Planning, curriculum and courses

Planning 2012 with all courses

Curriculum

Qualifying Educational Objectives of the Degree Course in Medicine and Surgery

Graduates of the Degree Course in Medicine and Surgery should possess:

the necessary scientific bases and practical and theoretical skills pursuant to EEC Directive 75/363 for medical practice, and the culture and methodologies required to guarantee lifelong learning, as well as a level of professional independence, both decisional and operational, deriving from a training course characterized by a holistic approach to health problems and health promotion in relation to the surrounding chemical-physical, biological and social environment. For these purposes, the course awards a total of 360 CFU (Art.12), distributed over six years, of which at least 60 credits must be acquired in training activities aimed at developing specific professional skills;
the essential theoretical knowledge accruing from the basic sciences, with a view to their subsequent professional application; the ability to identify and critically assess, from a clinical point of view and an overall perspective embracing wider socio-cultural and individual aspects, data on the state of health and illness of patients, interpreting them in the light of the basic scientific knowledge on the pathophysiology underlying diseases of the organs and systems; the skills and experience, combined with self-assessment abilities, to face and responsibly solve the main problems of health, approached from the preventive, diagnostic, prognostic, therapeutic and rehabilitation points of view; a knowledge of historical, epistemological and ethical issues in medicine; the ability to communicate clearly and empathically with the patient and family; the ability to collaborate with different health professionals in various group activities; the ability to apply, in medical decision making, the principles of health economics; the ability to recognize community health problems and to make responsible decisions.

The graduate's professional profile should include a knowledge of:

the essential behaviour and attitudes pertaining to the doctor; fundamental elements and methodologies in physics and statistics serving to identify, understand and interpret biomedical phenomena; fundamental biological organizations and biochemical and cellular processes in living organisms, the basic processes of individual and group behaviour; transmission and expression mechanisms of genetic information at the cellular and molecular levels; the structural organization of the human body, and main applications of an anatomo-clinical nature, ranging from the macroscopic to the microscopic level and up to the main ultrastructural aspects and mechanisms giving rise to this organization during embryonic development and differentiation; essential morphological characteristics of systems, apparatuses, organs, tissues, cells and subcellular structures of the human organism, as well as the main correlated morpho-functional aspects; biochemical, molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying physiopathological processes, fundamentals of the main laboratory methods applicable to qualitative and quantitative studies of pathogenesis determinants and important biological processes in medicine; the modes of function of the various organs of the human body, their dynamic integration in apparatuses and general mechanisms of functional control in normal conditions; the main functional findings in healthy conditions; fundamentals of the main imaging diagnostics methods and the use of radiation, together with the principles of biomedical technologies applied to medicine.

Graduates must also:

have acquired a thorough knowledge of the interplay between the basic sciences and clinical sciences, and of the complexity peculiar to the state of health of different populations and patients, with particular regard to the inter-disciplinarity of the medical specialties;
have developed and completed a highly integrated approach to the patient, being able not only to critically evaluate all clinical aspects but also to pay special attention to the relational, educational, social and ethical factors involved in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, as well as to promote rehabilitation and recovery of the highest possible degree of psychophysical well-being.

Graduates of the Degree Course in Medicine and Surgery will work as physicians-surgeons in the various clinical, medical and bio-medical professional roles.

For the above purposes, graduates will have acquired:

