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Integrated Learning in Medicine I

Code: 103633
Credits: 4
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Medicine OB 1

Contact lecturer

Name :
Alex Peralvarez Marin
Email :
alex.peralvarez@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Alejandro Gella Concustell
Sandra Elena Guevara Flores
Gianluigi Caltabiano
Angel Guerra Moreno
Miguel Martin Sanchez
Èric Catalina Hernández
Ariadna Delgado Bermudez
Maria Oliver Bonet
Clàudia Calvet Soler
Miguel Angel Maria Solano

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

Students enrolled in second year PCA II, please sign up for visits to the CAP in the afternoon shift to avoid absences from AIM I case-based learning sessions. Claiming a coinciding visit for PCA II will not be considered a valid reason to miss a case work session and will, therefore, affect your grade.

Objectives

For practical reasons, medical studies are organized into independent courses that relate to different areas of knowledge. However, such division does not occur within the human body, in the basis of diseases, diagnostic methods, or treatments. Thus, physicians must face and solve complex scenarios in their daily practice, which require the integrated use of knowledge and competencies from different areas. And they must do so by means of efficient and evaluative management of the vast and growing amount of available information.

In addition, current medical practice requires the collaborative work of professional teams, based on interdependence, individual responsibility, and mutual trust. 

Finally, in recent years, the leading medical schools have reduced the load of theoretical teaching to focus more on integrated, meaningful, and active learning, which is based on team collaborative-learning -a more effective approach for the acquisition of competencies.

Based on this triple analysis, the course defines the following objectives:

  • To offer a first integrated learning experience in medicine. Starting from the application and interrelation of the knowledge and competencies acquired in the first-year courses, using this base to carry out autonomous incursions into more advanced areas whenever required to fully understand the medical cases under study (learning-to-learn competence). It includes integrating basic and clinical disciplines, applying biomedical principles to understand the cause-effect relationships of diseases.
  • To offer a first experience to develop collaborative learning and work competencies. This including, among others, the ability to formulate the right questions, peer instruction, evidence-based argumentation, and the ability to reach consensus conclusions.

Additionally, the course assumes the following transversal competences:

  • Communicating clearly in medical meetings.
  • Critically analysing research articles in English.
  • Learning to keep up with professional advancements based on autonomous learning of novel knowledge.

 

Learning outcomes

  1. Be self-critical and reflect on one's own learning.
  2. Accept other viewpoints (lecturers, colleagues, etc.) regarding the problem or topic at hand.
  3. Correctly apply statistical techniques to obtain benchmark values and compare them to the results of analytic tests on patients.
  4. Use appropriate statistical techniques to study the semiological value of analytic tests.
  5. Describe the elements that should be considered when determining the reasons for a consultation and those of the patient's therapeutic itinerary.
  6. Recognise the different types of health science journals.
  7. Analyse the structure of different models of medical journal articles.
  8. Use biomedical databases.
  9. Use the rules of the Vancouver system when writing research reports.
  10. Critically analyse a scientific article in English.
  11. Identify sources of information on analytic tests for patients and professionals and critically evaluate their content.
  12. Maintain and sharpen one's professional competence, in particular by independently learning new material and techniques and by focusing on quality.
  13. Organise and plan time and workload in professional activity.
  14. Convey knowledge and techniques to professionals working in other fields.
  15. Be able to work in an international context.
  16. Demonstrate, in professional activity, a perspective that is critical, creative and research-oriented.
  17. Demonstrate basic research skills.
  18. Communicate clearly, orally and in writing, with other professionals and the media.
  19. Use information and communication technologies in professional practice.

Contents

The course is structured into two modules:


1. Basic Competences



  • Competences in collaborative team work



  • Competencies in oral presentation of medical results 



  • Competencies in searching for information in medical databases


2. Medical Case-Based Integrated Learning



  • Applying the basic competences acquired in block 1 to solve two medical cases


 

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Teoria (TE) 1 0.04
Individual research and study; collaborative discussions outside of the classroom; preparation of written reports and oral presentations 69 2.76
Seminari (SEM) 24.5 0.98

AIM I is a unique course in terms of its learning methodology and assessment:

  • The subject is worth 4 ECTS credits, corresponding to a total student workload of 100 hours. In-person attendance is lower than in other subjects, limited to 18.5 hours of collaborative work sessions and 6 hours of learning outcome assessment sessions.

  • Therefore, it should be understood that the bulk of learning is done through autonomous work outside the classroom: it is not a disproportionate workload but a different distribution from the usual.

  • AIMI sessions 2.3 and 3.3 are evaluative in nature, therefore requiring the same rigor, dedication, and preparation time as for exams in other courses.

