[The present state and perspectives of postgraduate education of physicians in internal medicine]

Postgraduate training in internal medicine, although conceived as a programme for the entire productive life, is most intensive during the preparation for specialization examinations in the discipline. These examinations have two grades. Grade I can be obtained after attendance of a prescribed training and grade II after another four years. The author gives an account of the existing opportunities for training for specialization I in internal medicine (supplementary courses are organized in some regions) and grade II for which the Institute for Postgraduate Medical Training organizes three-month courses in Prague. In these courses not only the acquisition of recent findings is emphasized but also active participation of the participants of the course (demonstrations of patients and lectures prepared on a given subjects). The authors discusses also the possible motivations for postgraduate training after specialization in the discipline of internal medicine. Knowledge of internal medicine is important also for the discipline of general medicine. The author submits some suggestions for collaboration of the two disciplines to achieve a better standard of provided care.