a knowledge of the organization, structure and normal function of the human body, with a view to maintaining good health and understanding pathological changes;
a knowledge of the causes of disease in humans, interpreting the fundamental pathogenic, molecular, cellular and physiopathological mechanisms;
a knowledge of the basic biological defense mechanisms and of pathological changes occurring in the immune system, together with the relationship between micro-organisms and hosts in human infections, including defense mechanisms;
the ability to correctly apply the relevant methodologies to detect clinical, functional and clinical findings, and critically interpret them from the pathophysiological point of view, for the purposes of diagnosis and prognosis, as also to assess the cost/benefit ratio when selecting diagnostic procedures, paying attention to both the correct clinical methodology and the principles of evidence-based medicine;
an adequate systematic knowledge of the most common diseases of the various apparatuses, from the nosographic, etiopathogenetic, pathophysiological and clinical points of view, while maintaining a unified, comprehensive view of human disease, as well as the ability to critically evaluate and correlate clinical symptoms, physical signs, physiological changes observed in humans with anatomopathological lesions, interpreting the underlying mechanisms and exploring the clinical implications;
the ability to pursue appropriate clinical reasoning to analyze and solve the most common clinical problems in the medical and surgical fields, and to assess epidemiological data and apply them to promote health and prevent disease in individuals and communities;
a knowledge of the principles supporting analysis of human behaviours and an adequate experience, gained thanks to extensive ongoing experiences of interactive practicals in the field of doctor-patient communications, of the importance of quality communication with the patient and family, as well as with other health professionals, together with an awareness of medical and lay values, and the ability to make an appropriate use of methodologies promoting information, education and health education and to recognize major alterations of behavioural and subjective experience indicating the need for preventive and rehabilitation strategies;
a knowledge of the anatomopathological frameworks, and of cellular, tissue and organ injuries and their evolution to major diseases of other apparatuses, as well as a knowledge, gained also by participating in anatomoclinical conferences, of the contribution of the anatomopathologist-histologist to clinical decision making, with reference to the use of histopathologic and cytopathologic diagnostics (including colpo- and onco-cytology) and molecular techniques for the diagnosis, prevention, prognosis and therapy of diseases, and the ability to interpret histological reports;
the ability to make a correct selection among the different imaging diagnostic procedures, assessing risks, costs and benefits, and to interpret imaging diagnostics reports, as well as a knowledge of the indications and methods for the use of radioactive tracers and the ability to judge when to propose therapeutic radiation procedures, including a knowledge of the principles of proper radiation protection, evaluating risks and benefits;
a knowledge of the main current methods for laboratory diagnosis of clinical, cellular and molecular alterations, and the ability to select among the different laboratory diagnostics procedures, assessing the costs and benefits and rationally interpreting laboratory data;
a good understanding of the physiological, anatomopathological, preventive and clinical problems relating to the bronchopulmonary, cardiovascular, gastroenterological, hematopoietic, endocrine-metabolic, immunologic and uro-renal systems, making an etiopathogenetic interpretation and indicating diagnostics and therapeutic solutions, as well as identifying those conditions in the above areas that require the professional contribution of a specialist;
the ability to recognize the most frequent otorhinolaryngology, dentistry and oral diseases, diseases of the locomotor system, of the sight, of the skin and venereal diseases, identifying the main solutions for the prevention, diagnosis and therapy, as well as identifying those conditions in the above areas that require the professional contribution of a specialist;
the ability to recognize, by means of pathophysiological, anatomopathological and clinical study, the main alterations of the nervous system, as well as psychiatric social environment-related disorders, providing an adequate etiopathogenetic interpretation and indicating diagnostic and therapeutic solutions;
the ability and sensitivity to examine specialist issues within a wider view of the general state of health of the individual and of his/her general needs to preserve a state of well-being, and the capacity to integrate the symptoms, signs and structural and functional alterations of single organs and apparatuses in a global unified evaluation of the overall state of health of individuals and communities, grouping them under the preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitative profile;
a knowledge of the physiological changes due to ageing and of common disease conditions in the elderly, together with the ability to plan medical and health care for the geriatric patient;
