Postgraduate School of Allergology and Clinical Immunology

Integrated training objectives (i.e. common core)
The trainee must have acquired satisfactory theoretical knowledge and professional competence in the clinical and instrumental diagnosis and treatment, even in emergency-urgent conditions, of the most common internal medicine pathologies. The trainee must acquire the fundamental knowledge of physiopathology of the various organs and systems, the theoretical and practical knowledge necessary for the recognition of diseases that affect the various systems of the body, the theoretical and practical knowledge of the main sectors of instrumental and laboratory diagnostics relating to the aforementioned diseases, the acquisition of the ability to evaluate internal medicine and specialist connections and influences. He must therefore be able to recognize the symptoms and clinical-functional signs with which diseases of various organs and systems manifest themselves, having acquired the fundamental diagnostic, therapeutic, psychological and ethical knowledge necessary for a global vision of the patient. To this end, he must develop the ability to clinically frame the patient on the basis of the anamnesis and objective examination; develop critical and analytical diagnostic skills; become familiar with the main diagnostic procedures and laboratory-instrumental investigations; recognize and be able to deal with the main medical emergencies; become familiar with the therapeutic resources to plan their optimal use and recognize their indications and contraindications, as well as the effects of interaction and possible iatrogenic incidents; acquire the fundamental notions relating to clinical research methodologies and pharmacological trials; know the fundamental problems relating to prevention, public health and social medicine. The trainee must have acquired satisfactory theoretical knowledge and professional competence in the recognition and treatment, in emergency-urgency conditions, of the most common pathologies. Finally, the trainee must also know, from a clinical and therapeutic perspective, the most common pathologies within the competence of the other typologies of the class

Basic training objectives
Expand and deepen the fundamental knowledge relating to the organization of the immune system and its functioning; know the mechanisms of genetic control of the immune response, the immunological mechanisms of tissue injury and repair and the correlations with allergic and immunological pathologies

Objectives of general training
Know the fundamental alterations of the lymphoid organs, the functional alterations and the control mechanisms of the immune system, as well as the determining causes, the immunogenetic substrate and the corresponding lesions; know the morphological pictures from an anatomical and histopathological point of view of the main immunological diseases and the prevalent lymphoproliferative diseases; know the pathogenetic mechanisms and the immunological implications in the course of the main infectious diseases, including HIV pathology; know the inflammatory and immunological mechanisms of control of tumor growth; know the mechanisms of action, metabolism, therapeutic and adverse effects of drugs and pharmacological and biological aids in the treatment of allergic and immunological diseases

Educational objectives of the School typology
The assistant in training must recognize the symptoms and clinical-functional signs with which immunological and allergological diseases manifest themselves and resolve the related clinical problems; define the prognosis and plan the therapy of the aforementioned diseases; implement primary and secondary prevention measures in these patients; know the etiopathogenetic principles, plan and carry out the therapy of allergic and immunological diseases; carry out controlled and epidemiological studies in the field of allergic and immunological diseases; know, carry out and interpret the allergological tests "in vivo" and apply the immunological, allergological, serological and cellular diagnostic methodologies.

Mandatory professionalizing activities for achieving the educational objectives of the type include the execution (assisted by a teacher) of:
- immunological, serological and biological fluid diagnostics (evaluate at least 300 dosages of immunoglobulins and specific IgE immunoglobulins, and/or complement factors, and/or organ- and non-organ-specific autoantibodies)
- cellular immunology diagnostics (evaluate at least 100 phenotypic characterization tests of cells obtained from peripheral blood and/or lymphoid organs and tissues, and/or bone marrow, and/or serous effusions, and/or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid)
- microscopic diagnostics (evaluate at least 30 cytological, cytochemical and immunohistochemical preparations of blood samples, or bone marrow or lymphoid organs, in normal and pathological conditions of immuno-allergological interest).
- "in vivo" allergological diagnostics (specific skin reactions and/or provocation tests in at least 200 patients)
- specialized medical procedures relating to the classification, study and treatment of at least 400 patients with allergic or immunological pathology, necessary to achieve the following objectives:
- immunological in-depth analysis of the anamnesis.
- search for elements suggestive of the presence of allergo-immunological diseases in the context of a general objective examination.
- planning of the diagnostic procedure concerning the main allergic and immunological diseases of at least 200 patients
- correct interpretation of the results of the investigations included in the planning of the diagnostic procedure.
- recognition of situations requiring emergency therapeutic measures.
- planning and execution of therapeutic, pharmacological and biological protocols for the main allergic and immunological diseases.
- periodic monitoring, both clinical and laboratory, of the beneficial and undesirable effects of immunological, anti-allergic and biological drug therapy (monoclonal antibodies).
- knowledge of the prophylaxis and treatment of the main infectious diseases.
- knowledge of the characteristics of antiallergic, chemotherapeutic, cytostatic, antibiotic, immunomodulatory and immunosuppressive drugs.
- execution of specific hyposensitizing immunotherapy by oral and subcutaneous route;
- active participation in the management, according to the rules of good clinical practice, of at least 2 controlled clinical trials.

The trainee will be able to compete for the diploma after completing the professionalizing activities.

The trainee, as part of the training path, will have to learn the scientific bases of the School typology in order to reach full maturity and professional competence that includes an adequate capacity to interpret scientific innovations and a critical knowledge that allows him to consciously manage both the assistance and his own updating; in this area, participation in meetings, conferences and the production of scientific publications and periods of attendance in qualified Italian and foreign institutions useful for his training may be foreseen