Learning objectives
The course is aimed at teaching knowledge and understanding of how to perform and to interpret clinical evaluation and other diagnostic investigations.
The student will also learn to apply the acquired knowledge and understanding with a problem-oriented approach. They will improve their clinical judgment and decision-making skills discussing with other students and teachers the list of possible differential diagnoses of clinical cases seen during clinical activity and presenting and critically discussing, in accordance with evidence-based medicine, scientific papers during the journal club. They will also improve their communication skills presenting in turn one clinical case.
Prerequisites
Knowledges of Medical Semeiotics, Clinical pathology and Internal Medicine
Course unit content
The students are involved in practical activity in the Teaching Hospital. They participate in 24 h clinical service rotations and have night and weekend duties. Students have to present and discuss, in turn, (alone or in groups of two) scientific papers (Journal club). Students have also to present in turn, (alone or in groups of two) at least one clinical case that they have followed during practical activity. During these interactive activities students acquire skills concerning Evidence Based Medicine, Problem-oriented clinical approach and how to present and report in a correct and rigorous form clinical cases.
Full programme
During the corse students learn to perform and interpret clinical examination and main diagnostic procedures. Practical and theoretical aspects of some of the most important disorders in internal medicine of small animals are also discussed.
Bibliography
Ettinger - Feldman: Textbook of veterinary internal various editions. Nelson - Couto: Small animal internal medicine - various editions - Veterinary Information Network (www.vin.com): various contents
Teaching methods
Practical training. Discussion of clinical cases and scientific papers. Cooperative learning.
Assessment methods and criteria
The final exam is an oral exam. The student will have to demonstrate a correct scientific (problem-oriented) approach to a clinical case provided by the teacher. Documents regarding history, signalment, physical examination etc. with be provided to the student. Based on these data, the student will have to present a list of differential diagnoses and ask for a specific diagnostic workup, in order to reach a definitive diagnosis. According to the reports of diagnostic exams provided at this point, the student will have to demonstrate the ability to interpret clinical findings and diagnostic results and reach a correct diagnosis and /or have a correct clinical reasoning. Final vote will evaluate especially the approach to the clinical case and the clinical reasoning.
Other information
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