Learning outcomes

The advanced master's programme in specialist medicine aims to train the doctor-specialist to have the required knowledge, skills and attitudes to practice the specialism. Per specialism academic and professional competences have been drawn up by subcommittees.

The learning outcomes for the 31 specialisms refer to:
- The ability to ask the right questions, to purposefully search for and evaluate the quality of the foundations in literature and to remain aware of the founded care standards.
- Social acting as a doctor-specialist within an economically sound framework and taking into account social and ethical aspects of the specialist medical practise.
- An attitude of scientific curiosity and inquisitiveness, of lifelong spontaneously and independently informing oneself in a subject area which rapidly expands scientifically and technologically.

These needs were already translated in the learning outcomes of the medical doctor but they also apply to the follow-on training (training continuum).

1. Acquire profound knowledge of and insight in (the most current and complex pathologies of) the specialism, taking into account the state-of-the-art of medical sciences.

2. Develop problem-solving abilities in order to independently draw up a prevention policy, make diagnoses, determine and/or execute a treatment policy that has been discussed with the patient and their next of kin.

3. Develop and finetune scientifically founded (medical-technical) skills relevant to the specialism in a training situation that is supervised sufficiently regularly by experts and integrate step by step in the clinical practice, taking into account the ethical/deonthological code.

4. Advise patients and their nearest on the causes and risk factors of the pathologies of the specialism, draw up an individual prevention policy based on an analysis of the care needs of different patients and show them access to various care services and tools.

5. Promote the dissemination of scientifically founded medical information, correctly transfer it to medics and other health care professionals and take initiatives to make students, patients and the general public aware of it.

6. Make a contribution to research projects within the specialist domain and set up sound scientific research under supervision, execute it and report on it orally and in writing to peers and non-peers, taking into account the ethical/deonthological code.

7. Act as point of contact for Master students in medicine, specialists in training, medics and/or other health care professionals and further their competences in the specialism.

8. Communicate correctly, effectively and clearly with patients and their next of kin in a confidential and human-empathic manner, applying a patient-oriented approach taking into account diversity factors and the current legal framework.

9. Co-ordinate overlapping and shared responsibilities in contacts with other medics and health care professionals, professionally participate in shared clinical decision-making and deal appropriately with differences of opinion and differences in professional background.

10. Be familiar with the expertise of other medics and health care professionals, be able to decide when the care of a patient needs to be handed over and make sure this happens in a safe way through written and oral communication.

11. Have knowledge of the current health care systems and of financial-economic implications of healthcare for society and the patient in the daily practice and propose activities to optimize the implications on the healthcare of the health care team and the hospital organisation.

12. Analyse one's leadership style, including strengths and weaknesses based on feedback of patients, medics and other health care professionals, and develop strategies together with medics and other health care professionals to implement changes in health care.

13. Adequately evaluate the quality and patient safety of the provided care in various situations and take appropriate measures based on this.

14. Use the principles of medical informatics to deliver optimal patient care and to maintain one's own expertise.

15. Reflect on one's personal well-being and the influence on one's own professional actions and functioning and have eye for the well-being and the professional actions and functioning of collaborating medics and other health care professionals.

16. Know the limits of one's competence, be able to identify the personal learning needs and take charge of one's own professional development.