New at UDE/am UK Essen: Stephanie Herbstreit
Supporting and challenging medical students
- von Dr. Alexandra Nießen
- 30.06.2026
Teaching surgery means shaping a sense of responsibility: Prof. Dr Stephanie Herbstreit, an orthopaedic and trauma surgeon at the Centre for Musculoskeletal Surgery at Essen University Hospital, has taken up the chair in ‘Didactics in Surgery’ at the Faculty of Medicine.
[Dr. Alexandra Niessen:] How would you summarise your research in a few sentences?
[Prof. Dr. Stephanie Herbstreit:] I am interested in how medical students acquire key clinical skills and develop into reflective, responsible doctors. To this end, I focus on innovative teaching methods, digital tools and the question of how both learning and teaching can be effectively supported in day-to-day clinical practice.
Are there any issues that are particularly close to your heart?
The development of the medical curriculum during the clinical phase is particularly important to me. On the one hand, I would like to integrate the use of digital technology more closely into the medical degree programme. Furthermore, my aim is not only to provide students with specialist training, but also to support them as they develop into responsible doctors. They should learn how important their medical and social responsibilities towards patients are. The degree programme should not only impart knowledge, but also provide guidance on the role of a doctor in a changing world.
Why did you choose the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) and Essen University Hospital (UK Essen)?
Teaching is a top priority at the UDE’s Faculty of Medicine. I think that’s excellent. I’ve already had the opportunity to contribute to the development of the curriculum for medical competencies. Essen University Hospital combines strong clinical practice with an openness to educational innovation, digitalisation and interdisciplinary collaboration. I would like to build on the progress that has already been made.
What should your students know about you?
I want my students to know that I am committed to supporting them as best I can on their journey towards a demanding and responsible profession. This involves not only medical knowledge and practical skills, but also the ability to reflect and to approach their responsibilities towards patients and society in a conscious manner. For me, good teaching means encouraging and challenging students, and providing them with guidance.
Prof. Dr Stephanie Herbstreit’s funded teaching and research projects include ‘Digitalisation in the Context of Medical Studies’ (DiKoMed), which aims to embed digital skills within medical studies, and the international Erasmus+ project ‘4D – Digitalisation in Learning Practice Placement’, in which an app is being developed to support medical students in their learning.
More information:
Prof. Dr. Stephanie Herbstreit, MME, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Medical Education, phone +49 (0)201/723-4494, stephanie.herbstreit@uk-essen.de
Editor: Dr. Alexandra Niessen, phone +49 (0)203/37-91487, alexandra.niessen@uni-due.de