Minimum curriculum requirements for Magister Programmes in PHYSIOTHERAPY

1. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Magister programmes in Physiotherapy last at least 4 years (8 semesters). The total course load is ca. 3600 hours, including 1685 hours covered by the minimum curriculum requirements.

2. PROFILE OF THE GRADUATE

During the studies, the graduate should have acquired the knowledge and skills which are necessary:

• to develop and maintain fitness and physical efficiency of individuals of various ages in order to prevent disabilities;
• to restore fitness and physical efficiency of individuals of various ages where these were lost or reduced as a result of various diseases or injuries, and in more serious cases: to develop these abilities at the optimal level for the individual;
• to develop and maintain physical efficiency and fitness of disabled persons and thus enable them to participate actively in social life in so far as their capacities allow them to do so;
• to use knowledge and to solve problems in the area of planning, providing and controlling the effectiveness of medical rehabilitation;
• to adjust his/her activities to the overriding aims of rehabilitation in individual cases while working as part of rehabilitation teams.

With the knowledge and skills acquired during the studies, the graduate may be employed in the following institutions and organisations:

• public and non-public health-care establishments (e.g. various types of hospitals, specialist out-patient clinics, rehabilitation guidance services and rehabilitation establishments, multi-specialisation clinics, rehabilitation centres and sanatoriums);
• educational establishments (e.g. school-based and inter-school remedial gymnastics centres and educational-rehabilitative centres);
• institutions or enterprises employing disabled persons and establishments organising therapeutic activities;
• public and non-public establishments organising sports activities for disabled persons;
• higher education schools and other medical vocational schools offering courses in physiotherapy;
• economic entities and business units engaged in health-promotion activities (e.g. centres run by Towarzystwo Krzewienia Kultury Fizycznej /Society for the Development of Physical Culture/, fitness centres, massage parlours, manual therapy and rehabilitation centres, etc.);
• sports centres (e.g. fitness clubs, sports and medical clinics, and central sports establishments);
• other establishments (depending on the type of additional professional qualifications obtained by the graduate).

3. COURSE GROUPS AND COURSE LOAD

GENERAL COURSES	170 hours
BASIC COURSES	675 hours
MAJOR COURSES	840 hours
Total:	1685 hours

PRACTICAL PLACEMENTS AND TRAINING CAMPS

The minimum duration of a practical placement: 18 weeks (720 hours).

The total duration of two training camps (summer and winter camp): not less than 20 days.

4. COURSES BY GROUP

GENERAL COURSES	170 hours
Sociology	30
Foreign Language	120
Computer Science	20
BASIC COURSES	675 hours
Normal, Functional and Radiological Anatomy	120
Medical Biology	30
Human Physiology	80
Biochemistry	40
Biophysics	30
Clinical Biomechanics	30
Developmental and Clinical Psychology	30
Education and Remedial Instruction Sciences	30
General Methodology for Teaching of Movement	30
Development of Motor Abilities	180
General Pathophysiology	45
Demography and Epidemiology	30
MAJOR AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING COURSES	675 hours
General Theory of Physiotherapy	30
Kinesiotherapy	150
Physiotherapy and Massage	150
Basic Clinical Principles of Physiotherapy	180
Clinical Physiotherapy in Motor Organ Dysfunctions	180
Clinical Physiotherapy in other specialist areas	150

NB.: The remaining part of the total course load should be largely used as an extension and follow-up of courses included in the minimum curriculum requirements as well as for other courses which are relevant in terms of the general education and professional training of graduates.

5. CURRICULUM CONTENTS

1. GENERAL COURSES

SOCIOLOGY

Micro- and macro-sociology. Social groups. Family. Social bonds. Social values and norms. Individual and the society, social interactions: social life and its determinants. Health – illness – society: subject and functions of sociology of rehabilitation. Social and natural determinants of health and illness. Environment as a therapeutic and pathogenic factor. Socio-medical indicators of the health condition. Social engineering in medicine and rehabilitation. Illness and disability as a social problem. Social policy in the area of health protection. Social security systems. Sociological concepts of disabilities and the process of rehabilitation: the social role of a sick person.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE

The key language in physiotherapy (like in medicine) is English. It is recommended that students should learn basic elements and medical terminology of the language so that they may easily use professional literature and participate in various scientific activities.

