History

The Joint Commission of the Swiss Medical Schools (SMIFK-CIMS) decided in 2000 to establish a Swiss Catalogue of Learning Objectives for Undergraduate Medical Training (SCLO), which was based on a similar Dutch blueprint. A second version of the SCLO was developed and launched in 2008. The catalogue included a common set of learning objectives students of all faculties should achieve by the end of their Master’s curriculum. Moreover, the document, according to the Federal Medical Health Professions Law (MedBG/LPMéd), defined the contents of the Federal Licensing Examination (FLE). It was also a prerequisite for the accreditation of the curricula of Swiss medical faculties.

Given the evolution in the field of medicine and in medical education, SMIFK-CIMS decided to embark on a total revision of the SCLO. A dedicated working group in charge was composed of experts from all Swiss medical faculties and of other institutions involved in undergraduate medical education, as well as representatives of medical students and postgraduate medical education.

The result of this first revision was the Principal Relevant Objectives and Framework for Integrative Learning and Education in Switzerland (PROFILES), published in 2017. The document encompassed the common medical situations a physician should be able to handle on the first day of residency. PROFILES provided a generic description of competence-driven learning objectives covering the field of medicine, without focusing on specific disciplines. Although basic medical sciences and medical disciplines were not explicitly mentioned, their knowledge must have been acquired to meet the objectives given in PROFILES. This approach strived to promote the intellectual autonomy of students and fostered a holistic view of medical practice. It also stressed the characteristics of a good physician, such as fundamental knowledge in communication skills, professionalism, capacity for interprofessional collaboration, as well as the ability to adopt a reflective view of the progress of medical science.

Based on the deliberations of SMIFK-CIMS, the PROFILES document built on the scientific foundations of medicine and acknowledged that scientific teaching and training are an integral part of undergraduate medical education. As such, it also established an important basis for postgraduate and lifelong learning, for scientific progress, and for evidence-based medicine.
 

PROFILES 2023

Since PROFILES 2017 has been implemented across medical school curricula for more than seven years, SMIFK-CIMS decided to initiate a review process leading to the publication of PROFILES 2023. Continuous revision of learning goals ensures that medical education keeps pace with the rapid advancement in medical science and technology.

Since 2017, there have been tremendous developments in areas such as diversity, identity, gender medicine, interprofessional collaboration, technological advances in areas of digital health and artificial intelligence, as well as the integration of sustainable health care practices, all of which are transforming healthcare delivery. By updating PROFILES, the commission was able to incorporate these advancements into the curriculum, therefore ensuring that medical students acquire the most current knowledge and skills now and also in the future. Establishing PROFILES 2023 will better prepare medical students for modern medical practice and enhance their ability to provide high-quality care using the latest technologies and methodologies.

The three main chapters of PROFILES cover three inextricable dimensions of medical actions: CanMEDS roles (CRs), Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs), and Situations as Starting Points for Learning (SSPs). These three dimensions interact in such a way that CanMEDS roles represent the personal attributes and competencies of the graduate, EPAs represent what the graduate is expected to perform (by using competencies), and SSPs list the situations in which these professional activities are expected to be performed. Ultimately, competencies are only observable through EPAs performed for a given SSP.

PROFILES operationalizes the objectives set by the Federal Medical Health Professions Law (MedBG/LPSan). Its contents are intended for medical students, medical teachers, and curriculum developers. It offers a comprehensive orientation on the competencies graduates should demonstrate at the start of their postgraduate training. Moreover, the Ordinance on Federal Examinations for the medical profession declares that PROFILES determines the content of the Federal Licensing Examination.

Although PROFILES does not provide an explicit and comprehensive list of discipline-related knowledge, the acquisition of this knowledge (both fundamental and clinical) remains an essential prerequisite for any future medical expertise and activity, particularly in the area of clinical reasoning.

 

Download PROFILES 2023

Download PROFILES 2017
 

Authorship 2017 and 2023

 

Relevant Literature

• Berendonk, C., Waldvogel, T. E. E., Bonvin, R., Schirlo, C., Goldhahn, J., Frank, Z., & Nendaz, M. (2025). Revision of a nationwide competency framework for undergraduate medical education in Switzerland: PROFILES 2. Swiss medical weekly, 155(9), 4389–4389.
• Bonvin, R., Nendaz, M., Frey, P., Schnabel, K. P., Huwendiek, S., & Schirlo, C. (2019). Looking back: twenty years of reforming undergraduate medical training and curriculum frameworks in Switzerland. GMS J Med Educ, 36(5), Doc64. https://doi.org/10.3205/zma001272
• Bürgi, H., Bader, C., Bloch, R., Bosman, F., Horn, B., Im Hof, V., Keel, P., & Spinas, G. A. (2002). Swiss Catalogue of Learning Objectives for Undergraduate Medical Training.
• Bürgi, H., Rindlisbacher, B., Bader, C., Bloch, R., Bosman, F., Gasser, C., Gerke, W., Humair, J. P., Hof, V. I., Kaiser, H., Lefebvre, D., Schläppi, P., Sottas, B., Spinas, G. A., & Stuck, A. E. (2008). Swiss Catalogue of Learning Objectives for Undergraduate Medical Training.
• Michaud, P.-A., & Jucker-Kupper, P. (2016). The" Profiles" document: a modern revision of the objectives of undergraduate medical studies in Switzerland. Swiss medical weekly, 146.
• Michaud, P.-A., Jucker-Kupper, P., & group, m. o. t. P. w. (2017). PROFILES; Principal Objectives and Framework for Integrated Learning and Education in Switzerland. https://www.profilesmed.ch/doc/Profiles_2017.pdf
• Sohrmann, M., Berendonk, C., Nendaz, M., Bonvin, R., & Swiss Working Group For Profiles, I. (2020). Nationwide introduction of a new competency framework for undergraduate medical curricula: a collaborative approach. Swiss Med Wkly, 150, w20201. https://doi.org/10.57187/smw.2020.20201