In the Problem-Based Learning curriculum all staff members of the Department of Physiology participate in teaching Physiology, and are performing organizational task.
In the first two years, teaching material is delivered to, and participation is realized in block 1.1 “Acute need”, block 1.3 “Lack of breath”, block 1.4 “Shock”, block 2.1 “The living cell”, and block 2.2 “Wish, child, human”.
Participation in these integrative blocks consists either as block coordinator, or member of the blocking steering group, mentor of student group, lecturers, and so on.
At the end of year 2 two elective blocks are organized and presented by the department of Physiology: “Endocrine control of body functions”, and “Neurophysiology”. On the average 30 to 40 students (out of 340) register for these blocks. Physiology is teached in an interactive way by lectures, assignments, oral presentations by students, etc. The students are invited and stimulated to actively participate in the elective blocks. The student ratings of the two elective physiology blocks are very high.
In year 3, 4 and 5, Physiology teaching is part of the clinical training of the students. Normal physiology is combined with pathophysiology. In year 3, the department of Physiology participates in the blocks “Heart and Circulation” and “The abdomen”. In year 4 and 5 subjects like Acid base balance, Digestion, Control of blood pressure and shock, Endocrinological disturbances and Water and salt balance, are presented and discussed with students prior to their internship in Surgery and/or Internal Medicine. During the last week of the internship all students will present a powerpoint presentation dealing with disturbed physiology of one of the patients seen during the preceding period. On the basis of the presentation the (patho)physiological disturbances underlying disease will be discussed with one of the members of the Department of Physiology. The same holds for students doing their internship Paediatrics.
In the CARIM Research Master the department participates in block 1.2 with the module 'Electrical and mechnanical remoddelling of the heart' and the module 'Vascular and cardiac growth: stretched to the limit'.