COMPUTER SCIENCE

Introduction to computer science, structure of a computer, operating systems. Mastery of basic skills which are necessary to use a selected editor and one of the currently applied statistical programmes (creation of data files, statistical calculations).

2. BASIC COURSES

NORMAL, FUNCTIONAL AND RADIOLOGICAL ANATOMY

Structure of bones and their junctions; bones as a supportive, motor and protective element. Osteoarticular and muscular systems in the static and dynamic states: bones, ligaments and muscles as elements stabilizing and limiting motion; joint mobility; functional units and dynamic complexes. Nervous system: structure and functions, major motion control centres and levels, peripheral and segmentary innervation. Circulatory and respiratory systems, topography of the bronchial tree, respiration mechanisms. Overall structure and functions of abdominal cavity organs. Selected topics of radiological anatomy.

MEDICAL BIOLOGY

Structure and basic functions of the cell. Structure and functions of gonads. Skin: structure, functions and products. Fundamentals of human genetics with special regard to clinical genetics and genetic determinants of motor abilities; cytology and histology; basic tissues. Microscopic anatomy; functions of selected organs and systems. Selected topics of general embryology; embryonic development; organogenesis; stages in human embryogenesis. Fatal membranes and placenta. Teratogenic factors. Developmental defects.

HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY

Central nervous system: regulation of organ and system functions. Peripheral and autonomic nervous system. Physiology of pain. Muscles: types of muscle fibres, nerve-muscle junction. Mechanism and energetics of the muscular contraction. Fatigue: types, location and symptoms. Leisure and active leisure. Blood and blood circulation; blood composition and properties. Heart activity, regulation and automatism. Oxygen transport. Peripheral circulation; regulation of vascular lumen. Lymph and tissue fluids. Blood clotting. Respiratory system: lung functional indexes. Hypoxia and its types. Metabolism at rest and effort. Thermoregulation and its mechanisms. Physical effort: physiological classification. Regulatory functions of individual organs and systems during physical effort. Reactions of individuals at various ages to physical effort. Physical efficiency, its determinants and methods of assessment. Physical training as a process of physiological adaptation; post-training changes.

BIOCHEMISTRY

Acid and base balance, blood buffers. Basic elements of static biochemistry: amino acids and proteins (structure, chemical reactions), enzymes (structure and role of enzyme components; structure of the active centre). Glycolysis. Krebs cycle. Respiratory chain: energy balance. Pentose cycle. Gluconenogenesis: process, energy balance and biological role. Beta-oxidation of fatty acids. Biosynthesis of proteins and its regulation. Structure of haemoglobin; its role in the organism; the dissociation curve.

BIOPHYSICS

Standard cell and cell membrane: biophysical ad electrical properties; energetics of the cell. Nerve tissue, nerve conductivity. Muscle tissue: energetics and mechanism of muscle contraction. Connective tissue: types and biophysical properties. Hearing and seeing processes. Circulation system and blood flow: vascular resistance, viscosity, flow-governing rules. Respiratory system: ventilation, elastic and non-elastic respiration resistance. Physical factors: vibration, variable acceleration, hypo- and hyperbarism, infra-sounds, tensions, electric currents and electromagnetic fields, variations of temperature and humidity, optical radiation, ionising radiation.

CLINICAL BIOMECHANICS

Biomechanical interpretation of loading and releasing of joints. Calculation of external loading in kinesotherapy. Biomechanical analysis of performance. Defining parameters of joint statics. Muscle activity in temporary bio-mechanisms. Biomechanics of gait. Load on lower limb joints and the spine in normal gait. Clinical assessment of gait. Pathological gait: factors disturbing kinematics and dynamics of gait. Biomechanics of the spine: mobility of junctions and their kinematic structure. External and internal load on the spine. Estimating external loading of the spine. Biomechanical basis of primary (ergonomic) and secondary (rehabilitative) prevention of motor organ overloading.

