Medical University of Bialystok. Regulations.

RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE PAEDIATRICS COURSE

held in paediatric clinics for students of the Faculty of Medicine at the Medical University of Bialystok

I. General Provisions

These regulations set out the rules governing students’ participation in Paediatrics classes held at the paediatric clinics of the University Children’s Teaching Hospital (UDSK) in Bialystok.
These regulations are based on the current Study Regulations and other internal regulations of the Medical University of Bialystok (MUB).
Classes are conducted in accordance with the curriculum approved for the medical degree programme and the timetable set by the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the MUB.
Students are obliged to comply with health and safety regulations, fire safety regulations, sanitary and epidemiological rules, the organisational rules in force at the UDSK, and the instructions of those leading the classes.

II. Organisation of classes

Practical sessions, seminars and lectures take place on the dates and at the times specified in the current timetable.
Students attend classes with the group to which they were assigned at the start of the academic year.
Any change to the group, date or venue of a class requires prior agreement with the person responsible for teaching at the relevant clinic, in accordance with the established organisation of classes.
Students are required to arrive on time for classes. Anyone arriving late will not be admitted to the class, and this will be treated as an unexcused absence.
During classes, students must not leave the clinic without the knowledge and consent of the person leading the class.
Before the start of classes, bags, outerwear and other personal belongings must be left in the student cloakroom. Students are responsible for safeguarding their own property; clinic staff accept no liability for its loss, theft or damage.

III. Student attire and hygiene

On the premises of the UDSK, students are required to wear clean, neat medical attire intended solely for clinical sessions.
Students must change into clean, sturdy, closed-toe footwear intended solely for use on hospital premises.
Students should have their own clean doctor’s coat, stethoscope, ID badge and pen.
Students’ attire and appearance should be appropriate to the nature of clinical sessions and demonstrate respect for patients, their parents or carers, and medical staff.
Students are required to maintain a high standard of personal hygiene and to observe the ‘nothing below the elbows’ rule, and in particular to:

practising hand hygiene and cleaning stethoscopes in accordance with the rules in force at the UDSK, before and after contact with a patient and their surroundings;
wearing short sleeves or ensuring they can be permanently rolled up above the elbows;
keeping their nails short, clean and unpainted; the use of artificial nails, gels, hybrid polishes or any other items that hinder proper hand hygiene is not permitted;
not wearing watches, bracelets, rings, wedding rings, wristbands or other jewellery on the hands and wrists during clinical sessions;
to keep hair in a manner that ensures hygiene and safety at work; long hair must be securely tied back in such a way as to prevent it from coming into contact with patients, medical equipment or biological material;
refraining from using strongly scented cosmetics, perfumes or other substances that may cause discomfort to patients.

6. A student exhibiting symptoms of infection, in particular a fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, gastrointestinal symptoms or skin lesions that may pose a risk of infection, should not attend clinical sessions. The course of action in such situations should be agreed with the person leading the class.

IV. Rules of conduct and patient protection

Students are required to treat patients, their parents or carers, and hospital staff with respect, empathy and regard for personal dignity.
Students are required to maintain professional confidentiality and protect patient information.
Medical records, notes, forms, presentations and other materials prepared in connection with classes must not contain personal data or information that could identify a patient.
It is prohibited to take photographs, make audio or video recordings, copy documentation, or record presentations, lectures or teaching materials on any medium without the prior consent of the person leading the class and in accordance with applicable regulations.
It is strictly forbidden to photograph, film or record patients, their parents or carers, or medical records.
Mobile phones, smartwatches, notebooks, laptops and other electronic devices must remain switched off or on silent mode and may not be used during classes, unless the person leading the class gives their consent for teaching purposes.
Smoking, the use of e-cigarettes and other nicotine products is strictly prohibited on the premises of the UDSK.
It is forbidden to consume food or drink in patient rooms, clinic premises, lecture halls and other areas where this is not permitted.

V. Attendance and Excuses for Absence

Attendance at all forms of teaching for the Paediatrics course is compulsory.
An absence may be considered excused only in the cases provided for in the regulations of the MUB, in particular in the event of a doctor’s note or dean’s leave.
A document justifying absence from classes must be submitted to the clinic’s secretariat within 5 working days of the end of the period of absence. Documents submitted after this deadline may not be accepted. The document may be submitted to the clinic’s secretariat by email or in person. Submission of the document should be confirmed by the person receiving it, and the student is required to retain this confirmation until the end of the academic year.
Any excused absence must be made up with a different group, no later than the end of the relevant semester, after agreeing a date with the person responsible for organising the classes.
In justified cases, the head of the clinic may permit an alternative method of making up for an excused absence, specifying its scope and deadline.
An unexcused absence results in failure to pass the course, in accordance with the applicable regulations of the MUB.
Failure to attend an examination on the scheduled date without a valid reason will result in a fail mark. Justification must be submitted to the examiner no later than on the day of the examination, and in exceptional cases within 5 working days after the examination date, but no later than the end of the examination session in which the examination takes place. A valid excuse may be a doctor’s note or a statement, certified by the Dean, confirming the occurrence of unforeseen circumstances.

