Entry requirements

Required previous knowledge is decided by the Committee for Undergraduate Medical Education.

Aims

The course is given together with the course in obstetrics and gynaecology.

The main objective of the basic course in paediatrics is to give the student enough knowledge in paediatrics (child and adolescent medicine) to enable him/her to continue to further education as a specialist or general practitioner.

This main objective implies that after completion of the course the student should be able to

- describe a child's normal growth and development,

- determine a child's developmental stage and be able to recognise signs of delayed development,

- perform a general physical examination in children of all age groups and evaluate the results,

- interview, advise and give information to parents,

- describe the aetiology, pathophysiology, symptomatology, treatment and prognosis of the most common childhood diseases,

- recognise less common diseases that are of special importance from a diagnostic or prognostic point of view,

- diagnose and treat acute infectious diseases, acute gastro-enteritis with dehydration,acute asthma, acute seizures, heart failure, poisoning, diabetic coma and insulin reactions in children,

- recognise the most common diseases in newborn children,

- recognise the most common types of surgical disorders in children,

- recognise the most common types of psychosomatic disorders in children,

- describe the most common behavioural disorders in different age groups,

- describe the measures taken by the community to protect children from diseases,

- describe the goals, organisations and working methods of child health care

- understand the sick child?s dependence on his/her guardian and the need for stimulation and security,

- recognise his/her own limitations in the care of sick children.

Content

The main areas of teaching are as follows:

Health, growth and development

Clinical training

Social paediatrics

Health care services

International child health care

Instruction

The course comprises 7 weeks during the 11th term. During the first week of the course, a common introduction to paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology is given. Further moments of common teaching follow later during the course, and the theoretical examination at the end of the semester covers paediatrics and obstetrics/gynaecology.

The teaching takes the form of lectures, demonstrations and group instructions.

Practical experience is obtained by duties on the paediatric wards concurrently with other forms of teaching. Some of these duties are carried out at one of the child health care centres and at the paediatric department of other hospitals.

Assessment

To meet the requirements the student must have completed the assigned duties on the wards, been present at the different parts of the course in accordance with the instructions given at the beginning of the course, and have passed the examination, which is given in two parts, written and practical.