DEVELOPMENTAL AND CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY

Stages in psychological development of children and young people, psychomotor development and basic assessment methods. Psychological determinants in rehabilitation of individuals of various ages. Psychological aspects of ageing and old age; rehabilitation of elderly people. Man and illness; reactions to illness: acceptance, frustration, attitudes of the patient and his environment. Relations between medical staff and the patient. Iatrogenic errors. Difficulties of a beginner physiotherapist. Learning to help. Empathy. Psychological aspects and effects of some diseases and disabilities: self-image of the invalid, acceptance of invalidity, adaptation to the new situation. Chronic and incurable diseases. Dying patients. Neuroses and their genesis. Psycho-corrective methods. Psychotherapy and the psychotherapeutic value of physical activity and sports.

EDUCATION AND REMEDIAL INSTRUCTION SCIENCES

Remedial instruction sciences: oligophreno-pedagogy, typhlo-pedagogy, surdo-pedagogy, therapeutic pedagogy, social rehabilitation. Psycho-pedagogical factors determining the effectiveness of the physiotherapist’s work. Methods allowing to understand the patient and to identify determinants of the rehabilitation process. Development factors, contemporary trends in education, implications for interactions between the patient and the physiotherapist. Elements of the teaching process required for effective rehabilitation: aims, principles, methods, organizational forms, control and assessment, reasons of failures, educational approach of the physiotherapist. Elements of the educational theory in the rehabilitation process. Social and educational mechanisms affecting the patient’s attitudes. Methods for guiding the patient’s attitudes. Cooperation between the physiotherapist and the family.

GENERAL METHODOLOGY FOR TEACHING OF MOVEMENT

General principles of the learning and teaching processes in physical education. Learning and teaching motor activities. Educational diagnosis and prognosis in the process of motor activity teaching and teaching of disabled persons. Aims, tasks, principles, forms, means and methods of motor activity teaching. Planning the process of motor activity teaching for disabled persons. Methods used in physical education with special emphasis on their applications in the rehabilitation process. Control and assessment in motor activity teaching. Safety and hygiene of activities.

DEVELOPMENT OF MOTOR ABILITIES

Rehabilitation through sports and physical activities: swimming, gymnastics, athletics in rehabilitation, sports and recreation games, musical and physical activities with elements of choreotherapy; theoretical and practical aspects of tourism, recreation and sports for disabled persons. Methodology for motor activity teaching, developing and improving students’ sporting ability (in so far as necessary for future physiotherapists). Integration-oriented recreation, sports and tourism.

GENERAL PATHOPHYSIOLOGY

Diseases: classification, symptoms, course, prognosis, death. Pathogenic factors and their mechanisms. Aetiology and pathogenesis. Reactivity of the system, specific and non-specific immunity. Immunization-related inflammations and diseases. Allergy. Progressive and retrogressive changes. Disorders in blood circulation, carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism, and water and electrolyte metabolism. Avitaminosis. Shock. Pathophysiology of the endocrinal system. Thermoregulation disorders. Dysaesthesia and pain. Cell differentiation disorders. General blood, circulation and respiration pathology.

DEMOGRAPHY AND EPIDEMIOLOGY

Methods and principles of demographic analysis. Basic parameters of life expectancy. Contemporary approach to health and illness. Concepts of epidemiological statistics: prevalence of a disease in a given population, incidence of a disease, mortality rate, special mortality coefficients, standardized coefficients. Descriptive and behavioural epidemiology. Risk factors in individual groups of the so-called civilisation diseases. Screening: procedure and selection of tests.