VI. Preparation for and assessment of classes

Students are required to prepare systematically for every class, including those held on the first day of the course.
The level of substantive preparation may be assessed by the lecturer in the manner specified by the head of the clinic.
The condition for passing the course is fulfilment of the requirements set out in the course syllabus, including attendance at classes, making up for excused absences, and achieving the required number of credit points.

VII. Conditions for passing the course

To pass paediatrics course in years II–V, a student must:

Attend all in person and online teaching sessions, including practical sessions, seminars and lectures.
Make up for any excused absence.
Pass the course in the form determined by the head of the teaching unit, e.g. by means of an oral or written examination or a test.
Obtain a pass in all teaching units offering paediatrics classes in the relevant year of study. If a student fails to pass a course in any of these units, they cannot be admitted to the examination session.

To be admitted to the sixth-year paediatrics examination, a student must:

Attend all classes, both face-to-face and online, including practical sessions and classes on clinical problem-solving.
Make up for any excused absence with another group or in another form determined by the head of the relevant module or by a person authorised by them.

VIII. Rules for taking the paediatrics examination

General information.

The paediatrics examination consists of three parts:

a test-based exam,
a practical examination at the patient’s bedside,
an oral examination.

Students may sit the practical and oral examinations only after passing the test-based exam.
Students are entitled to three exam dates: the main exam date and two resit dates.
The exam dates are set by the examiner in consultation with the year representative and are communicated to students at least two weeks before the start of the exam session.
Recommended textbooks and study materials are listed in the course syllabus.
No exemptions from the exam are permitted.

Test-based exam.

The test-based exam comprises 100 questions covering all paediatric topics specified in the syllabus for years II–VI.
At least 25 per cent of the questions are practical in nature, e.g. relating to case reports, the interpretation of laboratory test results, imaging studies or ECGs.
The duration of the test is tailored to the length and nature of the questions.
The test must be completed independently. The use of unauthorised aids, contacting other people or using electronic devices will be dealt with in accordance with the Study Regulations and the Course Regulations.
The questions are designed to ensure objective assessment. Students sitting next to one another are given test papers with questions in a different order.
To pass the test, a student must achieve at least 60% correct answers.
A result below 60 per cent constitutes a fail and means the exam has not been passed on that occasion. The student is then not admitted to the practical or oral parts of the exam.
Test results are published on the website of the clinic organising the examination, no later than within 3 working days of the test being held, in accordance with data protection regulations.
Comments regarding test questions may only be submitted in writing, immediately after the test has finished, using the form provided for this purpose and before leaving the examination room.
If the objection is upheld, the question in concern is excluded from the marking for all candidates. The exam result is then calculated on the basis of a smaller number of questions.
Students are entitled to review their answer sheet and the set of questions once. The date for reviewing the examination paper is specified by the clinic organising the examination after the results have been announced.
An unexcused failure to attend the exam or a resit exam results in a fail mark. The rules for justifying absence are set out in section V.

Grading scale for the test-based exam:

Test result Grade

below 60% 2.0 — fail

60.00–67.99% 3.0 — satisfactory

68.00–74.99% 3.5 — fairly good

75.00–81.99% 4.0 — good

82.00–89.99% 4.5 — above good

90.00–100% 5.0 — very good

Practical and oral examination.

The practical and oral examination takes place at units offering paediatrics courses.
Dates are set by the heads of the respective departments. The examination should take place no later than three weeks after the test-based exam.
The practical examination may take place on the day before the oral examination or on the day of the oral examination, provided it does not clash with other teaching activities.
The allocation of students to the units where the examinations will take place is determined by a draw organised by the Department of Paediatrics and Nephrology at the MUB. The draw takes place within two working days of the announcement of the test results.
The practical examination takes place at the patient’s bedside. The student is awarded a pass or a fail for the practical component. Failure to pass the practical examination results in a fail mark for that examination session.
After passing the practical part, the student sits the oral examination. The oral examination comprises three questions on practical paediatric issues.
The final mark for the paediatrics examination is the arithmetic mean of the final marks for the test-based exam and the oral examination.

Resit examinations.

A student who has received a fail mark in the test-based exam may sit two resit examinations. It is permissible to set a single additional sitting for all those who have provided a valid reason for their absence from any of the previous sittings. No further additional examination sittings shall be scheduled other than those determined in accordance with the above rule.
A student who has failed a practical or oral examination may sit a resit examination, provided they have not previously used up their entitlement to resits during the test-based exam.
The date of the resit examination is set by the examiner or the body organising the examination.
The resit examination is conducted in the same format as the examination on the first sitting.

IX. Final provisions

Students are required to familiarise themselves with these regulations before the start of the course.
Failure to comply with these regulations, in particular the rules on safety, hygiene, patient data protection, professional confidentiality and the organisation of classes, may result in exclusion from classes and consequences arising from the regulations in force at MUB and UDSK.
In matters not covered by this document, the applicable regulations of the Medical University of Bialystok (Study Regulations, course syllabus), UDSK, and the decisions of the Head of the Clinic and course lecturers shall apply.

*) In accordance with the principle of equality and respect for the dignity of those studying at MUB, in these Regulations, every instance of the word ‘student’ refers to a female student, a male student or a student of any gender.