Program Specification for Master Degree: Internal Medicine

Cairo University
Faculty of Medicine
Program Specification for Master Degree:
Internal Medicine
Program type: Single
Department offering the program: Internal Medicine Department
Program Code: MED 811 T points: 145
Academic year: 2010/2011
Program Coordinators:
Prof. Mona Mansour
Dr. Randa Fayez
External evaluators: Professors in equivalent Universities in Egypt
I. Program aims
The program is a professional degree that enables candidates to specialize in the area of
internal medicine. The candidates should achieve satisfactory levels of basic knowledge and
clinical skills in all aspects of internal medicine, interact with community problems, respect
ethical values according to community culture, and promote their medical standards through
engaging in continuing medical education. The program also aims to introduce the
candidate to the basics of scientific medical research.
II. Intended learning outcomes of program (ILOs)
1. Knowledge and understanding: By the end of the program the candidate should be
able to;
a) Recognize the basic scientific knowledge related to: anatomy, medical
biochemistry physiology, medical microbiology and immunology, medical
pharmacology pathology and clinical pathology.
b) Identify and understand common clinical problems related to various
modules in internal medicine:-
(Endocrinology,Hematology,Nephrology,Rheumatology,immunology,
Cardiology,Gastroentrology,hepatology,Neurology,chest,infectious diseases
,genetics and geriatric medicine)
c) Understand basic concepts of different laboratory and imaging procedures to
diagnose various clinical disorders related to various modules.
d) Describe the differential diagnosis and management modalities for common
medical clinical problems.
e) Recognize the basic principles of different procedural skills that enables the
candidate to diagnose various medical clinical disorders
2. Intellectual skills: By the end of the program the candidate should be able to;
a) Interpret and integrate basic science knowledge the student had studied to
maximize their benefit in practicing his clinical work.
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) Analyze symptoms and signs for every case to construct a differential
diagnosis for the common clinical presentations.
c) Design an appropriate diagnostic plan for evaluation of common clinical
complaints taking into consideration the nature of the clinical situation and the
risks, benefits and costs to the patient.
d) Interpret the results of different investigations guided by the history and
examination.
e) e)Set up treatment plans for common clinical problems taking into account the
cultural and individual needs.
3- Professional and practical skills: By the end of the program the candidates should
be able to;
a) Practice the art of history taking.
b) Identify symptoms and signs of common clinical disorders.
c) Suspect the rare clinical disorders based on clinical and laboratory data.
d) Perform simple bed side clinical procedures.
e) Offer an accurate medical diagnosis after the interpretation of investigations.
f) Offer proper medical treatment for various medical problems .
g) Manage medical emergencies properly.
4- General and transferable skills: By the end of the program the candidates
should be able to;
a) Communicate with the patients in an ethical way to gain their confidence.
b) Respond effectively to a patient’s emotional and psychosocial concerns
c) Communicate with other health care providers
d) Respect the item of patient referral to another specialty at proper time.
e) Appreciate team working.
f) Achieve Computer skills necessary to make use of medical data bases and
use the internet for communication.
g) Show administrative skills that enables him to fulfill the paper work needed
h) Show leadership skills that enable him to organize work and lead the junior
and paramedical staff.
i) Understand different scientific methodologies and have critical reading
abilities
j) Write scientific article according to the basics of scientific research.
III. Academic standards.
External references for standards:
Royal College of physicians in UK
IV. Program admission requirements.
According the Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University Bylaws for Post Graduate Programs
(July 2009), applicants should have MBBCh or equivalent degree. According to Cairo
University requirements, all applicants for postgraduate studies should fulfill preliminary
courses on the following subjects; Medical statistics I – English language (Toefl or equivalent
degree) – Computer skills (ICDL) or equivalent computer course offered by the medical
education center (MEDC). Admission to the program is open during July.
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V. Program structure and contents.
Program duration: Three years.
