Location:

Leuven, Belgium

Program Type:

Study Abroad

Degree Level:

Undergraduate

Term:

Academic Year

Program Overview

Program Description:

The general objective of the education in Algology is to educate qualified specialists in the control of pain in its widest sense. During this postgraduate education the physician gains the necessary scientific knowledge, skills and attitudes in order to provide an excellent patientcare to patients with complex pain-issues. The student gains a profound insight in complex forms of acute, subacute and chronic pain. The student has to develop additional communicative, social, technical and manual skills to evaluate patients on a multidisciplinary level and to function in a multidisciplinary team. In addition, the student has to be able to apply his own specific expertise from previous specialized education in a multimodal treatment plan. The content of the education is organized based on the CanMEDS competence-domain: physician, scientist, communicator. More specifically, professional competences must lead to the following final end terms: - The students will be able to investigate acute pain syndromes, establish a suitable treatment for such acute nociceptive syndromes and follow up on the result continuously. -The students are able to evaluate the multidisciplinary character of a specific pain syndrome, including the implications of such pain complaints on the socio-economical functioning of the patients and the psycho-social consequences that derive from it. -The students are capable to perform a full evaluation of chronic pain syndromes, based on specific pain anamnesis, somatosensory clinical evaluations, application of specialized nociceptive diagnostic techniques and hetero-anamnesis. -The students are capable to draw up a individualized multimodal and multidisciplinary treatment plan, explain such plan to the patient (and his/her family) and follow up on its implementation in a competent way. -The students are capable to guide the patient actively and competently during revalidation programs , so that the reconditioning, reactivation and socio-economical reintegration can be optimized and facilitated. -The students are capable to evaluate insufficient analgesia from an ethical, moral and social point of view.

Pain is the most common reason for patients to see their general practitioner. A substantial proportion of adults (1 in 5) in Europe suffer from chronic pain that seriously affects the quality of their social and working lives and its inadequate management constitutes a major healthcare problem. On a national level 23% of Belgians suffered from chronic pain in a large European survey. The bio psychosocial model of chronic pain recognizes chronic pain as a combination of physical dysfunction, beliefs, coping strategies, distress, illness behavior and social interactions. Since the introduction of the bio psychosocial model, treatment of chronic pain has become multimodal and multidisciplinary, with the aim of maximizing pain reduction, quality of life, independence and mobility. This multidisciplinary approach warrants focused knowledge, skills and attitudes of the caregivers. An education in the treatment of pain is often obliged when applying for work in hospitals and pain centers. Upon successful completion of the programme, students will receive the Interuniversity certificate/Postgraduate Studies in Algology.

Setting Description:

KU Leuven is an autonomous university. It was founded in 1425. It was born of and has grown within the Catholic tradition. From its Christian view of the world and the human, KU Leuven endeavours to be a place for open discussion of social, philosophical and ethical issues and a critical centre of reflection in and for the Catholic community. KU Leuven offers its students an academic education based on high-level research, with the aim of preparing them to assume their social responsibilities. KU Leuven is a research-intensive, internationally oriented university that carries out both fundamental and applied research. It is strongly inter- and multidisciplinary in focus and strives for international excellence. To this end, KU Leuven works together actively with its research partners at home and abroad. KU Leuven encourages personal initiative and critical reflection in a culture of idea exchange, cooperation, solidarity and academic freedom. It pursues a proactive diversity pol

Cost:

EUR 4500 for 2 years