Second year (ICM)

Semmelweis University, Faculty of Medicine

Name(s) of the Institute(s) teaching the subject:
Department of Family Medicine and several other units, see them below

Name of the subject: Introduction to Clinical Medicine

Credits: 2

Total number of hours: 30       lectures: 12 (6*2)     practices: 18 (6*3)       seminars: –

Type of the course (mandatory/elective): mandatory

Academic year: 2025/2026 (fall semester, 2nd year)

Code of the course¹: AOKCSA1140_1A

Course director: Professor Peter Torzsa MD, PhD

Contact details: H-1091 Budapest, Üllői út 25. City Corner Office
Phone: +36-1-355-8530

Email: titkarsag.csot@semmelweis.hu

Position: Head of Department

Date and number of Habilitation: 11/2020

Tutor: Adam Becze, MD – becze.adam@semmelweis.hu

Aim of the subject and its place in the curriculum:

Presenting patients. Case reports. Referral of patients.

The medical consultation. Communication with the patient and his/her relatives. Effective cooperation with patients. Means to improve compliance.

Differential diagnostics. Using basic diagnostic means and tools and assessing test results.

Most frequent diseases in the clinical department and the general practitioner’s office. Care of frequent chronic illnesses.

Preventive approach, screening procedures. The importance of prevention.

Holistic patient care, managing complex bio-psycho-social-health problems

Development of professional consciousness. Teamwork in medicine.

Overview of the research activity at the clinical department. Raising interest in participating.

Location of the course (lecture hall, practice room, etc.):

Lectures: Basic Medical Science Center (EOK H-1094 Budapest, Tűzoltó street 37-47.), HEVESY Lecture hall
PRACTICALS: University clinics, institutes and external GP wards

Competencies gained upon the successful completion of the subject:
Basics of medical interviewing, making a rapport with patients.
Exploring anamnesis and basic communication techniques.
Approach to the physical examination, basic skills.
Key aspects of differential diagnostics and clinical decision making.

Prerequisite(s) for admission to the subject: Following completion of the Introduction to Patient Care program in 1st year 2nd semester.

Minimum and maximum number of students registering for the course: Maximum 18 students/group.

Student selection method in case of oversubscription: – 

How to register for the course: 
Registration for the course in the ’Neptun’ system

Detailed thematic of the course²:

1-6th week LECTURES (6x 2 lessons)
Internal medicine (Prof. Igaz Péter), public health (Terebessy András), dermatology (Tóth Veronika), orthopedics (Stubnya Bence), pulmonology (Horváth Gábor/Hidvégi Edit) and neurology (Tóth Adrián).
7-12th week PRACTICALS (6x 3 lessons)
family medicine, internal medicine, surgery, transplantation, psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics-traumatology, cardiology, urology, dermatology, pulmonology, neurology, neurosurgery, ORL, medical rehabilitation, and genomic medicine practicals according to schedule.

Week 13 and 14: Makeup classes and consultation. 
Essay work, upload on MOODLE course platform.

TUTORS of Family Medicine – Becze Ádám, Prof. Kalabay László, Lakó-Futó Zoltán, Nemcsik János, Perjés Ábel, Vörös Krisztián, Prof. Torzsa Péter, Zsuffa János

Potential overlap(s) with other subjects: –

Special training activities required³: – (Completed attendance sheet.)

Policy regarding the attendance and making up absences: It’s compulsory for the student to attend 75 percent of the training sessions. It means maximum 3 tolerated absences out of the 12 total (6 lectures, 6 practicals). If needed, the student can join another training group on weeks 13 or 14 to meet this requirement, please contact with the Department in that case (e-mail).

Means of assessing the students’ progress during the semester⁴: –

Lecture attendance certified via QR code registraton on site. Practicals attendance is certified by the actual tutors’ stamp and signature on the attendance sheet paper (timetable). Please upload the photo or scan of it on MOODLE along with the essay.

Requirement for acknowledging the semester (signature): It’s compulsory for students to attend at least 75 percent of the training sessions. See details above about attendance policy.

Type of the examination: written, essay

Exam requirements⁵: Short case study (essay, typed, at least 2000 characters without spaces, font size 12) of a specific patient chosen from any practice. One short case study of a patient whom the student have met during the practicals. Add your own opinion and experiences about contacting the patient, and about the case in general.

Recommended form of a case study:
Patient’s personal data must not be included, please use monograms or fake names.
Age, gender, basic social background (family, student/job/retired).
Anamnesis – previous surgeries, hospital cares, chronic diseases.
Current complaints, signs of illness.
Diagnostic tests, methods already done and/or planned.
Diagnosis or illness(es) considered.
Basic/short plan of further patient care – e.g. pharmacotherapy, surgery, other therapies (irradiation, physiotherapy etc.), followup plan
+ PERSONAL REFLECTION: Personal opinion, impresssions about the patient’s situation as a person and as a medical case!

Deadline for uploading the essay is the end of 14th week of semester on MOODLE platform, available from 11th week of semester.

Type and method of grading⁶:

Grading is based on the essay according to the following criteria:
Grade 1: failing to hand in the essay on deadline, the number of characters is under 2000, the case study is not original, but plagiarism; absence of a certain case study
Grade 2: there is a proper case study, but formal requirements missed
Grade 3: case study with too general drafting, without any personal experience
Grade 4: a proper case study with 1-2 not too significant professional or formal mistake
Grade 5: proper case study with precise and accurate wording, personal opinion regarding the patient’s case included

How to register for the exam: – 

Opportunities to retake the exam: In accordance with the Studies and Exams Code Rules (You can re-write the essay once.)

Literature, i.e. printed, electronic and online notes, textbooks, tutorials (URL for online material): see on the subject’s MOODLE platform