Program structure: Total Credit points 145
· First part: 1.5 years - Total credit points 55 - (Table 1)
o Compulsory courses; one academic year (30 weeks)
• Basic sciences courses
9 credit points
Anatomy,
1 credit point
Medical Biochemistry, 1.5
Medical physiology, 1.5
Medical Microbiology and Immunology, 1.5
Medical Pharmacology, 1.5
Pathology, 1.5
Clinical Pathology 0.5
o Elective courses
1 credit points
o Scientific activities
o Residency training program ( Basic training ):
(one year)
· Second part: 1.5 years - Total credit points 70 - (Table 2)
1 credit points
44 credit points
o Compulsory courses; one academic year (30 weeks)12 credit points
Endocrinology,
Hematology,
Nephrology,
Rheumatology,
Immunology
Cardiology,
Gastroentrology,
hepatology
Neurology,
chest,
Infectiousdisease,
Genetics
Geriatricmedicine
o Scientific activities 3 credit points
o Residency training program (specialized training ):
Two years 55 credit points
· Master Thesis: completed during second part 20 credit points.
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Table 1: First part
Courses
Credit
points
code
ILOs
Compulsory courses (One academic year)
· Anatomy
1
MED
801
1-a
2-a
· Medical
Biochemistry
1.5 MED
803
1-a,
2-a
· Medical
Physiology
· Medical
Microbiology
and
Immunology
· Medical
Pharmacology
1.5 MED
804
1.5 MED
806
1.5 MED
807
1-a
2-a
1-a
2-a
1-a
2-a
· Medical
pathology
1.5 MED
808
· Clinical and 0.5 MED
Chemical
822
pathology
Total 9
Elective Courses (MEDC) choose 2 courses
o Critical Reading
0.5
MEDC 1
1-a
2-a
1-a
2-a
o Scientific writing
0.5
MEDC 2
4-,e,f,h,i
o Evidence based medicine
0.5
MEDC 3
o Medical statistics II
0.5
MEDC 4
o Medical ethics
0.5
MEDC 5
o Communication skills
0.5
MEDC 6
Total 1
Scientific activities
1
Residency training program
44
Total first part 55
MED C1
4-g,i
2-b,c,d,e
3-
a,b,c,d,e,f,g
4-
a,b,c,d,f,g.h
,I,j
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Table 2: Second part
Item
Internal Medicine modules
Endocrinology,Nephrology,Hematology,
Rheumatology,Gastroentrology,hepatology,
Cardiology,Neurology,chest,infectious Ds.
Credit
points
Scientific activities 3
Master thesis 20
Residency training clinical program 55
Total second part 70
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Code
MED 811 T
MED 811 C2
ILOs.
1-b
2-,b,c,d
3-a,b,c,d
4-a,b,c,d.
4-g,i
4-,i.j
2-,b,c,d,e
3-a,b,c,d,e,f,g
4-
a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,I,j
Residency Training Program
· First phase (Basic Training):
According the Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University Bylaws for Post Graduate Programs
(July 2009) All the students (trainees) should have a basic training for 1 year. They
should spend 9 months in an internal medicine department and 3 months in medical
emergency department. The student is expected to attend the outpatient clinics, inpatient
section, the casualty on call and the medical ICU under the supervision of senior staff
During this period the students attend the basic sciences courses. They should also
complete the elective courses
· Second phase (Special Training):
All students should complete the special part of the residency-training program in the
internal medicine department. They should spend 24 months in order to complete the
needed credit points. . During this period the students will prepare his thesis and
participate in the scientific activities of the department.
NB: The details of the training program will be provided in separate document. The third
phase of residency training (advanced training) is part of the MD degree has a duration
of 24 months.
Master Thesis
All master-degree students should prepare a thesis in one of the modules of Internal
Medicine.
The department and the ethical committees must approve the protocol of the research. The
thesis should include a review part and a research part. The Thesis is supervised by one or
more senior staff members (a maximum of 3 staff) from the Internal Medicine department
and may include other specialties according to the nature of the research. The thesis should
be evaluated and approved by a committee of three professors including one of the
supervisors and an external professor. Approving the thesis is mandatory to allow the
student to set for the second part exam.
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Scientific Activities:
The students should participate in the scientific activities of his unit and department such as:
· Journal club.
· Seminars (including recent topics and controversial issues). Students are expected
to participate in the discussions.
