Table 5 Main category “transfer” (theme I-K)

Theme I) Advantages of this teaching method from the SPs’ perspective

● “Directly, so to speak, after the examination he is told directly what he did wrong or (…) he gets the feelings as a patient reflected back to him.” (SP 1)

● “I can’t exactly judge it because I don’t know how it was previously, what was lacking there as it were, or what gaps there were, so I think that, as it were, if these teaching units didn’t take place in the past, or were less intensive, then it leads in the students’ training that one guarantees giving the students the possibility to do a lot of practical work and beyond this (…) directly from the patients’ perception, which is of course somehow very subjective and maybe not as technically competent as that of a doctor or patient, but also precisely for this reason so interesting, because it is so diverse.” (SP 2)

● “I now imagine myself in the in the role of a student and think then that it is considerably easier than if I go directly to a patient (…) maybe it takes away a certain insecurity (…) they become more secure through it, because trying it out on a patient is certainly more anxiety-ridden than on a student.” (SP 3)

● “The fact that the students can practice how it is with a patient and now deal with it in such a careful and empathetic way (…) so not just theory but that there is also really practice behind it.” (SP 4)

Theme J) How SPs’ view the prospect of the assignment with students

● “So I didn’t have any concerns whether it will work (…) and yes, provided the student plays along.” (SP 1)

● “I think, like the other assignments, that we’re actually well prepared, so that we can get started now.” (SP 2)

● “I’ll look at it again in peace and quiet at home, I have to reflect on it again, it has to sit, I realise that it is not yet all at ease, not so relaxed but I think when I’ve read it again and trained it again then it’ll be completely OK.” (SP 4)

● “So I’ve still got a bit of a problem with the feedback, I’m just a bit scared that I’ll forget something, so that means I have to always look at everything again before the next assignments.” (SP 3)

● “Maybe that the student will not deal with the situation appropriately, so for example, doesn’t pay much attention to my sense of embarrassment or something.” (SP 1)

● “The fact that this patient-student dialogue is not authentic, that there’ll somehow be something acted there, which definitely depends a lot on the SPs but not only on them (…) because the student also plays a large role and that is also an opportunity for the student, what he ultimately draws from it is up to him, but there’s the fear that people will slip out of their roles (…) that no authentic treatment provider situation will come about.” (SP 2)

● “There aren’t any fears, at the moment I can’t think of anything.” (SP 4)

Theme K) What is particularly important for the application in student teaching?

● “Being thoroughly prepared (…) that you are certain about the examination and the individual examination steps and about the possibilities of making mistakes.” (SP 1)

● “That the communication goes well that the different treatment steps are adhered to and that a pleasant working atmosphere arises and that it is checked whether the student is in a position to do it and therefore is also on the right path in his development to become a doctor.” (SP 2)

● “Communication with an uncomplicated patient and just that they can try it out (…) and also I know how it should work, the whole thing, the examination, after all, a normal patient can’t give this feedback like I can.” (SP 3)

● “Respecting the patient’s embarrassment threshold and communicating with him during the examination.” (SP 4)