an intensive clinical, practice oriented year.
Beside medicine you can study dentistry, nursing science, medical science and there are different PhD-Programs. Master Programs, Qualification as Academic Expert and UTCs with diploma of the university are further university training courses in health care.
About 4200 students are studying and we have 700 annual graduates. The hospital has 20 clinical departments,15 institutes and 3 clinical facilities.
The Department of Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy was established in 1968 and was the first one in Austria. It represents the bio-psycho-social approach in medicine and the staff is engaged not only in the training of medical and dentistry students but also in many other programs of the university. The education is knowledge , attitude and competence based.
The staff has an interdisciplinary team, most of them are trained in clinical and health psychology or got an education in psychotherapy.
Students studying psychology or are in programs to become clinical and health psychologists or psychotherapists can pass their practical training in the department.
There is a psychosomatic and psychotherapeutic consultation-liaison-service for in patients. Psychotherapy ( in different theoretical schools) is offered to out door patients.
The research activities are concentrated on psychosomatic and psychotherapeutic aspects, as students`health and stress, spirituality and coping, doctor patient communication, livestyle and wellbeing, psychosocial aspects in an emergency ambulance.
Universitätsklinik für Medizinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie
LKH Graz Eingangsgebäude
Auenbruggerplatz 43
A-8036 Graz
Austria
