Introduction to Medicine
Code
11106
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Médicas
Department
SP
Credits
3,5
Teacher in charge
Prof. Doutor José Miguel Caldas de Ameida
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
General objectives:
This Course is intended to familiarize the students with the main issues related to the practice of medicine in current times.
The general objectives of the Course include the objectives of medicine (health promotion, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of patients) and the specific characteristics of medical practice in clinical, research and public health areas; a first contact with services of different levels of care (primary care, hospital care, continued care); problems of teamwork and inter-sectoral cooperation in modern medicine; a first contact with the great questions of modern medicine (medical ethics, medical care costs, health and human rights, etc.), and the development of the skills that are required for the organization, systematization and communication of knowledge.
Specific objectives:
Students at the end of the Course should be able to:
- Demonstrate the ability to discuss the major goals of medicine, the different components of promotion / prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, and to understand
the role of doctors in today's society.
- Identify the specific characteristics of medical practice in clinical, research and public
health areas;
- Describe the main characteristics of services of different levels of care (primary care, hospital care, continued care);
- Identify key partners in the medical health teams and the stakeholders in inter-sectoral cooperation;
- Justify the importance of doctor-patient relationship and understanding the social determinants of health;
- Demonstrate the skills necessary for organization, systematization and transmission of knowledge in medicine.
Prerequisites
Subject matter
Roots, objectives and major issues of modern medicine
- Health and disease: relations between normal and abnormal, disease and suffering, disease and disability, disease and poverty, disease and death.
- Objectives of medicine: prevention and treatment of diseases, rehabilitation of patients, health promotion.
- The great issues of modern medicine: medicine, science and technology, medical care and economic factors; medicine and globalization.
The practice of medicine
- Art and science in the practice of medicine.
- The doctor and clinical practice: principles and core values, treating diseases versus caring for patients, the diagnostic and clinical decision making process.
- Other fields of medical intervention: public health, health research, health management, medical education
- The doctor and health policies.
The medical profession in the clinical area
- Characteristics and challenges of clinical practice
- Specific aspects of internal medicine and surgery
The medical profession in research
- Characteristics and challenges of medical research
- Specific aspects of bio-medical research, clinical research, epidemiological and services research
The medical profession in public health
- Characteristics and challenges of public health
- Contributions of the doctor in public health programs at the local or national levels
- Contributions of the doctor in international public health programs
Teamwork and inter-institutional cooperation in health care
- Importance of inter-disciplinary collaboration in health
- Primary health care, hospital care and continued of care
- Cooperation with other sectors (social services, education, etc.).
Determinants of health
- Causation and disease: predisposing factors, precipitating factors and perpetuating factors
- Genetic and environmental factors
- Social determinants: education, income, work and employment, social inequalities.
Acquisition, systematization and transmission of knowledge in medicine
- Literature research and systematization of information
- Preparation of papers
- Presentation of papers
Clinical interview, communication skills and doctor-patient relationship
- Clinical insight, psychological insight and situational insight
- Verbal and nonverbal communication.
- Facilitation of communication (technical skills).
- Ability to listen and empathy.
- Management of specific situations (e.g., giving bad news).
Health services organization: primary health care
Health services organization: hospital services
The Illness condition: the patient´s perspective
- Chronic illnesses
- Surgical illnesses
- Psychiatric illnesses
- Self-help organisations
Bibliography
- B. Alder, M. Porter, C. Abraham, E. Van Teijlingen, M. Porter. Psychology and Sociology applied to Medicine. An Illustrated Colour Text. 3rd edition. Churchill Livingstone, Elsevier, 2009.
- Kenneth Walker. The story of medicine. Oxford University Press, 1955.
Teaching method
Teaching is conducted through lectures, seminars and visits to health services. Through Moodle, students will have access to summaries and handouts.
The service visits will be made in groups of four students. Each group spends two mornings in a hospital and two mornings in a health center.
Each visit should include a short welcome session by a teacher, a program of diverse activities that give an idea of how the service works (waiting room observation, interviewing patients and families, consultations, etc). Each group will have to submit a report of the visit, according to a previously defined template.
Evaluation method
The assessment of students is made through the combination of:
- Written Examinarion
- Report of visit to health services