3. MAJOR AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING COURSES

GENERAL THEORY OF PHYSIOTHERAPY

General disability issues, basic concepts and definitions. Medical rehabilitation and its components; position of physiotherapy. Motor abilities, and basic motor activity steering. Balancing functional defects: regeneration, compensation, adaptation. Effectiveness of rehabilitation, plasticity, rehabilitative potential. The rehabilitated person as a subject; the approach of the physiotherapist. Assessing the functional condition; recording the condition and physiotherapeutic activities in relevant documentation; General rehabilitation methods and physiotherapeutic tactics (hierarchy and rationalization of objectives, general principle of selecting means, forms and methods of physiotherapy; physiotherapy as a an element of complex rehabilitation). Organisation of rehabilitation and physiotherapy; rehabilitation team. Rehabilitation in a hospital, outpatient clinic and at home. Rehabilitation in a sanatorium and rehabilitation centre. Rehabilitation camps and holidays. Professional ethics, competence, moral responsibility and legal liability of the physiotherapist.

KINESIOTHERAPY

Position and role of kinesiotherapy in the rehabilitation process. Basic theoretical aspects of kinesiotherapy. Basic methodological aspects of kinesiotherapy: elements, aims and tasks, basic principles, forms and means used in kinesiotherapy; concept of the method. Assessment of the patient’s condition for the needs of kinesiotherapy and its role: interviews, basic measurements and methods of functional assessment, tests, kinesiotherapeutic action plan, documentation. Kinesiotherapy systematics. Facilities, equipment and devices. Techniques for individual and group therapeutic exercises. Selected issues of nerve-and-muscle re-education. Basic principles for applying kinesiotherapeutic methods.

PHYSIOTHERAPY AND MASSAGE

Basic physical and physiological aspects, apparatuses and equipment and their use. Methods of treatment; indications and contraindications for hot and cold treatment, water treatment, light treatment, soft laser therapy, electrical treatment, ultrasound and inhalation treatment. Electrodiagnosis: qualitative and quantitative methods. Massage: physiological reactions, massage conditions and hygiene, classical massage techniques, indications and contraindications. Equipment-aided massage: types of equipment and methods.

BASIC CLINICAL PRINCIPLES OF PHYSIOTHERAPY

Information concerning various diseases as necessary for programming the rehabilitation process and understanding determinants of its effectiveness and contraindications for physiotherapeutic treatment, these covering the following areas: orthopaedics and traumatology, rheumatology, neurology, paediatrics, cardiology, pulmonology, surgery, gynaecology and obstetrics, geriatrics, psychiatry and intensive therapy. Basic information about individual diseases, including mechanisms and dynamics of progressive changes and their reversibility, compensation mechanisms, and cause-and-effect relations between individual symptoms. Prognosis, outcome and effects of diseases, including types and levels of disability. Acquiring skills necessary for collecting information through interviews, conducting function tests and interpreting results of examination based conducted according to these methods as well as results of additional examination, and keeping clinical documentation as required in physiotherapeutic activities.

CLINICAL PHYSIOTHERAPY IN MOTOR ORGAN DYSFUNCTIONS

Theory and practice of physiotherapy of adults, children and young people with various motor organ dysfunctions. Basic information necessary for programming the rehabilitation process, controlling its course and adjusting physiotherapeutic activities to the aims of complex rehabilitation. Acquiring skills necessary for the selection of physiotherapeutic exercises or methods according to the clinical diagnosis, the duration of a disease and the functional condition of the rehabilitated person, applying the chosen exercises and methods, and recording activities in documentation as appropriate.

CLINICAL PHYSIOTHERAPY IN OTHER SPECIALIST AREAS

Theory and practice of physiotherapy of adults, children and young people with diseases or disabilities not directly related to motor organs. Basic information necessary for programming the rehabilitation process, controlling its course and adjusting physiotherapeutic activities to the aims of complex rehabilitation. Acquiring skills necessary for the selection of physiotherapeutic exercises or methods according to the clinical diagnosis, the duration of a disease and the functional condition of the rehabilitated person, applying the chosen exercises and methods, and recording activities in documentation as appropriate.