     

Teaching Activities and Methodology

1- Basic Competencies:

  • Supervised Activities: Collaborative team work in the classroom, interacting with the tutor (AIMI sessions 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3).
2- Integrated Learning Based on Medical Cases:
  • Supervised activities: Collaborative team work in the classroom interacting with the tutor, putting into practice the competencies acquired in Block 1 to understand the presented medical cases and to critically self-assess the proper functioning of the work team (sessions AIMI 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, and 3.2).
  • Autonomous activities: Autonomous work outside the classroom. Individual research in preparation for the next in-person session; collaborative team discussions outside the classroom for the preparation and rehearsal of oral presentations of assessed learning outcomes. This constitutes the bulk of the course workload (between in-person sessions).
  • Assessed activities: Written submissions resulting from work done during the sessions (AIMI 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, and 3.2). Submission of critical self-assessments (AIMI sessions 2.2 and 3.2) and of critical self-assessment and peer assessment (sessions AIMI 2.3 and 3.3).
  • Assessed activities: Oral presentation and defense of learning outcomes; individual test on case comprehension (sessions AIMI 2.3 and 3.3).

 

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Two oral presentations and defences of the learning results (sessions AIMI 2.3 and 3.3) 30% 1 0.04 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19
Two individual multiple-choice tests on the comprehension of the cases (sessions AIMI 2.3 and 3.3) 40% 0.5 0.02 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19
Eight evaluated written reports (sessions AIMI 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, and 3.2) 30% 4 0.16 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19

The competencies acquired in the basic competencies module will be assessed based on the quality of the work carried out in the case-based learning module.

The learning evidences will include, for each of the two medical cases presented:

  • Evidence 1 (AIMI sessions 2.1 and 3.1): submission of terminological glossary, reasoned diagnostic hypothesis, and initial questions (10%)
  • Evidence 2 (AIMI sessions 2.2 and 3.2): submission of critical self-assessment (10%)
  • Evidence 3 (AIMI sessions 2.2 and 3.2): submission of learning objectives and final diagnosis (10%)
  • Evidence 4 (AIMI sessions 2.3 and 3.3): learning outcomes, presentation and defense (20%)
  • Evidence 5 (AIMI sessions 2.3 and 3.3): submission of self-assessment and peer assessment (10%)
  • Evidence 6 (AIMI sessions 2.3 and 3.3): learning outcomes, individual case comprehension test (40%)

Apart from the individual exam grade, the remaining grades will, in principle, be the same for all team members, since one of the key competencies the course aims to develop—collaborative teamwork—relies on interdependence, mutual trust, and individual responsibility. However, the tutor may adjust individual grades based on each student’s level of involvement.

Regarding the presentation of learning results, the different parts of the presentation will be randomly assigned to team members before starting.

Given that the course is based on collaborative work, attendance is mandatory, in particular at the team formation session (AIMI 1.1) and the six case-based learning sessions (AIMI sessions 2.1 to 3.3). In all cases, since the sessions involve working in stable collaborative teams throughout the semester, it does not make sense to compensate for an absence by attending another group's session. Unjustified absences (without documented force majeure) from work sessions 1 and2 of each casewill result in a one-third reduction of the individual case grade. Absence from session 3 of a case will result in a zero for the individual grade of that case.

To pass the course, the final grade must be at least 5.0 out of 10.

In accordance with current academic regulations, students who meet the requirements to participate in the resit assessment process may resit only the two individual multiple-choice examinations assessing case comprehension. The resit assessment will take the form of an individual oral evaluation, which may consist of one or two examinations depending on the assessment activities to be resat, with the aim of demonstrating achievement of the corresponding competencies and learning outcomes.

This course does not provide single assessment option.

Students who do not participate in the evaluated activities will be considered \"Not Assessable\" exhausting their rights toenrollinthe course.

Academic misconduct: In accordance with the UAB Academic Regulations, a student who plagiarizes an assignment or claims credit for assessed work they have not completed will receive a grade of zero for that assessment, regardless of any disciplinary proceedings that may be initiated. If a second violation occurs, the final course grade will be a zero, again regardless of any disciplinary proceedings that may be initiated.


Bibliography

Specific articles and online resources will be provided at the onset of each of the modules.

Software

Available online.

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(SEM) Seminars 1 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 2 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 3 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 4 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 5 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 6 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 7 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 8 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 9 Catalan/Spanish second semester afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 10 Catalan/Spanish second semester afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 11 Catalan/Spanish second semester afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 12 Catalan/Spanish second semester afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 13 Catalan/Spanish second semester afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 14 Catalan second semester afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 15 Catalan second semester afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 16 Catalan/Spanish second semester afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 17 Catalan second semester afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 18 Catalan second semester afternoon
(TE) Theory 101 Catalan/Spanish second semester afternoon
(TE) Theory 102 Catalan/Spanish second semester afternoon
(TE) Theory 103 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 104 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed