This paper reports the results of a retrospective evaluation of the quality of the preclinical undergraduate training by fifth year medical students at Hamburg Medical Faculty in 2001 by means of a standardized survey. The return rate was 88% (N = 150). Students were rather critical about the quality of their preclinical training as a whole. They critisize a decrease in study motivation and express the feeling that the preclincal phase was not very useful for their actual clinical training. They demand a more clinically and patient oriented education, smaller groups and less "cramming". The evaluation results concerning the single disciplines were more favorable for the most important subjects. Especially anatomy, followed by physiology were best rated both with regard to learning benefit and to didactic quality. Most student opinions did not depend on sex, age or examination results. A positive correlation between learning benefit, didactic quality and degree of difficulty was found: contrary to prejudice difficult courses were rated higher with regard to learning benefit and educational quality.
