He discovered the first antibiotic 117 years ago and was a co-founder of modern chemotherapy. The doctor and Nobel Prize winner Paul Ehrlich lends his name to a prestigious medical competition, which took place for the first time at Ulm University. During the event, 16 teams from Germany, Switzerland and Austria demonstrated their expertise in four disciplines – under time pressure, in front of an audience and yet always having a great time. The Ulm team made it through to the final with ease, but in the end it was the students from Innsbruck University Hospital who came out on top in the overall standings.

The patient can no longer extend his hand. For Johanna Lauterbach, the diagnosis is immediately clear: the radial nerve is compressed and must be decompressed. With just a few incisions, she exposes the nerve and closes the surgical wound using the Donati suture as specified. The simulated surgical procedure was livestreamed from the University’s anatomical dissection theatre to the lecture hall of the ‘ToTrainU’ (TTU) training hospital, where the two-day event focused entirely on quick reactions, the ability to think on one’s feet and, of course, practical skills. Johanna Lauterbach is a member of the Ulm team, which has made it through to the final round of the Paul Ehrlich Contest alongside teams from Aachen, Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich and Innsbruck. The competition for trainee doctors was opened by Professor Thomas Wirth. “This competition combines assertiveness, determination, ingenuity and strategic skill – typical Ulm qualities,” said the Dean of the Medical Faculty, who was delighted that the 11th Paul Ehrlich Contest was being held on the Danube for the first time.

In his brief welcome address, Professor Tobias Böckers, Dean of Studies, expressed his pride that this year’s ‘Medical Olympics’ were taking place ‘in Germany’s most beautiful and modern teaching hospital’. The programme was packed to the brim. The students, competing in teams of five, had to interpret CT and MRI scans, recognise a haemorrhaged cavernoma, a rib osteosynthesis, chemical symbols, skin conditions or even a defibrillator vest that had already been triggered. The team that pressed their buzzer the quickest was allowed to solve the problem and thus rack up valuable points. Speed was also essential in the ‘differential diagnosis’ rounds, in which the teams were tasked with compiling findings, suspected diagnoses, further diagnostic procedures and therapeutic measures in just three minutes.

Complex clinical cases
At the heart of the Medical Olympiad, which was chaired by the ‘Thomas Gottschalk of Medicine’, Dr Axel Schunk from Charité Berlin, were the presentations of complex clinical cases. Among other things, the six teams in the final round had to determine what illness a 44-year-old female patient was suffering from, having been admitted to A&E with sudden gait disturbances. She had also experienced exhaustion, exercise intolerance and dizziness. Here too, the rule applied: whoever pressed the buzzer first was allowed to solve the case or ‘buy’ additional diagnostic tests using points. These could include, for example, laboratory results for thyroid hormones or testing to determine whether a rare genetic disorder was present.

For Dr Michael Schön, the Paul Ehrlich Contest is a valuable addition to everyday student life. “Just as in competitive sport, you have to train hard in Medicine too to become a better doctor,” said the member of staff from the Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, who was in charge of organising the event in Ulm and supervised the Ulm team. Schön expressed his gratitude not only to the helpers and tutors, but also to the Medical Faculty for its financial and logistical support. He also thanked his colleagues who helped prepare the team or set the tasks. This enabled him to give the students the opportunity to prepare for the demanding theoretical and practical exercises over the course of almost a year, through a compulsory elective module and voluntary sessions. The team was recruited from this group of students, who also taught one another. “The Paul Ehrlich Contest recognises teams that stand out for their exceptional diligence, in-depth knowledge extending beyond the curriculum, and their ability to apply concepts of Medicine in combination,” said Dr Michael Schön. In principle, any student who is not yet in their clinical year is eligible to take part. “We are certainly very proud that this prestigious cross-state competition was able to take place at Ulm University this year,” emphasised Professor Michael Kühl, Vice President Outreach and President-elect of Ulm University, at the opening of the final round.

Good preparation for professional life
For the organiser, Dr Michael Schön, the strong emphasis on teamwork played a fundamental role: “In everyday Medicine, it is important that team members complement one another and that everyone can contribute their personal strengths.” Johanna Lauterbach shared this view. The Pforzheim native, who is in her tenth semester of Human Medicine studies at Ulm University and would like to take on a role in gynaecology later on, also represented her team in a second practical test.  Together with a colleague, she was able to diagnose a congenital heart defect in an infant whilst under the pressure of the stopwatch. The child was a training manikin. The concentration was very real. After all, the competition is designed to be fun for everyone involved, whilst also sparking ambition. “Every case, even those that weren’t solved, served as excellent preparation for my future career,” says Johanna Lauterbach, who knows that her work will often be about saving lives. The Paul Ehrlich Contest has played its part in this.    

The results of the Paul Ehrlich Contest 2026

1. Innsbruck
2. Munich
3. Berlin
4. Frankfurt
5. Ulm
6. Aachen

Text: Stefan Löffler