MEDICAL CURRICULA

“Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy

Timişoara, Romania

4th Conference on Curriculum Reform, Zagreb, Croatia, 2005

Structure of the University

� Faculty of Medicine� General Medicine 6

years� Balneo-

physiokinetotherapy 3 years

� Nursing 3 years

� Faculty of Dental Medicine

� Long term studies 6 years� Short term 3 years

(technician)

� Faculty of Pharmacy� Long term 5 years

General principles

� According to the specific laws focused on the learning process in Romania

� Synchronization in part with curricula of other traditional medical universities from the country

� Compulsory disciplines: almost the same� Optional and elective: differences� Significant differences in the number of hours

� Autonomy of the University: allows the construction and/or modification of the curricula, without the interference of Ministry of Education

� Strategy: focused on long-term studies in general medicine, dental medicine, and pharmacy

� 15 weeks/semester

Type of curricula

� Linear (“classic”)� Some modules restricted to the internal medicine� Average hours/week: 27-34.5� Compulsory courses � Optional/elective courses� Practice: lab/hospital� Exam

� Practical: compulsory and eliminatory � Theoretical: oral or written (subjects/multiple choice

questions)� Hospital practice: 20 working days during the

summer, 8 hours/day – 160 h

1st yearCompulsory Lecture Lab Credits S1 S2

Anatomy-Embryology 60 210 16 E E

General chemistry 30 15 4 C -

Biochemistry 60 60 10 E E

Biophysics 30 30 5 E -

General biology 30 - 2 C -

Molecular and cell biology 30 30 5 - E

Physiology 45 45 7 - E

Informatics/biostatistics 30 30 5 - E

Psychology/behavioral 22.5 30 3 E -

Foreign language - 45 2 - C

Physical education - 60 - - C

Hospital practice - 160 1 - -

1st year - remarks

� Modification of curricula in the high school� Changes in the admission requirements� Recently introduced

� general biology� general chemistry

� No optional or elective in the first year� To be introduced in 2006-2007

� first aid

2nd yearCompulsory Lecture Lab Credits S1 S2

Microbiology 60 75 10 E E

Parasitology 15 15 2 E -

Anatomy-Embryology 60 60 10 E E

Physiology 90 90 12 E E

Hygiene 30 30 4 - E

Histology 60 60 9 E E

Genetics 45 45 5 - E

Biochemistry 30 30 5 E -

Research in medicine 15 15 1 - C

Physical education - 60 - - C

Hospital practice - 160 - - C

Elective: Immunomorphology (30/30, C), Philosophy (15/30, C), Foreign language (0/60, C)

3rd year

Compulsory Lecture Lab Credits S1 S2

Pathophysiology 60 60 10 - E

Pathology 75 75 10 - E

Pharmacology 60 60 10 - E

Medical semiology 90 240 18 E E

Surgical semiology 60 60 8 E E

Immunology 22.5 22.5 2 E -

Public health/management 15 15 1 - E

Hospital practice - 160 1 - C

3rd yearOptional Lecture Practice Credits S1 S2

Medical electronics 15 15 - C -

Clinical psychology 15 15 - - C

Microsurgery 15 30 2 - C

Elective (1 from 3) Lecture Practice Credits S1 S2

Clinical biochemistry 15 15 - - C

Plastic surgery 15 15 - C -

Tropical parasitology 15 15 - - C

4th year

Compulsory Lecture Lab Credits S1 S2

Internal medicine 75 240 22 E -

Radiology/Imagistic 30 30 4 E -

Dermatology 30 30 4 E -

Surgery 54 120 10 - E

Orthopedics/Traumatology 22.5 60 5 - E

Urology 22.5 60 5 - E

Occupational medicine 15 15 1 - E

Pediatrics 30 30 5 - E

Neonatology 15 30 2 E -

Hospital practice - 160 2 - C

4th yearOptional Lecture Practice Credits S1 S2

Clinical pharmacology 15 15 - C -

Electrocardiography 15 15 - - C

Cytology/practical histology 15 15 - C -

Elective (1 from 4) Lecture Practice Credits S1 S2

Clinical microbiology 30 30 - - C

Bioethics, deontology 15 15 - C -

Cardiovascular surgery 6 30 - - C

Echocardiography 15 15 - - C

To be introduced in the curricula: clinical and imagistic anatomy (2007) as optional course

5th year

Compulsory Lecture Lab Credits S1 S2

Internal medicine 75 210 17 E -

Ophthalmology 15 30 3 E -

Neurology/Neurosurgery 45 45 6 E -

ENT 30 45 4 - E

Maxillofacial surgery 15 15 2 E -

Endocrinology 22.5 30 3 - E

Pediatrics 60 225 15 - E

Oncology 30 30 4 - E

Pediatric surgery* 15 60 4 - E

Hospital practice - 160 2 - C

5th yearOptional Lecture Practice Credits S1 S2

Immunopathology 15 - - - C

Medical sociology 15 15 - C -

Nucleic acid technology 15 15 - C

Clinical pathology 15 15 - - C

Elective (1 from 2) Lecture Practice Credits S1 S2

Medical psychology 15 15 - C -

Thoracic surgery 15 15 - - C

To be introduced: Pathology in medical practice (2006) and Medical biotechnologies (2007) as elective

6th yearCompulsory Lecture Lab Credits S1 S2

Obstetrics/Gynecology 67.5 165 17 E -

Psychiatry 45 45 7 E -

Anesthesiology 15 15 2 E -

Pediatric psychiatry 15 15 2 E -

Pediatric polyclinic 15 15 2 E -

Family medicine* 15 15 2 E -

Medical polyclinic, Preventive and cardiovascular rehabilitation, Physiotherapy

45 90 8 - E

Infectious diseases/Epidemiology

60 90 11 - E

Forensic medicine 30 30 4 - E

Emergencies 30 60 5 - E

6th yearOptional Lecture Practice Credits S1 S2

Clinical genetics 15 15 - C -

Tropical infectious diseases 15 - - - C

History of medicine 15 - - C -

Elective: No

License: the same system in all medical universities of the country

• written paper

• presentation of a research project

To be introduced: Ecology and ambient medicine (2008)

What to do now?� Short-term strategy:

� To introduce some clinical applications even in the first two years

� Clinical applications in basic medical disciplines are strongly encouraged

� To reduce the number of hours in disciplines that are over the European average

� To increase the number of hours in disciplines that are below the average

� To increase the offer of optional/elective courses� To put the basis for the first module: neurosciences

(includes development, anatomy, histology, pathology, physiology, neurology, neurosurgery) – 5 th