Master internacional in Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Organization: Fetal i+D Education Barcelona

Target audience : Specialists in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, with at least a 2-year dedication background on fetal-maternal medicine*

*The academic syllabus of the Master includes topics not directly related to imaging. Professionals interested in a version of the course focused on imaging  and , therefore, suitable for  radiologists and sonographers, please send an email to xriba@medicinafetalbarcelona.org

The teaching program includes 6 thematic modules covering all relevant aspects for the practice of maternal and fetal medicine. Each module is open for completion by participants for 6-8 weeks. A seventh module includes the Research Project.

Online theoretical modules and evaluation testsEach module contains videos with theoretical content that can be seen online. These modules have a determined duration and will be carried out consecutively. Whenever a module is completed, there will be an evaluation test by multiple-choice questions that can include images and videos, with specific deadlines of completion.

Masterclass: Are interactive sessions with the professors that will be scheduled in the form of live online webinars, in which the students will be able to ask their questions to the experts, with the objective of solving any doubts that may have remained. These sessions will be held before the end of the online exam period of each module, and they will be coordinated by a moderator to ensure that they run smoothly.

Practicum: For each module, a set of ultrasound images must be obtained by the participant and sent in electronic format through her/his personal interactive platform. Images must be obtained according to pre-established criteria for the acquisition, quality and magnitude, and include virtually all common ultrasound exams conducted in the practice of advanced fetal medicine. The images will be assessed and scored by the tutors of the course; the students will receive a personalized feedback that will allow them to detect possible pitfalls in order to improve their clinical skills. The objective of this part is to provide decision making and problem-solving tools in ultrasound scanning that are essential in the doctor’s daily clinical practice.

Clinical cases resolution: A forum will be created for each module using the Moodle platform. The students will be given access once the module is open. It will constitute the place to share questions and doubts regarding the studied topics. The directors of the module will propose clinical cases to generate a debate between the students.

Face to face week: The course includes a one-week period in Barcelona with Meet-the-Professor sessions, Practical workshops on invasive procedures, clinical cases sessions.

Research project: Students must elaborate a final research project that will be evaluated by the expert committee. There are two modalities to choose from on the type of the final project: Systematic literature review on a current subject related to the content of the course or an original research in the student’s own setting.

The topic of the final project must be proposed by each student. Fill in the form found in the virtual campus with the title and justification of the proposal. The maximum date to upload it is December 30,2025.

The scientific committee will establish the definitive topic for each student’s project and assign a tutor to guide the student during the project’s development. It is necessary to pass the final project assessment (the passing score is 70) to obtain the university degree

The number of places is limited. To apply, it is necessary to fill out the preregistration form within the established period. Form available here

Preregistration requirements:

* To be a medical doctor.

* To fill in the form in the Register section with the requested information, your CV, a motivation letter and a reference letter.

Important: The receipt of your application will be confirmed within a maximum of one week from the date of submission.

Note that incomplete applications will not be considered.

Pre-registration requires a commitment to accomplish the planned educational activities to pass the course, including the evaluations and the submission of images and clinical cases in each module within the established deadlines (including a recovery period). Thus, we request that you do not submit your pre-registration application if you are not sure that you can accomplish the course requirements, either because you are not able to attend the presential part, or meet the deadlines for the submission of images, exams, payments, etc.

To take into account before preregistration

In order to validate a degree certificate awarded by a university or center of higher education abroad, it is necessary to carry out specific procedures to verify the existence of the institution that issued the degree and the studies that have been completed.

Necessary documentation

1) Students with university studies in Spain:

* Photocopy of ID/Passport.

* Photocopy of the official university degree.

* Responsible statement of veracity of documents.

2) Students with university studies outside Spain:

• Option 1:
• Photocopy of ID/Passport.
• Photocopy of certification.
• Responsible statement of veracity of documents.
• Option 2:
• Photocopy of ID/Passport.
• Photocopy of the official university degree.
• photocopy of academic record.
• rector application
• responsible statement of veracity of documents.

If the documents are issued in a language other than Catalan, Spanish, English, Italian, French or Portuguese, photocopy of the official translation into Catalan or Spanish.

