Curriculum of postgraduate education in paediatrics in Latvia

 Dace Gardovska ¹
Jevgenia Livdane ¹
Ilze Grope <sup>1

1</sup> Riga Stradinš University, Department of Pedatrics, Riga, Latvia

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Abstract

Postgraduate education of paediatrics and subspecialties of paediatrics in Latvia is provided by studies in residency. Requirement for entry is diploma for degree of physician after 6 yr. studies. Duration of resident training in basic specialty – paediatrics – is 4 years what gives 176 credit points (CP). One CP is obtained after 1 week or 40 hours training.

Studies of paediatrics content is on 1-st year: infectious diseases – 20, surgery – 8, tuberculosis – 4, otolaryngology - 2, neonatology -10 CP; on 2-nd year: dermatology -2, neurology -4, clinical genetics -2, allergology – 4, endocrinology – 4, pulmonology – 4, nephrology – 4, haemato-oncology – 7, rheumatology -6, outpatient care – 2, intensive care – 3 CP; on 3-rd year: outpatient and clinical paediatrics – 44 CP; 4-th year: paediatric subspecialty – 34, research work – 10 CP.

After 3-rd year studies resident may decide to continue training for specialization in paediatric subspecialty. There are available10 subspecialties: infectology, allergology, cardiology, nephrology, onco-haematology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, endocrinology – 132 CP each, and neonatology, rheumatology – 88 CP each.

Theoretical education: lectures „Problems in medicine” – 54 hr/yr, seminars 132 hr/yr, reports and presentations in clinical conferences. Clinical practice requires clinical duties in emergency room and clinical duties – 48 hr/mo. Other activities: participation in training of medical students, research activities are mandatory in last year of studies.