Medical Curriculum at the Third Faculty of Medicine

The traditional way of teaching medicine introduced world–wide at the beginning of the 20th century does no longer meet current demands of education process. The problem is caused mainly by a growing gap between constantly increasing amount of knowledge together with development of new methods and traditional structure of medical curriculum that is based on the organization of faculty into traditional Institutes. The educational process in traditional curriculum is divided according to individual theoretical or clinical disciplines. Thus each discipline has its own textbook, Institute, chief lecturer as well as examiner. Horizontal interdisciplinary connections among such well-defined fields are minimal and students are expected to create them themselves. However, in reality the borders between current medical disciplines disappear and new border-line and interdisciplinary fields emerge. These are difficult to integrate into the traditional curriculum.

In the academic year 1996/97, the 3rd Faculty of Medicine established a new curriculum where medical studies are divided into 3 basic sections – two–year cycles that differ, apart from other things, in a methodical approach to education.
Cycle I is an integrated study in terms 1–4, cycle II has an integrated part in term 5 and its bulk consists of problem–o riented study in terms 6–8. Cycle III (terms 9–12) is devoted to rotating clinical training at various Clinics. The cycles are further structured into smaller units – modules and courses.

The basic modules in Cycle I are as follows: Structure and Functions of Human Body elucidates integrated knowledge of anatomy, histology, embryology, biochemistry and physiology; Cell Biology and Genetics integrates biology, fundamentals of histology and embryology, chemistry and biochemistry of the cell, immunology and fundamentals of genetics; Methodology explains the basics of scientific methodology, biostatistics, epidemiology and evaluation of health risks; Biophysics and Informatics shed light on fundamentals of medical biophysics, nuclear medicine, radiology and informatics. From the beginning of their studies, students encounter patients within the Needs of the Patient module, where they acquire basic ideas about nursing techniques, first aid, psychology and medical ethics.
Foreign language education focused on medical terminology and the Czech language is included in this cycle along with physical training.

In year III, term 5, the module Theoretical Foundations of Clinical Medicine integrates the knowledge of general pathology, pathological physiology, microbiology, immunology, genetics and pharmacology. Besides, students are introduced to basic clinical examination techniques step-by-step in all clinical disciplines. So they receive valuable experience in a complex form that they later build upon. (The traditional curriculum does not offer such an opportunity in some clinical subjects until year V.)
In following 3 semesters, the Clinical and Pathological Foundations of Medicine module is taught, consisting of 19 courses of varying length. The aim is to facilitate understanding of etiology and pathogenic mechanisms of the most common diseases, to become familiar with their signs, symptoms, application and interpretation of tests and different methods of examination, as well as with foundations of treatment procedures.
During the cycle II, students are also obliged to take a certain number of elective courses according to their interest. The faculty offers more than a hundred of these in-depth courses covering the whole spectrum of medical disciplines.
In years V and VI the curriculum focuses on clinical training which takes place in faculty Departments and often also in affiliated health care facilities both in Prague and outside of it.

STRUCTURE OF THE CURRICULUM:

Cycle I (Year 1– 2: Basic Biomedical Sciences) – Head: Prof. MUDr. Josef Stingl, CSc.

Module A: Structure and Functions of Human Body
Module B: Cell Biology and Genetics
Module C: Biophysics and Informatics
Module D: Needs of the Patient
Module E: Methodology
Separate courses:
Medical Terminology (Latin)
Summer Practice in Nursing
Course in the Czech Language

Cycle II (Year 3 – 4: Principles of Clinical Medicine) – Head: Prof. MUDr. Jiří Horák, CSc.

Module A: Theoretical Foundations of Clinical Medicine
Module B: Introduction to Clinical Examination
Module C: Clinical and Pathological Foundations of Medicine
Module D: Elective Courses or Student Research Activity
Separate courses:
Czech Language – Communication with Patients
Medical Psychology and Pathopsychology
Summer Practice in Internal Medicine
Summer Practice in Surgery

Cycle III (Year 5 – 6: Clinical Preparation) – Head: Prof. MUDr. Michal Anděl, CSc.

Module of Internal Medicine
Module of Surgery
Module of Neurobehavioral Sciences
Module of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Module of Pediatrics
Module of Preventive and Primary Care
Separate courses:
Otorhinolaryngology
Ophthalmology
Dermatovenerology
Forensic Medicine
Emergency Medicine
Infection & Geographic Medicine
Summer Practice in an Elective Discipline (or in General Practice)
Summer Practice in Obstetrics and Gynecology