the ability to analyze and solve clinical problems in the internal medicine, surgery and specialist fields, evaluating the benefits, risks and cost ratios in the light of the principles of evidence-based medicine and of their diagnostic and therapeutic appropriateness;
the ability to analyze and solve the clinical problems relating to oncology, approaching the diagnostic therapeutic process in the light of the principles of evidence-based medicine, and the knowledge of pain therapy and palliative care;
the ability and sensitivity needed to be able to apply, in medical decision-making, the essential principles of health economics with particular regard to the cost-benefit ratio for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, of hospital-territory therapeutic continuity and of organizational appropriateness;
a knowledge of the fundamental concepts underlying the human sciences with regard to the historical evolution of values in medicine, including epistemological and ethical values;
the ability and sensitivity to be able to critically evaluate medical actions within the health care team;
a knowledge of the different classes of drugs, the molecular and cellular mechanisms of action, the basic principles of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics and a knowledge of the therapeutic uses of drugs, the variability of response in relation to gender, genetic and physiopathological factors, drug interactions and the criteria for defining therapeutic regimens, as well as a knowledge of the principles and methods of clinical pharmacology, including drug monitoring and pharmacoepidemiology, and of the side effects and toxicity of drugs and addictive substances;
a knowledge, related to the preventive, diagnostic and rehabilitation aspects, of the issues related to health and disease during infancy, childhood and adolescence, to be dealt with in general practice and the ability to identify conditions that require the professional contribution of a specialist and to plan essential medical interventions for major pediatric health problems, according to their frequency and risk;
an adequate understanding of physiological, psychological and medical findings in the field of female fertility and sexuality, and dysfunctions in terms of medical sexology, natural and assisted procreation from an endocrine-gynecological point of view, pregnancy, antenatal morbidity and childbirth, and the ability to recognize the most frequent gynecological diseases for which preventive and therapeutic measures are indicated, as well as being able to identify those conditions that require the professional contribution of a specialist;
an adequate understanding of physiological, psychological and medical findings in the field of male fertility and evaluation of male gametes, male sexuality and dysfunctions in terms of medical sexology, natural and assisted procreation from an endocrine-andrological point of view, and the ability to recognize the most frequent andrological diseases for which preventive and therapeutic measures are indicated, as well as being able to identify those conditions that require the professional contribution of a specialist;
the ability to recognize at first glance emergency and urgent clinical situations and to carry out the necessary first aid measures to ensure survival and provide immediate care, as well as a knowledge of how to intervene in case of mass disaster;
a knowledge of the basic rules for maintaining and promoting the health of individuals and communities and at the workplace, identifying situations requiring specific expertise, as well as a knowledge of the main laws that regulate health care organizations and the ability to apply the principles and practice of preventive medicine in different types of communities;
a knowledge of ethical standards and professional liability issues, and the ability to critically examine the ethical principles underlying the different possible career choices, developing an interdisciplinary, cross-cultural mental attitude and ability to colllaborate with other figures in a medical team, being aware of the rules and dynamics that characterize group work as well as having an adequate experience of the general organization of work, related to the bioethics, history and epistemology of medicine, the doctor-patient relationship, as well as a knowledge of community medicine issues, also gained directly by on field experience;
a knowledge of the characteristics of multi-ethnic societies, with specific reference to the variety and diversity of values and cultural aspects;
a thorough knowledge of the technological and biotechnological advances in modern bio-medicine, including a knowledge of the principles of scientific research in bio-medical and specialised clinical areas, the ability to search, read and interpret international literature, to plan research on specific topics and to develop a mindset that can critically interpret scientific data;
an adequate experience of independent study and the organization of lifelong training, being able to perform literature searches and keep up-to-date, and to make critical readings of scientific articles, thanks to an adequate knowledge of scientific English serving to understand the international literature and updating scientific meetings;
written and spoken proficiency in at least one European Union language, besides Italian;
a sufficient information technology expertise for the management of information systems, and for self-training purposes;
an adequate knowledge of family and territory medicine, also acquired through practical experiences of on field training.

