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In the education of veterinary medicine undergraduate students are taught theoretical knowledge and practical clinical skills in order to become practically trained professionals. A possibility to teach practical skills is a center for clinical skills ("Clinical Skills Lab"). Students can train skills and gain experience through frequent repetitions of exercises. To respect animal welfare and introduce alternative methods to animal testing simulators and models are used in such a skills lab. In the current study the demands for a center for clinical skills and its equipment should be identified. The hypothesis should be proven, that students and teachers of veterinary medicine are highly motivated to enhance the education in practical skills. Focus group interviews were conducted with students, veterinarians (private practitioners), lecturers of veterinary medicine and experts for simulation of clinical skills. Needs and requirements of students participating in skills lab classes were identified.The interviews were conducted in individual or in group interviews. Many opinions, topics and needs were expressed, from which great benefit for the development of the skills lab can be drawn. The hypothesis that a skills lab is supported by all participants had to be rejected. Especially students were afraid of this new lab, because no former experience existed. In the interviews many needs and requirements were raised. However, they could easily be summarized to formulate an accurate list of requirements for the Clinical Skills Lab. A Skills Lab planned taking into consideration the results of this qualitative study will have a positive impact on veterinary medical education and teaching. According to empirical values of experts from other Skills Labs a widespread acceptance by the users can be expected on a long-term basis.

Tobacco consumption is a major public health threat. Midwives can contribute to the reduction of tobacco use among pregnant women and young families. It can be assumed that personal smoking behaviour and knowledge of harmful effects influences counselling activities. The aim of this study was to assess smoking status, nicotine dependency and the will to change of midwifery students in german-speaking countries. Broad data on this population is not available so far. In 2010, a self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among Austrian, German and Swiss midwifery schools. Sociodemographic characteristics, smoking habits, personal attitudes towards smoking, knowledge of cessation strategies, perceived self-efficacy and competence to counsel pregnant women regarding their smoking habits of midwifery trainees were examined. 1 126 students and 38 teaching midwives answered this questionnaire (RR=61.8%). 22.7% are daily or occasional smokers. 6.8% have to be considered as medium and heavy smokers. 98.1% consider cessation counselling for pregnant and breast-feeding women as a midwife's task, while 76.5% feel competent enough to do so. 75.5% rate cessation counselling through midwives as effective stop-smoking procedures compared to blurry knowledge on related health risks and effective stop-smoking strategies. The self-reported smoking prevalence is considerably lower than in previous studies and other populations. Knowledge of harmful effects and of effective treatment options needs improvement. Counselling competence needs to be included in a broader way in midwifery curricula., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)