Eighth Semester Medicine

Postgraduate course

Course description

Objectives and Content

First teaching semester for this course is spring 2017.

The semester is divided into two parts:

1. Theoretical and practical teaching in Bergen (9 weeks) in the following subject areas:

  1. Plastic surgery and minor surgery
  2. Kidneys/urinary tracts, part 2
  3. Endocrinology, part 2
  4. Blood, part 2
  5. Dermis

There will also be a course in medication prescriptions.

2. Practical skills training at collaborating hospitals in Western Norway (8 weeks) with emphasis on internal medicine, surgery, radiology and anesthesia.

The purpose of the practical training period in Førde/Haugesund/Stavanger is that the students should learn through bedside clinical practice and instructions. The students will be trained in communicating with patients and next of kin, clinical examination, judgement of symptoms and clinical findings, diagnostic considerations and at planning further examinations and treatment. Most of the learning will happen by taking active part in the daily routines at the hospital.

The last week of the semester is set aside for the oral exam.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the 8th semester the student should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

On completion of the semester the student has:

  • insight into symptoms, clinical findings, diagnostics, treatments and follow up of common acute and chronic diseases as well as injuries in the subject areas of the semester
  • insight into how to set a diagnosis/differential diagnosis, plan for further examinations and plan for treatment of individual patients, based on systematic journal recordings (clinical evaluation)
  • insight into indications for common biochemical tests, pathological examinations and radiological examinations in the subject areas of the semester
  • insight into basic pharmacological principles that are used in medical treatment of common diseases that are part of the semester
  • insight into indications, contraindications and the most common complications of common examinations and procedures in the subject areas of the semester

Skills

On completion of the semester the student is able to:

  • carry out a complete and systematic journal recording with anamnesis and clinical examination to judge diseases and injuries in the subject areas of the semester
  • diagnose and treat common diseases and injuries in the subject areas of the semester
  • provide information to patients and next of kin about the most common diseases and relevant treatment alternatives in the subject areas of the semester

General competence

On completion of the semester the student is able to:

  • act professionally and respectfully in relation to patients and next of kin, colleagues and collaborators
  • present medical information systematically, logically and concise in a professional context
  • talk with empathy and information need in mind, when meeting patients and next of kin
  • have insight into communication, teamwork and organization in emergency treatment situations
  • have insight into organization of interaction between primary and specialist health services

Semester of Instruction

Autumn and spring

Place of Instruction

Bergen and Førde/Haugesund/Stavanger
Required Previous Knowledge
Normal study progression
Access to the Course
Cand. med.-degree programme
Teaching and learning methods
The course will include varied teaching methods such as lectures, team-based learning (TBL), clinical teaching with a patient, smaller clinical groups and practical courses. Students take part in common clinical practice at the collaborating hospitals and in Bergen.
Compulsory Assignments and Attendance

It is compulsory to attend all teaching with a patient, group teaching and practical courses. Participation at TBL is also compulsory.

Practical training at a collaborating hospital in Førde, Haugesund or Stavanger is part of the compulsory teaching, and is an important part of the bedside teaching.

Student service cards will be used in all compulsory activity at the different hospitals and also during the first part of the semester in Bergen.

Forms of Assessment

Digital written exam that lasts for 5 hours and consists mainly of MCQs and some brief statement questions. The ECTS credit points decide how many questions within each subject areas of the semester.

Oral exam: ca. 1/2 of the class will be randomly selected to take the oral exam. It is a 30 minutes exam with patient/case in one of the subject areas of the semester.

A collective grade is given for the semester, where the written exam accounts for 75% and the oral exam accounts for 25%.

After the prescription course, students must take an MCQ-test, in addition to doing exercises where they will write prescriptions based on given cases.

Compulsory assignments during the semester must be approved in order to take the written and oral exam.

Grading Scale

A - F

Assessment Semester
Autumn and spring
Reading List
The syllabus will be available by 1 June for the autumn semester and 1 January for the spring semester.
Course Evaluation
The course will be evaluated by the end of each semester.
Examination Support Material
None