Requeriments for official translations

Official translations can be done:

• By a sworn translator/interpreter, duly authorized or registered in Spain.
• For any diplomatic representation or consultation of the Spanish State.

Document to be downloaded in case you are selected

• Rector application
• Responsible statement

1. The geographical area, the intention is to represent the maximum number of countries.
2. The motivation letter.
3. The reference letter.
4. The CV, previous experience in Fetal Medicine and the ability to obtain the requested images for the practicums included in the program are valued.

Selected applicants will receive an email indicating that they have been accepted with the necessary information to start the registration process. When the maximum number of accepted candidates is reached, registrations will be closed. Applicants not admitted will receive an email indicating that their application has not been accepted.

We recommend that you read previously the information available on our website in the section “to take into account before preregistration”.

In the case of abandoning the course, the applicant must present a letter to the course coordinator, requesting the cancellation of his/her registration. The registration fee will not be refunded.

Cancellations

In the case of abandoning the course, the applicant must present a letter to the course coordinator, requesting the cancellation of his/her registration. The registration fee will not be refunded.

To obtain the course certificate, it is essential to pass all the theoretical and the practical parts of each module.

• A diploma that certifies the completion of the “Master in Maternal-Fetal Medicine ” will be issued by Maternal Fetal Medicine Barcelona with a qualification certificate.To obtain the course certificate, it is essential to pass all the theoretical and the practical parts of each module
• After satisfactory completion of all tests and materials required, participants will be provided with a university Diploma. It is a university-specific master’s degree* awarded by the Continuing Education Institute-IL3 at the University of Barcelona. The name of the diploma awarded by the University will be: “Lifelong Learning Master’s Degree Certificate in Advanced Maternal-Fetal Medicine” and it has 60 ECTS credits.

Information about University Degree

Certificate issued by the Institute of Continuous Education (IL3), University of Barcelona is a University own degree

What is a university own degree?

According to the regulations of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) most European universities offer specific degrees. In Spain, pursuant to article 2(g) of the Organic Law on Universities [Ley Orgánica 6/2001, de 21 de diciembre, de Universidades], the government allows Spanish universities to independently issue university-specific diplomas and qualifications. This enables the University to add to the official training it offers these so-called university-specific qualifications.

University-specific qualifications are specialised courses with various names (master’s degree, postgraduate, expert, etc.). They are designed to flexibly meet the needs that arise in the labour market and society, so they are aimed at achieving objectives such as:

• Providing specialised training with an immediate impact in the professional world.
• Updating professional knowledge in order to encourage skills-building for professional practice.
• Making a connection between academic work and social reality (this objective is supported by the frequent organisation of qualifications that are taught through an agreement with public institutions and private companies).

Therefore, the Expert in Imaging in Maternal Fetal Medicine is an official University-specific degree issued by the University of Barcelona through its institute for continuous education (IL3). This degree certifies that the participant has received specialized training in maternal and fetal medicine.

What is the difference between university-specific qualifications and official qualifications from universities?

• The main difference between the two is that official qualifications require a series of procedures and assessments by different public bodies such as the National Agency for the Assessment of Quality and Accreditation (ANECA), which are necessary in order to do a PhD, while University-specific qualifications do not need to be validated by institutions such as ANECA.

What validity does a university-specific qualification have outside of Spain?

• A university-specific course has the same validity inside or outside of Spain, as it is a curricular qualification for unregulated studies approved by university boards under the Organic Law on Universities, which accredits the student’s continuing education.
• The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) qualifies a program as a master’s degree when the required workload to achieve the learning objectives is >60 ECTS.
• The ECTS credits are used by and accepted by effectively all European universities and also by many other institutions around the world.

What is is not a university-specific expert degree

• This course does not enable professional exercise irrespective of the local regulations of each country. In some specific countries, this type of activity could be used later to accredit or obtain an additional national qualification in the field of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, but this will always depend on local regulations and it is not an automatic feature of this degree whatsoever.

Participants will receive high-level training in all relevant aspects for the practice of maternal-fetal medicine in provided by sub-specialists with a consolidated reputation and experience in clinical practice, teaching and research.