Base Knowledge
A brief overview of the most frequent pathologies and criteria for seeking medical help
Teaching Methodologies
Slide presentation. Encouraging home study with proposed clinical cases to be presented by the students.
Learning Results
- Knowledge of the foundations of general pathology and recognition of the pathophysiology of high-prevalence diseases.
- Differentiation between physiological and pathological aspects across organ systems.
- Identification of signs and symptoms of the most common pathologies and a basic understanding of diagnostic methods and therapeutic approaches.
- Mastery of the clinical history-taking structure, integrating anamnesis and physical examination techniques appropriate to the competencies required for the profession.
- Recognition of alarm signs, referral processes, and diagnosis for autonomous counseling and integration into multidisciplinary teams.
Program
1. Clinical History: Collection structure, reason for visit, anamnesis (the seven attributes of a symptom) and review of systems. Brief concepts of personal and family history.
2. Physical Examination: Inspection, palpation, percussion and auscultation techniques; systematic sequence of physical evaluation.
3. General Symptoms and Alarm Signs: Fever, asthenia, anorexia, weight loss and night sweats.
4. Cardiovascular Pathology I: Arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia and acute coronary syndromes (ACS).
5. Cardiovascular Pathology II: Heart failure, valvular heart disease, peripheral circulation diseases and syncope.
6. Respiratory Pathology: Asthma, COPD, pneumonia, tuberculosis, sleep apnea and lung neoplasms.
7. ENT and Ophthalmological Pathology: Ear diseases and vertigo; Infections of the nose and sinuses; pharyngitis and tonsillitis. Dry eye, red eye, eye emergencies, glaucoma and cataracts.
8. Endocrine Pathology: Diabetes Mellitus, thyroid disorders (hypo- and hyperthyroidism) and obesity.
9. Gastrointestinal Pathology I: Acute gastroenteritis, appendicitis, cholecystitis, peptic ulcer disease and gastroesophageal reflux.
10. Gastrointestinal Pathology II: Liver diseases (cirrhosis), celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and GI neoplasms.
11. Urinary Pathology: Infections (pyelonephritis), kidney stones, tumors and acute kidney injury.
12. CNS Pathology: Headaches (primary and secondary), movement disorders, dementias and seizures.
13. Osteoarticular and Skin Pathology: Arthritis, arthrosis and skin pathology.
14. Clarification of doubts
Curricular Unit Teachers
Ana Paula Gomes FonsecaGrading Methods
Periodic Assessment
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Theoretical Midterm Exam (65% of the Final Grade): Written multiple-choice exam (40 questions), integrating theory and short clinical cases. Minimum grade of 9.5 points.
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Clinical Case Presentation (35% of the Final Grade): Presentation of a clinical case during theoretical-practical classes. Minimum grade of 9.5 points.
Assessment by Final Exam The written exam maintains the same weighting as the periodic assessment, requiring a minimum grade of 9.5 points in each component, and is structured as follows:
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Theoretical Component (65% of the Final Grade): Written multiple-choice exam following the same format described for the theoretical midterm exam.
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Theoretical-Practical Component (35% of the Final Grade): Intended for students who did not participate in or did not pass the practical component of the periodic assessment. It consists of a 20-minute theoretical-practical exam, comprising 2 complete clinical cases with multiple-choice questions.
Internship(s)
NAO
Bibliography
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Primary Bibliography:
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Papadakis, M., et al. (2024). Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment 2025. McGraw Hill.
Secondary Bibliography:
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Loscalzo, J., et al. (2024). Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine (22nd ed.). McGraw Hill.
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Goldman, L., & Schafer, A. I. (2024). Goldman-Cecil Medicine (27th ed.). Elsevier.
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Clinical Practice Guidelines from the Portuguese Directorate-General for Health (DGS).
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Updated international diagnostic and treatment guidelines (e.g., European Society of Cardiology Guidelines, ADA Diabetes Guidelines).
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