Programme info

The Interuniversity Certificate/Postgraduate Studies in Algology is accessible and aims for a continuous professional development and broadening of the competences that are gained after the completion of the master in medicine. More specifically, at the end of the postgraduate:

• The students will be able to investigate acute pain syndromes, establish a suitable treatment for such acute nociceptive syndromes and follow up on the result continuously;
• The students are able to evaluate the multidisciplinary character of a specific pain syndrome, including the implications of such pain complaints on the socio-economical functioning of the patients and the psycho-social consequences that derive from it;
• The students are capable to perform a full evaluation of chronic pain syndromes, based on specific pain anamnesis, somatosensory clinical evaluations, application of specialized nociceptive diagnostic techniques and hetero-anamnesis;
• The students are capable to draw up a individualized multimodal and multidisciplinary treatment plan, explain such plan to the patient (and their family) and follow up on its implementation in a competent way;
• The students are capable to guide the patient actively and competently during revalidation programmes , so that the reconditioning, reactivation and socio-economical reintegration can be optimized and facilitated;
• The students are capable to evaluate insufficient analgesia from an ethical, moral and social point of view.

All students follow the same programme and there is no differentiation.

The programme is divided into 5 course units:

• Advanced studies in algology, part 1 (14/10/2024 - 18/10/2024): The main topics are neurobiology of pain, neuropharmacology of pain, basic principles of the psychology and cognitive modulation of pain and cancer pain.
• Advanced studies in algology, part 2 (13/10/2025 - 17/10/2025): The students will spend 5,5 days on a domain in Spa, during which they will have lessons and workshops from morning till evening. The main topics are clinical pain syndromes, in-depth exploration of the psycho-social approach of pain and multidisciplinary strategies.
• Internship 1&2: In total, the internship equals 25 credit points. Internship 1 has been assigned 12 credit points and Internship 2 13 credit points. The internship has to be completed in one of the 35 official pain centers in Belgium, under supervision of the coordinating medical supervisor of the academic multidisciplinary pain center.  
• Capita selecta: The student attends national, international congresses or workshops about pain concerning research, treatment of pain or other subjects as epidemiology of pain, financial impact etc. The goal is to get insight in the scientific work leading to an improved knowledge in pain pathophysiology and its treatment and to obtain an evidence based view on pain and its treatment in the global human population and its age groups. The student will write a reflection after each attendance to a congress, workshop, course.