["Meet the AIX-PERTs." Emergency medical care at the beginning of the medical reform curriculum in Aachen].

Background: Extensive knowledge and skills in the basics of emergency medical care are of paramount importance for every physician and should therefore be an integral part of medical education.
Methods: Regulations for medical licensure in Germany were revised by the administrative authorities in 2002 and as a consequence the Medical Faculty of the University of Aachen (Germany) decided to start the Medical Reform Curriculum Aachen. A multidisciplinary, problem-oriented and organ-related approach to medical education replaces the classical discrimination between basic and clinical sciences.
Results: With AIX-PERT (AIX-la-Chapelle Program for Emergency medical care and Resuscitation Training), a program consisting of problem-based learning sessions was developed for introduction to the first year students. Defined teaching objectives in emergency medicine are now incorporated in undergraduate medical education.
Conclusion: The extremely positive evaluation of the new approach encouraged us to promote AIX-PERT further. In the future the effects of success of this approach will be assessed by longitudinal studies of skills and knowledge during the continuing curriculum.