In particular, graduates will have a specific expertise in the fields of internal medicine, general surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, as well as the main medical and surgical specialties, acquired during professional training attachments lasting a sufficient period of time to be awarded at least 60 credits. These are carried out, in an integrated manner with other training course activities, at university healthcare facilities.

The Degree Course in Medicine and Surgery lasts 6 years.

As regards the definition of preordained curricula in conformity with EEC Directive 75/363, the university teaching regulations shall comply with the requirements of this Act and of art. 6, paragraph 3, of Ministerial Decree No 270/04.

Specific educational goals and description of the course

To achieve the above-described learning goals, the single cycle degree course totals 360 credits, awarded over the six years of the course. At least 60 of these credits must be acquired during training activities aimed at developing specific professional skills.

Specific mission of the single cycle degree course

The mission of the single cycle degree course is to train physicians to reach an initial professional level, based on a biomedical-psychosocial culture and adopting a multidisciplinary, integrated vision of the problems relating to health, illness and death. Such a physician will be community- and territory-oriented and will have the primary aims of preventing disease and promoting health. At this level the physician will have a strong humanistic culture devoted to dealing with medical aspects while respecting the individual. This specific mission will be able to respond adequately to the new health care demands, centered not only on disease but particularly on the sick individual, taking into account the individual psyche and soma and the impacts of the relative social context.
Such a medical training is to be seen as the first step in an educational system that will continue over time, and include lifelong learning. The knowledge the graduate will have acquired at this stage is designed to attribute a due importance to self-education, experienced not only in the hospital but also on the territory, taking into account epidemiological aspects, clinical reasoning and the culture of disease prevention.

The qualifying features of the future doctor include:

A good ability to maintain human contacts (communication skills);
A positive attitude devoted to self-education and self-evaluation (continuing education);
An ability to make an independent analysis and to solve problems associated with medical practice by means of good clinical practice based on scientific evidence (evidence-based medicine);
An ability to promote constant updating of personal knowledge and skills, and possessing the methodological and cultural bases designed to acquire and critically evaluate new knowledge and skills (continuing professional development and education);
Good skills in interdisciplinary and interprofessional activities (interprofessional education);
A profound knowledge of the methodological foundations necessary for a proper approach to scientific research in medicine, together with the independent information technology skills essential to clinical practice.

The specific educational project, the teaching method

The keywords of the teaching method adopted to achieve the expected qualifying features are: horizontal and vertical knowledge integration, a solid cultural base and methodology gained during the study of the pre-clinical disciplines, then predominantly centered on problem solving abilities (problem-oriented learning), early contacts with patients to acquire good clinical skills and develop satisfactory doctor-patient communication powers.
Thus, the teaching program is highly integrated, flexible and reliable, a true scientific test laboratory aimed at promoting in students the ability to acquire knowledge not piecemeal but in an integrated fashion, and to maintain this knowledge not only short term but also in the long term. Students play a pivotal role in the training process, both as regards the educational design and improvements of the whole curriculum, in order to enhance their independence and initiative.

Students gain a strong clinical knowledge basis thanks to the organization of qualifying internships based on tutorials, along with a good understanding of medical-scientific methods and the human sciences. True professional competence is reached, in our view, only after a long period of contact with the patient, which is promoted as from the first year and integrated with basic and clinical sciences, throughout the training course by means of extensive use of tutorial activities.

The educational design of our degree course offers an integrated balance between:

the basic sciences, which must provide an extensive knowledge of evolutionary biology and biological complexity and an understanding of the structures and functions of the human organism in normal conditions, for the purpose of maintaining health,
medical practice and clinical methods, based on the widespread use of tutorials that can transform theoretical knowledge into personal experience and can help to construct a personal scale of values and interests,
the social sciences, to support a conscious awareness of the duties and responsibilities of the physician and the ability to practice the profession in conformity with social and legal norms.

Much of the essential content of our Educational design was already activated in this sense during academic year 1999-2000, anticipating and integrating the European specifications for global standards in medical education of the World Federation on Medical Education on the basis of the international development standards of quality in the field of biomedical education (WFME Office, University of Copenhagen, 2007).

To satisfy the specific goals, the peculiar characteristics of the Degree Course in Medicine are summarized as follows:

