"What is common and what is urgent" is the headline for MED11, where general practice is the main topic.

Through theoretical teaching, a six week period of practical training in municipal health services and participation in bedside teaching in hospital wards, the students will encounter a multitude of common health issues.

An important element in the course will be to identify issues where health care is urgent. Several topics from specialized medicine will continue teaching in this semester, and distribution of tasks between primary and secondary care is a prevalent topic. The students will acquire experience in this area, both in general practice and practical training in the admittance department in the hospital. In patient meetings the students will work in accordance with the patient-centered method, where they also will have to apply previously acquired knowledge of communication and socioeconomic and cultural differences when meeting with patients. The student will achieve heightened knowledge and experience ol cross-disciplinary cooperation through work with other disciplinary groups.

The student should be able to help the patient achieve entitled social security benefits in connection with illness.

Content

Theoretical and practical teaching within the subject areas of:

• General practice, including a six week period of practical training in the municipal health services
• Social security medicine
• Digestion
• Kidneys / urinary tracts
• Circulation
• Respiration
• Neurology
• The musculoskeletal system
• Plastic surgery / minor surgery
• Infections, including tropical medicine
• Emergency medicine and intensive medicine
• Cross-professional learning (TVEPS)

Knowledge

Upon completion of the semester, the student will:

• have thorough knowledge of the most common symptoms for which patients seek care from a general practitioner, and examination of these
• have thorough knowledge of diagnostics and treatment of the most common illnesses in general practice and which conditions should be referred to secondary care.
• have thorough knowledge of the framework of general practice, and the difference between the unselected patient population that seeks primary care and the selected patient population of secondary care
• have broad knowledge of assessing consentual capability, and the criteria for coercion, and the legislation that pertains to coercive measures
• have broad knowledge of health-promoting factors on the individual and societal level, and the connection between health and social issues
• have thorough knowledge of which conditions that require urgent hospital admittance
• have thorough knowledge of urgent treatment and diagnostics of patients with life-threatening conditions
• have thorough knowledge of rational diagnostic algorithms for patient with the most common presentation forms in the emergency admittance department
• be able to identify special health needs in the refugee and migrant population, including those that are caused by trauma and violation of human rights, and suggest relevant measures

Skills

Upon completion of the semester, the student is able to:

• perform a complete consultation after the patient-centered clinical method, diagnose the most common symptoms in different age groups, and implement treatment for the most common illnesses in general practice
• keep electronic patient records, and properly document his/her own clinical work and assessments
• perform systematic taking of patients records, make a diagnosis/differential diagnosis, prepare an individual examination plan, and, in consultation with the patient, make a plan for treatment and follow-up
• order laboratory tests, radiological examinations and assess the use of specialist referral in a problem-oriented perspective
• produce proper referrals, medical certificates, sick leave statements, statements to NAV and insurance companies
• ascertain whether the patient is capable of consent
• guide patients in processes of learning, coping and change
• assess whether a clinical condition requires urgent care, implement necessary procedures of emergency medicine, and cooperate with relevant resources
• communicate effectively and professionally, both orally and digital with patients and next of kin regarding the need for health care, diagnosis and treatment
• utilize national professional guidelines, local procedures and tools for knowledge support
• maintain confidentiality and privacy in practical work with patients
• handle acute life-threatening conditions in the emergency admittance department, including participation in team-based treatment on a level of LIS1
• handle a broad spectrum of patients in the admittance department in a way that maintains both patient safety and proper use of resources
• utilize relevant methods to assess risk of unwanted events, and contribute to improvement and increased patient safety through a focus on continued improvement of quality
• request pharmaceuticals, and perform systematic medication reconciliation
• discuss how marginalization, stigma, discrimination and racism affects both health and health-related behavior, and how health professionals may contribute to both amplifying and minimize these

General competence

Upon completion of the semester, the student will:

• perform their work as a medical doctor in a professional manner
• possess language and behavior that promotes proper and unequivocal communication, inspires confidence, and is adapted to the patient's age, gender and cultural background
• be able to cooperate cross-professionally
• demonstrate ability for critical reflection upon their own professional work, and be conscious of their own level of knowledge
• possess insight into ethical, legal and economical challenges related to health and illness
• be able to reflect upon the physician's social responsibility, as well as the role of patient caretaker, health promoter, caregiver, public educator, custodian of social security benefits, promoter of reduction of social inequality in health and coordinator of health services

The following teaching activities are considered compulsory:

• Period of practical training in general practice and community medicine (6 weeks)
• Consultation course (2 days)
• Video groups, general practice consultations (1 day)
• Group based teaching rounds and participation in clinical teaching in wards/departments (over a period of 6 weeks)
• Practical training/activities in the Medical Skills Centre
• Cross-professional learning (TVEPS) (2 days)
• Approved multiple-choice tests and individual assignments

Compulsory teaching activities in the semester must be approved to undertake the final semester exam

Portfolio assessment

The student will work on the compulsory assignments throughout the semester, and the portfolio will in the end contain a selection of the following elements:

• Reflective essay regarding experiences in general practice, and/or own consultations in general practice prepared for the video group
• Reflective essay regarding the cooperation between the primary health services and hospital departments, patient logistics in hospitals and cross-disciplinary cooperation after practical training in the admittance department
• Assignment in community medicine from the municipal health services
• Other written assignments, i.e. to formulate a multiple-choice questionnaire
• Casuistry-based assignment regarding continuity of patient care across different levels of the health service
• Practical assignment, i.e. patient consultation
• Semester-quiz

Information regarding the assignments will be provided through Mitt UiB.

The portfolio will be assessed as a whole, and all the elements must be passed for the portfolio to be assesses as passed.