Theme Healthcare - Specialised Studies in Physiotherapy, 7.5 credits

Eligibility for admission to the course Theme health care – specialized studies in physiotherapy, 7.5 credits, requires that all courses semester 1 - semester 4 (120 credits) and module 1 physical therapy in out-patient care in the course Theme health care - - Physiotherapy in primary care are passed.

Students who fail a clinical placement (or equivalent) as a result of demonstrating such a serious lack of knowledge, skills or attitude that patient safety or the patients' confidence in medical care is at risk, will only be qualified for a new clinical placement once the individual action plan has been carried out.

The aim of the course is that the student should develop an ability to make independent assessments in physiotherapeutic practices and based on available scientific knowledge apply a reflective practice within a physiotherapeutic knowledge field.

Expected learning outcomes:
After the course the student should be able to:

• Identify and formulate clinically relevant questions based on scientific knowledge
• Prioritize and argue for different treatment suggestions/interventions based on evidence
• Communicate recommendations around physiotherapy interventions directed to different target groups based on clinical guidelines / care programmes
• Identify need for improvement and discuss possible solutions
• Use feedback as educational tool for own and others' development in reflective practice
• Interact interprofessionally based on the knowledge of own and others' domain

Clinical specialization within a physiotherapy knowledge field containing independent, integrated theoretical and practical studies.

The teaching is based on a problem-oriented and collaborative approach to learning in which the tasks provide opportunities for the student to take active responsibility for their learning. The students are expected to engage in self studies during the course. More than half of the course takes place in a clinical physiotherapeutic context where theoretical knowledge and professional attitude are integrated with clinical work. Clinical placements with own patients will be offered in different physiotherapeutic knowledge fields.
Self evaluation, peer review, and review by clinical supervisors is included as well as patient review when possible.

Compulsory elements of education

• Attendance at the clinical placement
• Participation in seminars

The course coordinator decides if, and how, absence from compulsory parts can be compensated. Study results cannot be reported until the student has participated in compulsory course elements or compensated for any absence in accordance with instructions from the course coordinator. Absence from a compulsory course element could mean that the student can not retake the element until the next time the course is offered.

The course is examined according to the following:

• Written assignment with following oral seminar
• Clinical assessment within the clinical placement, which is based on continuous observation with respect to the student's ability to make independent and critical assessments grounded in current knowledge base

Should the intended learning outcomes not be met, they should be compensated for at the next coming course of the following semester. The clinical training can be repeated only once.

Students who do not pass a regular examination are entitled to re-sit the examination on five more occasions. If the student has failed six examinations/tests, no additional examination is given. Each occasion the student participates in the same test counts as an examination. In case a student is registered for an examination but does not attend, this is not regarded as an examination. Late submissions of examination tasks are not accepted. Students who have not submitted their examination on time are refered to the occasion for re-take.

The examiner may, with immediate effect, interrupt a student's clinical placement (or equivalent) if the student demonstrates such serious deficiencies in knowledge, skills or attitude that patient safety or patient confidence in healthcare is at risk. If a clinical placement is interrupted in this way the student is deemed to have failed that element and to have used up one clinical placement opportunity. In such cases, an individual action plan should be set up stating which activities and tests are required before the student is qualified for a new clinical placement on the course.

An examination will be made available for a period of one year in the event of the course being discontinued or a new course syllabus being devised.

Course evaluation is carried out according to the guidelines established by the Board of Education.