Metabern Academy
Education Programme
The Diagnostic, Clinical and Therapeutic Education Programme (DCTEP) on Inherited Metabolic Disorders (IMDs) is the first e-learning course developed by the MetabERN network. It provides participants with a comprehensive basis of metabolic rare and complex diseases, and the necessary skills and knowledge to be capable of diagnosis, management, and treatment of these patients in a multidisciplinary manner. This course has the overall objectives to train a new class of professionals with specific expertise in IMDs and to create awareness on IMDs among all the professional figures involved in the complex management of these patients.
You can find all the information about the DCTEP and the registration process
by scrolling down this page and by reading the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
Target Audience
The course is reserved for graduates in the field of healthcare and life sciences. The target audience is represented by post-graduate medical students and medical residents as well as by general practitioners and various medical specialists (including pediatrics, geneticists, neurologists, rheumatologists, orthopedics, endocrinologists, neurologists, hematologists, gastroenterologists, cardiologists). The course is also addressed to other professional figures involved in the study and care of Inherited Metabolic Diseases (nurses, dieticians, pharmacists, biologists, biochemists).
Learning Outcomes
The course will provide participants with both basic theoretical knowledge and practical experience on IMDs. The theoretical knowledge is mainly focused on the biochemical basis of cellular metabolism and on the genetics, diagnosis and clinical management of IMDs. The practical experience will be gained through the use of patient-based case studies, presented and discussed within the lessons. By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- provide diagnostic expertise for IMDs
- have knowledge of the appropriate clinical and laboratory tests
- enhance their therapeutic thinking on a number of IMDs
- apply knowledge to recommend treatment where available
- manage difficult clinical cases and prescribe basic therapies.
Course Content
Currently, the course consists of 11 modules, each including different lessons presented as video lectures by different experts in the field of IMDs, chosen among MetabERN members. It is designed to be continuously updated by adding new modules.
Module 01: Basic knowledge in Inherited Metabolic Diseases
Module 02: Acids & bases
Module 03: Sugars & energy metabolism (I)
Module 04: Sugars & energy metabolism (II)
Module 05: Sugars & energy metabolism (III)
Module 06: Proteins & aminoacids (I)
Module 07: Proteins & aminoacids (II)
Module 08: Lipids & fatty acids
Module 09: Complex molecules & organelles metabolism (I)
Module 10: Complex molecules & organelles metabolism (II)
Module 11: Trace elements & vitamins
Registration and Attendance
The course can be attended upon registration into MetabERN reserved area. After registration and validation of the participation requirements by MetabERN staff, students will be enrolled in the course and allowed to attend all modules. However, attendance to the entire course is not mandatory and the enrolled participants can choose to follow only one or a few module(s). The modules can be attended in separate sessions and following a random order.
Lessons are presented as video lectures, provided through a platform that assures a distraction-free and flexible learning experience. Any electronic device, equipped with a web browser and an Internet connection, as well as any operative system, can be used. No further applications need to be downloaded.
Self-assessment
In order to assess the achievement of the educational objectives, learners should complete an exam session consisting of a multiple-choice questionnaire made up of 10 questions, with an estimated duration of 10 minutes. Learners need to achieve exam session passmark of 70 % for each lesson. Each exam session can be undertaken more than once.
Each module also includes a survey collecting students’ feedback on that module, which will need to be validated by a member of MetabERN coordination office. When all the module lessons have been attended, all the relative self-assessments completed and the feedback survey approved, the module is considered completed.
Accreditation
The Diagnostic, Clinical and Therapeutic Programme (DCTEP) on Inherited Metabolic Disorders (IMDs) has been accredited by the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME), an institution of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS). After completing each module, students will be awarded the relative CME credits, with a total amount of 17 CME credits in case of completion of the entire course.
For each completed module, a certificate reporting the obtained CME credits will be available for download in the reserved area.
Here you can find the list of EU countries which recognise EACCME® credits for medical doctors. For students without a medical degree, it is up to the healthcare professional’s associations to recognise the EACCME® credits on a voluntary basis.
