The objective of this online medical course is to provide you with insights into the principles of cardiovascular disease (CVD) epidemiology and the important issues that are involved – plus a lot more besides. Unlike many other courses that only go into one particular topic in depth, this course will enable you to ‘zoom out’ from your own direct research in order to look at the bigger picture. By doing so, you will be able to see your own work or research from a broader perspective. Furthermore, this is an essential course to follow if you want to gain a broader understanding of cardiovascular epidemiology than you would in your own specialty.
During this course, you will learn about atherosclerosis, worldwide trends in CVD morbidity and mortality, the role of factors triggering the occurrence of a cardiovascular event, risk factors for CVD, and prevention strategies. In addition, we will present the latest developments in CVD epidemiology. We will also discuss gender differences, the role of HDL cholesterol, the importance of genes, renal denervation, heart failure, stem cells, early origins of vascular risk, and non-invasive imaging. If you wish to further your medical education in the field of Cardiovascular Epidemiology, this is an excellent course for you.
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
• Understand the process of atherosclerosis, which is the underlying pathology for the most common cardiovascular diseases
• Describe the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases
• Describe the worldwide trends in cardiovascular diseases and cardiovascular disease mortality
• Describe the triggers for a cardiovascular event
• Understand the principles for prevention of cardiovascular diseases
• Atherosclerosis, the underlying pathology for the most common cardiovascular diseases
• Risk factors for cardiovascular disease
• Worldwide trends in cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality
• The role of trigger factors in the occurrence of a cardiovascular event
• Prevention strategies for cardiovascular disease
This course includes a multiple-choice exam. The exam is not compulsory. However, if you want to receive the Course Certificate and the credits, it is obligatory to take the exam. You are allowed to redo the exam once. The exams are, by default, online using online proctoring. If you wish to take the exam on-site in Utrecht, the Netherlands, this is possible as well.
Exam edition May 2023
The exam will take place on June 2rd, 2023 from 14:15 – 16:15 CET. The re-examination will take place on July 14th, 2023 from 14:15 – 16:15 CET. Note: these times might be subject to change. The exact time and place will be announced as soon as possible in the learning environment and any changes announced there will overrule the information here.
Exam edition May 2024
The exam will take place on May 31st, 2024 from 14:15 – 16:15 CET. The re-examination will take place on July 19th, 2024 from 14:15 – 16:15 CET. Note: these times might be subject to change. The exact time and place will be announced as soon as possible in the learning environment and any changes announced there will overrule the information here.
It might be that, due to a force majeure situation, you cannot be present during the first exam moment.
• MSc Epidemiology Postgraduate students must then, preferably prior to the first exam option, ask the academic counsellor for permission to be absent. Please note that the academic counsellor can ask for some form of proof of your absence (e.g. in case of illness) to establish if you are applicable for authorized absence. Jaco de Fockert-Koefoed, MSc is the academic counsellor you need to turn to through adviseurs@umcutrecht.nl.
• All other participants should contact the MSc Epidemiology Office instead, through MSc-Epidemiology@umcutrecht.nl.
In short, as of now, it is no longer possible to skip the first exam option and -automatically- enroll in the second (re-sit) exam. Unauthorized absence during the first exam period results in no longer being able to finish the course that college year.
To enrol in this course, you need:
• A Bachelor’s degree in life sciences (or the equivalent)
• Sufficient proficiency in English reading and writing
• Access to PubMed
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