As required by current laws, the planning of the goals, syllabuses and teaching is multidisciplinary.
The implemented teaching method is interactive and multidisciplinary, involving the daily integration of basic sciences and clinical disciplines and early clinical involvement of the students, who are immediately trained to adopt a proper approach to the patient (respecting the patient's psycho-social history, learning BLS techniques, carrying out professional internships organized as guided tutorial activities with final certification of their level of skills). The problems of the basic sciences and the clinical sphere are thus faced throughout the years of the course (total integration model), although in different proportions, while preserving a unified, highly integrated vision, thanks also to the use of differentiated teaching methods.
The specific goals of the basic courses are selected primarily according to the relevance of each goal to the human biology context, and to the impact of current or emerging clinical issues, paying particular attention to scientific methodologies.
The choice of the specific goals of the residency courses is made primarily on the basis of epidemiological prevalence, cases requiring urgent medical attention, the indicated treatment options, the gravity of cases, and teaching by example. Emphasis is on attendance at hospital wards, surgeries and territorial facilities, and enhancing doctor-patient relational skills, taking full account of psychological aspects.
The teaching process increasingly relies on modern teaching tools, consisting of the tutorial system, clinical practicals, problem-oriented learning, experience-based learning, problem solving, clinical decision making and attendance at seminars and conferences.
Each student is assigned a tutor who cooperates in the individual training process, having teaching functions (area tutor) and supporting the student's personal and learning (personal tutor).
Particular attention is paid to the acquisition of practical skills through: 1) involvement in the planning of basic research in the first three years of the course, 2) learning the basics of clinical science in the wards and in laboratories in the intermediate period (professional internships organized as guided tutorial activities with final certification of the level of skills), 3) attendance at wards and the university (clinical internships, clinical clerkships – final Certification of the skills achieved by the tutor), as well as territorial health care facilities and general practitioners surgeries, completing clinical internships in the last years of the course and an internship period in the chosen sector for preparation of the degree thesis, 4) participation in research programmes during the internship to prepare for the thesis.
Students need to pass a scientific English language exam.
Particular attention is paid to acquiring multimedia and computing methodologies through e-learning experiences, tele-teaching and telemedicine, and to the correct use of literature sources.
Clinical Methodology lessons: the importance of method in medicine is well known, in terms of both a knowledge of medical methodology and application of the principles of evidence-based medicine and of clinical methodology to the individual patient. This course immediately guides students to develop empathy, which will accompany them throughout their educational and scientific training process. The training will enable them to sharpen their skills and acquire correct and innovative clinical reasoning methods. This will be achieved through the application of "evidence-based medicine”, “evidence-based teaching", through the use of "guidelines", "concept maps" and "algorithms". Within this integrated course the following topics will be dealt with: interdisciplinary and interprofessionalism, health care economics, medical professionalism, the physician’s social and legal responsibilities, social and gender perspectives, relations with the fields of so-called complementary and alternative medicine, disease prevention, education of the chronic patient, addiction-related diseases, palliative care for terminal patients. The students’ progressive acquisition of the method is supported by the training, allowing them to develop a scientific perspective while also developing a greater sensitivity to ethical and socio-economic issues, and allowing them to develop a complete doctor-patient relationship, in accordance with the concept of medical care for the person not the case. In this way, we respond to the growing need for a rapprochement of the physician to the patient, offsetting the widening distance caused by the increasing use of anonymous medical technology. In this context, we adopt the practice of so-called narrative medicine, together with assessment grids for reflection, as well as role playing, all important tools in the student’s acquisition of emotional and real professional skills (used by Psychologists and Psychiatrists in the course of Methodology and Psychiatry).
Students assessment is also done through in itinere tests (self-tests and mid-term interviews), students' written reports on assigned topics, and through the overall evaluation of the profile developed on the basis of predefined criteria.

The exams can be organized not only in traditional oral or written mode but also as sequences of items used to verify the knowledge the student has acquired (knows and knows how) such as multiple choice tests or short written answers focused on interdisciplinary problems or clinical cases, followed by tests used to determine the clinical skills acquired, such as the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (shows how), or like the mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise, the Direct Observation of Procedural Skills and the Use of the Portfolio (does).
As a general rule, for all integrated courses the formal evaluation will be based on written tests, possibly followed by oral tests.

In evaluating students the Maastricht type Progress Test is used in order to assess the actual skills achieved.

Once the experimental phase has been completed, the Progress Test will be systematically used, not only as a measure of the students’ skills but as an efficient tool for feedback and continuous self-evaluation of the level of preparation of students on a national scale.