· Scientific meetings arranged by the department( weekly departmental round –
grand round-monthly ;and the joint meeting with the general surgery
department)
Each activity is monitored and given credit points registered in a special section in the
residency-training logbook. The student should collect the required points before allowed to
sit for the exam.
V. Regulations for progression and program completion
After collecting the required credit points for the respective courses, the first phase of the
residency training, and the scientific activities, the student will be eligible to sit for the first
part examination. In case the student fails to pass the examination, he/she may proceed in
the clinical training and can resubmit for the next examination. After passing the first part, the
student submits a protocol for Master Thesis at the beginning of the second part. Before
submitting to the final examination he/she should finish the thesis and get approval,
complete phase 2 of special training program, and collect the required credit points. The
candidate will receive his/her degree after passing this final examination. Master degree
should be obtained within a maximum of 6 years after registration date. It is legible for the
candidate who had his master degree to register in one of the specialized master degrees
related to internal medicine (Endocrinology,Heamatology,Gastroentrology,Nephrology)
VI. Assessment
A: Assessment Tools:
· Supervision & Monitoring :
According to the Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University Bylaws for Residency Training
Programs and master degree programs, coordinators carry continuous assessment during
the program. A residency training logbook will be kept for each student to document all his
clinical and procedural skills, his participation in different scientific activities,and the lectures
he is obliged to attend with a minimum of 75%. The head of the department should allow the
students to undergo the final examination when they collect the credit points needed from
the training program and show satisfactory attendance for the master degree lectures.
· Formal Assessment
According the Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University Bylaws for Post Graduate Programs
(July 2009), Students should be assessed at the end of first part and at the end of the
second part
1. First Part Final Exam:
· Physiology and Medical Biochemistry: Three-hour written exam ,two papers
(including short assay and multiple choice questions) + oral exam
· Medical pharmacology and Medical Microbiology and Immunology: Three-hour
written exam, two papers (including short assay and multiple choice questions) + oral
exam
· Pathology and Clinical pathology: one and half-hour written exam, two papers
(including short assay and multiple choice questions) + oral exam
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· Anatomy: one and half-hour written exam (including short assay and multiple choice
questions) + oral exam
2. Second Part Final Exam Part 2:
· Internal Medicine: Two written exams (Three-hours each) including short
assay questions, and MCQ (including problem solving)+ oral exam + clinical
exam+ practical stations (ECG , X-ray )
B: Assessment Schedule:
1. First Part Final Exam:
The written exam will be held in April/October (four days):
Day one: physiology-medical biochemistry (3 hours)
Day two: medical pharmacology-medical microbiology and immunology
(3 hours)
Day three: pathology-clinical pathology (1.5 hours)
Day four: anatomy (1.5 hours)
This will be followed by the clinical and oral exams in separate days
2. Second Part Final Exam:
The written exam will be held in May/ November (two days):
Each day a written exam for (3 hours)
This will be followed by the clinical and oral exams in separate days
C: Wheighting Of Assessment: Marks allocated to courses
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Course Written Oral Clinical/diagnostic
tools
First part 450
Anatomy 25 25 50
Physiology
Medical
biochemistry
Pharmacology
50 25
50 25
50 25
Microbiology 50 25
Pathology 25 25
Clinical
pathology
Total
150
150
25 25 100
Second part 600
Internal
Medicine
o Paper 1 150
o Paper 2 150
100 150 (clinical)
50 (diagnostic
tools)
600
Remarks
· It is mandatory to pass the two papers of the internal medicine exam separately
· Passing mark in a written exam is ≥ 60%
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VII. Evaluation of program intended learning outcomes:
Evaluator Tool Sample
1. Senior Students Questionnaire at the end of the
program
2. Alumni The faculty is currently developing
an Alumni office for postgraduates
3. Stakeholders A meeting will be arranged during
the annual conference of the
department
4. External Evaluators Review the program and courses
Attending the final exam.
All the PG
students
Not yet determined
Available
representatives
from:
· Army hospitals
· National medical
insurance
· Medical syndicate
· Ministry of health
Once before
implementation
Bi-annual report
5. College Quality
Assurance committee
Annual program review
Date of approval by department council
Program Coordinators
Prof Mona Mansour
Dr Randa Fayez
Head of Department
Prof Mohamed Salem
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