Head of the study: Prof. Veljko Šantić, MD, PhD
E-mail: veljko.santic@medri.uniri.hr
The university specialist study of Orthopedics and Traumatology at the Lovran Orthopedic Clinic of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Rijeka was initiated due to the need for specialist education of residents trained for the needs of the Lovran Orthopedic Clinic and numerous other (public) state and private health institutions in the Republic of Croatia. Besides orthopedics residents, the mandatory part of specialist training in orthopedics is also attended by residents of physical medicine, occupational medicine and others. This university specialist study enables specialists to acquire the necessary knowledge about the latest methods of modern professional and scientific medicine in orthopedics and their application in everyday clinical practice. This university specialist study is a mandatory part of the specialist training programme that enables participants to take the final specialist exam in orthopedics. After passing the exam, participants are awarded the title of orthopedic specialist, based on which they can work in their local community and the entire Republic of Croatia.
The University of Zagreb has a similar programme called university specialist study of Orthopedics, with the Clinic for Orthopedics of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Zagreb being the study contractor. The Lovran Orthopedic Clinic of the Faculty of Medicine in Rijeka has met the prerequisites and obtained approval from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of the Republic of Croatia for the training of orthopedic residents, which is one of the strategic goals of the Lovran Orthopedic Clinic as part of the strategic goals of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Rijeka. In addition, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of the Republic of Croatia issued a decision dated October 31, 2007 (CLASS: 133-02/07-01/32, REG.NO.: 534-07-03-02/2-07-2) for approval of taking the specialist exam in orthopedics at the Lovran Orthopedic Clinic. The study lasts two semesters and is worth 60 ECTS points, 30 per semester. In both semesters, students enrol in 26 ECTS credits for compulsory courses and 4 ECTS credits for elective courses. Students enrol for the entire academic year, i.e. both semesters at once. After enrolling in compulsory and elective courses, participants are required to attend lectures and seminars to meet the prerequisites for taking the exam.
The Committee for University Specialist Study of Orthopedics, headed by the head of the study, can approve to the attending student the transfer of ECTS credits from other studies at the University or other higher education institutions based on the criterion of one working week, i.e. 40 hours of student workload, amounting to 1.5 ECTS credits. In direct instruction, this amounts to 15–25 contact hours, depending on whether classes are lectures, seminars or practicals. Participants of the university specialist study of Orthopedics can choose elective courses from other university specialist studies of our Faculty. Currently, these elective courses belong to university specialist studies of Family Medicine, Healthcare Management, Internal Medicine, Biomedicine of Developmental Age, Psychiatry, Gynecology and Obstetrics and Health Promotion and Addiction Prevention. Upon completion of the accreditation of study programmes for university specialist studies in other fields of medicine, students will also be able to enrol in some of the elective courses offered.