Expected learning Results, expressed through the European Qualification Descriptors

Knowledge and understanding
Graduates must demonstrate that they possess the knowledge and understanding that will enable them to develop and / or apply ideas within the context of biomedical and translational research.
In Terms of Scientific Medicine, they must be able to:
1) Relate the structure and normal function of organisms as complex biological systems in continuous evolution.
2) Interpret the morpho-functional abnormalities of the human organism present in different diseases.
3) Identify normal and abnormal human behavior.
4) Recognize the main risk factors of health and disease and the interactions between man and the physical and social environment.
5) Interpret the basic molecular, cellular, biochemical and physiological mechanisms which maintain the body’s homeostasis.
6) Describe the life cycle and the effects of growth, development, ageing and death on the individual, the family and the community.
7) Discuss the etiology and natural history of acute and chronic diseases.
8) Recall the essential knowledge concerning epidemiology, health economics and the principles of health management.
9) Relate the principles of the actions of drugs and the indications of the effectiveness of different drug therapies.
10) Implement, when beginning professional practice, the major biochemical, pharmacological, surgical, psychological, social interventions, in acute and chronic illness, rehabilitation and terminal, at the required level.

Applying knowledge and understanding

Graduates should be able to apply their knowledge to understand and solve problems relating also to new or unfamiliar issues, within a broad and interdisciplinary context in order to provide the clinical care needed to deal with and treat complex health issues arising in the population.

Therefore they must be able to:

Clinical skills

Take an adequate medical history properly, also including social aspects such as occupational health.
Make a full examination of the patient's physical and mental conditions.
Perform the diagnostic procedures and basic techniques, analyze and interpret the results in order to properly define the nature of the problem.
Manage the appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic strategies properly in order to safeguard life and apply the principles of evidence-based medicine.
Exercise proper clinical assessment to establish the diagnosis and therapy in individual patients.
Recognize any life-threatening conditions.
Manage the most common medical emergencies properly and independently.
Take care of patients in an effective, efficient and ethical way, promoting health and preventing disease.
Identify the prevailing health problems and advise patients while taking into account physical, psychological, social, legal and cultural considerations.
Provide guidance for the appropriate use of human resources, diagnostic interventions, therapeutic modalities and technologies devoted to health care.

Health of populations and Healthcare Systems

Consider professionally the main determinants of health and illness, such as lifestyle, genetic, demographic, environmental, socio-economic, psychological and cultural factors in the whole population.
Note the important role of these health and disease determinants, take appropriate preventive action and protect against diseases, injuries and accidents, maintaining and promoting the health of the individual, family and community.
Keep up-to-date on the state of health at international level, global trends in morbidity and mortality of chronic diseases with an important social impact, considering the effects of migration, trade and environmental factors on health, and the role of the international health organizations.
Acknowledge the roles and responsibilities of other healthcare professionals in providing health care to individuals, populations and communities.
Recognize the need for collective responsibility in health promotion actions that require close collaboration with the population and the need for a multidisciplinary approach, including health professionals and also intersector collaborations.
Make reference to the basic health systems, including policies, organization, financing, restrictive measures on the costs and the principles of efficient management in the effective delivery of health care.
Demonstrate a good understanding of the mechanisms that determine fair access to healthcare, and the efficiency and quality of treatment.
Use local monitoring, regional and national demographic and epidemiologic data correctly to support health decisions.
Accept, when necessary and appropriate, roles of responsibility in decisions about health.

Making judgments

Graduates must have the ability to integrate knowledge and handle complexity, as well as to make judgments based on incomplete or limited information, including reflections on social and ethical responsibilities related to the application of their knowledge and opinions.

Therefore they must be able to:

Critical Thought and Scientific Research

Demonstrate a critical approach, constructive skepticism, and a creative attitude towards research in their conduct of professional activities.
Take into account the importance and limits of scientific thought based on information obtained from various resources, to determine the cause, treatment and prevention of disease.
Formulate personal opinions to solve complex and analytical problems (problem solving) and to seek out scientific information independently rather than waiting passively to receive it.
Identify, formulate and solve the patient’s problems using the foundations of scientific thought and research and on the basis of information obtained from various sources and correlated.
Be aware of how complexity, uncertainty and probability can influence decisions in medical practice.
Formulate hypotheses, collect and evaluate information critically, to solve problems.

