Objectives for an internship internal medicine: from the Dutch Blueprint (Raamplan 1994) to implementation into a practical logbook

Abstract

Background: The Dutch Blueprint 1994 (Raamplan 1994) describes the objectives of undergraduate medical education. The Blueprint, developed in order to improve medical education in the Netherlands, is accepted by all Dutch medical schools and has been legislated.

Aim: Translation of global objectives of the Blueprint into specific requirements of a Logbook (guideline and evaluation tool) for the internship Internal Medicine.

Description: The Blueprint as such is impracticable as a guideline during the Internal Medicine internship. The content covers the objectives for the entire field of medicine, and the volume dedicated to Internal Medicine is too large to fit in with a twelve week internship. The practicability of the Blueprint leaves much to be desired because it is complex, and not easily accessible. So, the Blueprint was adapted on three points: (1) selecting those objectives out of the whole content, which are specifically relevant to Internal Medicine; (2) decreasing the volume Internal Medicine by clustering and defining the requirements; (3) making the Logbook usable as a guideline and evaluation instrument.

Conclusion: The Logbook is a good starting-point to evaluate whether students meet the objectives of the Blueprint related to the discipline Internal Medicine.