Successful teaching experiment and an exciting insight into the history of medicine

Bio-Electrical Engineering students in the Medical History Museum Ingolstadt; Photo: THI

A transfer of the THI Medical Technology course of Prof. Karg to the Medical History Museum Ingolstadt, set the starting point of a cooperation with the motto: learning by visualisation in a historical context.

After being welcomed by the museum director, Prof. Ruisinger, and given an insight into the history and structure of the museum, the students of the Bio-Electrical Engineering course were first able to gain their own overview of the exhibition. A challenging task was already waiting for the workshop participants. The teams were each allowed to select an exhibit, examine it closely and then present it to the rest of the group.

Many of the topics currently being discussed on the relationship between health, medicine and technology can only be understood by looking back into the past. Working independently and researching the exhibit enabled the students to make a historical connection. In this way, the participants were able to give an exciting short voyage of discovery into the history of medicine within a short period of time. The exhibits selected could not have been more different: a pair of hair-rope pliers, phlebotomy instruments, the first anaesthetic masks, an amputation saw and knife and a glass eye set.

The entertaining lectures by the students with the exciting additions and fascinating background knowledge by Prof. Ruisinger left a lasting impression of the instruments, some of which seem bizarre today, and the question of what will remain of today's medical technology in a few years' time? How will we look back at today's evidence-based medicine with ever more and better technical aids, measuring methods and data for diagnosis and therapy? 

We learned a lot and, above all, gained a change of perspective that will be helpful especially with regard to the increasingly complex constellation of doctor, patient and medical technology. We look forward to seeing you again next semester and would like to thank Prof. Karg and Prof. Ruisinger once again!