Professional Values, Skills, Behaviour and Ethics

Acknowledge the essential elements of the medical profession, including moral and ethical and legal responsibilities that are the bases of the profession.
Respect the professional values that include excellence, altruism, responsibility, compassion, empathy, reliability, honesty and integrity, and commitment to follow scientific methods.
Be aware that every physician has an obligation to promote, protect and enhance these elements for the benefit of patients, the profession and society.
Recognize that good medical practice depends on interaction and good relationships between the doctor, patient and family, to safeguard the patient’s welfare, cultural diversity and independence.
Demonstrate the ability to correctly apply the principles of moral reasoning and make the right decisions in cases of possible conflicts among ethical, legal and professional values, including aspects that may emerge from economic hardship, the marketing of health care and new scientific discoveries.
Respond with personal commitment to the need for continual professional improvement, being aware of one’s own limitations, including those regarding medical knowledge.
Respect colleagues and other health professionals, demonstrating an ability to collaborate fruitfully with them.
Comply with the moral requirements of medical care in the terminal stages of life, including supplying palliative treatment of symptoms and pain.
Implement ethical and deontological principles in the handling of patient data, in avoiding plagiarism, in respecting privacy and intellectual property rights.
Plan time and activities effectively and manage them efficiently so as to cope with conditions of uncertainty, and be ready to adapt to change.
Exercise personal responsibility in the care of individual patients.

Communication skills

Graduates should know how to communicate with specialists and non specialists, as well as with patients – in the most appropriate manner according to the circumstances – their findings, knowledge and the rationale supporting them, clearly and without ambiguity.

Therefore they must be able to:

Listen carefully in order to understand and summarize the relevant information on all the issues, understanding their content.
Practice communication skills to facilitate understanding with patients and their relatives, rendering them able to make decisions as equal partners.
Communicate effectively with colleagues, with the Faculty, with the community, with other sectors and the media.
Interact with other professionals involved in patient care through effective teamwork.
Demonstrate that they have the basic skills and correct attitudes when teaching others.
Demonstrate a good sensitivity to the cultural and personal factors that improve interactions with patients and the community.
Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
Know how to create and maintain good medical records.
Know how to summarize and present information appropriately to an audience, and to be able to discuss accessible and acceptable action plans which represent the priorities for the individual and the community.

Learning skills

Graduates should have developed the learning skills that will enable them to continue studying, mostly independently and by self-study, and be aware of the need for lifelong learning.

They must be able to:

Information Management

Collect, organize and interpret health and biomedical information coming from different sources and available databases correctly.
Collect specific information on patients from clinical data management systems.
Use information and communication technology as a valuable support for diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive practices and for surveillance and monitoring the health status.
Understand the scope and limitations of information technology.
Organise good archives of their medical practice, for subsequent analysis and improvement.

The achievement of these goals will be reached through attendance of basic training activities organized as "integrated specific" courses so as to ensure a unified, interdisciplinary vision of the teaching objectives. The teaching method includes lectures, tutorials, conferences, seminars, discussion groups.

The teaching process will also make use of modern teaching tools, consisting of the tutorial system, clinical vivas, problem-oriented learning, experience-based learning, problem solving, decision making. The use of faculty tutors will be predominant in the student’s training process, facilitating learning (area tutors) and supporting students (personal tutors).

Particular attention will be given to English language learning and to computer and multimedia methodologies also through e-learning and telemedicine, and the correct use of lierature sources.

As a general rule, for all the integrated courses the formal evaluations will be based on written or oral tests. The evaluation of students will also be carried out through in itinere training assessments (evidence of self-assessment and mid-term interviews), students' written reports on assigned topics, and through the overall evaluation of the profile developed on the basis of predefined criteria.

The exams will be organized not only in traditional oral or written mode but also as sequences of items to check the knowledge acquired, such as multiple choice tests or short written answers to questions organized on interdisciplinary clinical cases, followed by tests to determine the clinical skills acquired.

Employment profile and possible job opportunities for graduates

Graduates in Medicine and Surgery will practice as physicians/surgeons in the various professional, clinical, health and biomedical fields. Employment opportunities include the following:

Private practice
General practice within the NHS
Work in private facilities (clinics and nursing homes)
Work in public facilities (ASLs, Hospitals, IRCCS)
Research (University, IRCCS, industry, CNR)

The degree in Medicine and Surgery is also a prerequisite for access to medical residency programs in the different specialties. The course trains doctors who will then train on to become future surgeons and specialist physicians in the various special branches after further years of study and practice.

Courses

1st YEAR

1 Chemistry and Introductory Biochemistry EU Creds 6
1 Medical Physics and Informatic EU Creds 7
1 Biology and Genetics EU Creds 7
1 Human Sciences EU Creds 4
1 Human Histology and Embryology part 1.a EU Creds 1
2 Human Histology and Embryology EU Creds 9
2 Biochemistry part 1.a EU Creds 6
2 Basic Medical Scientific Methodology EU Creds 5
2 Human Anatomy 1 – part 1.a EU Creds 5
2 ADE (Option chosen by Student) EU Creds 1

2nd YEAR

1 Biochemistry; 8 EU Creds
1 Human Anatomy 1 EU Creds 11
1Microbiology and Parasitology EU Creds 7
2 Scientific English EU Creds 2
2 Human Anatomy EU Creds 7
2 Human Physiology part 1.a EU Creds 9
2 Pathology and Immunology part 1.a EU Creds 6
2 ADE (Option chosen by Student) EU Creds 1

3rd YEAR

1 Human Physiology EU Creds 10
1 Pathology and Immunology EU Creds 7
1 Laboratory Medicine EU Creds 9
1 Medical-Surgical Methodology and Physical findings part 1.a 6 EU Creds
2 Medical Statistics EU Creds 6
2 Anatomo-Pathology part 1.a EU Creds 4
2 Medical-Surgical Methodology and Physical findings EU Creds 6
2 Medical-Surgical Specialties 1 EU Creds 13
ADE (Option chosen by Student) EU Creds 1

4th YEAR

1 Anatomo-Pathology EU Creds 8
1 Medical-Surgical Specialties 2 EU Creds 14
1 Medical-Surgical Specialties 3 EU Creds 11
ADE (Option chosen by Student) EU Creds 1
2 Medical-Surgical Specialties 4 EU Creds 8
2 Medical-Surgical Specialties sense organs EU Creds 8
2 Medical-Surgical Specialties 5 EU Creds 9
2 Scientific English EU Creds 2
ADE (Option chosen by Students) EU Creds 1

5th YEAR

1 Pharmacology part 1.a EU Creds 4
1 Diagnostics by Imaging and Radiotherapy EU Creds 4
1 Neurological Sciences EU Creds 8
1 Clinical Psychiatry and Psychology EU Creds 7
1 Hygiene EU Creds 6
ADE (Option chosen by Student) EU Creds 1
2 Pharmacology EU Creds 6
2 Ginecology and Obstetrics EU Creds 6
2 General and Specialist Pediatrics EU Creds 7
2 Occupational Medicine EU Creds 6
2 Legal medicine EU Creds 6
ADE (Option chosen by Student) EU Creds 1

6th YEAR

1 Clinical Medicine, Genetics and Geriatrics EU Creds 11
1 Clinical Surgery EU Creds 5
1 Medical-Surgical Emergencies EU Creds 10
1 EU Creds for preparation of Thesis EU Creds 9
1 ADE (Option chosen by Student) EU Creds 1
2 Semestral course of Medical-Surgical Training EU Creds 26
2 EU Creds for preparation of Thesis EU Creds 9
2 Scientific English EU Creds 1

TOTAL EU Creds for EXAMS EU Creds 334
Elective Training Activities (ADE) 8 EU Creds
EU Credits for preparation of Thesis18
Overall TOTAL: 360