Summer Remediation Course for Medical Microanatomy
Course Co-Directors: Drs. Janet Smith and Haviva Goldman
Introduction:
- We have developed a web-based summer remediation course for medical students who have received a failing grade during their initial course in Medical Microanatomy.
- Students take the course on-line while remaining at their own institution.
- The course consists of materials from the Microanatomy course at Drexel University College of Medicine (see Syllabus below), and is presented in a fashion that allows the students to progress at their own rate within established limits.
Goals:
- To review the structure of cells, tissues, and organs at the microscopic level, with an emphasis on clinical relevance.
- To demonstrate the principle that structure reflects function, and to introduce the idea that derangements in function (pathologies) often result from or cause changes in structure.
- To serve as a bridge that conceptually connects the molecular events learned in Biochemistry and Physiology to the macroscopic structures studied in Gross Anatomy.
- To provide the background necessary for success in the study of Pathology.
- To certify by means of written and practical exams that, upon successful completion of this course, the student has demonstrated an acceptable level of competency in the subject matter.
Eligibility:
- The course is open only to medical students.
- Students must be registered in an accredited U.S.A. Medical School, or equivalent.
- Students must provide written approval from their Administrator (usually the Dean of Students) in order to take the course.
- Students must also supply written assurance from their Administrator that a proctor will be supplied to administer the mid-term and final exams.
- Prerequisite: Completion of a 1st year medical school curriculum that included Microanatomy.
Course Description:
- Course name: Summer Remediation Course in Medical Microanatomy
- Offered by the Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy at Drexel University College of Medicine
- Tuition fee: $2000
- The course material is available from June 14th until July 16th with a Midterm Exam on Wednesday, June 30th, and a Final Exam on Friday, July 16th, 2010.
- The course includes:
- Approximately 57 lecture hours presented as streaming video
- Lecture notes that can be downloaded or viewed simultaneously with the streaming video
- A virtual microscopy lab experience based on annotated digitized glass slides
- A lab manual that can be downloaded or viewed simultaneously with the slides
- Section Exams that will not count toward the final grade but will provide feedback to the students as they progress through the course, and also serve as practice for the Midterm and Final Exams
- A Medical School faculty member available for questions and answers via telephone or email
- The Course is divided into 7 sections (see detailed Syllabus below):
- 1) Introduction to Microscopy, & Cell Biology
- 2) Epithelium, Connective Tissue, & Skin
- 3) Muscle & Nerve
- 4) Cartilage, Bone, & Endocrine Organs
- 5) Blood, Cardiovascular System, & Lymphoid Organs
- 6) Respiratory & Digestive Systems
- 7) Urinary System, and Male & Female Reproductive Systems
Midterm & Final Exams:
- There will be a Midterm Exam and a Final Exam. These are THE ONLY exams that will count toward the final course grade.
- The Midterm will be on June 30th, 2010, and will cover the material from Sections 1-4.
- The Final Exam will be on July 16th, 2010, and will cover only the material from Sections 5-7.
- Each exam is composed of 50 questions and lasts for 70 minutes (1.4 min per question).
- All questions are in the multiple choice format, and approximately half will include images.
- Both the Midterm and Final Exams will be taken online through Blackboard Vista Learning System at the student's home school. If online arrangements cannot be made, paper exams will be mailed to an Administrator designated by the student who can proctor the exam and return it to us by mail for grading, along with the test booklets.
Section Exams:
- At the end of each section there will be a Section Exam. These will help students assess their understanding of the material from that one section, but WILL NOT count toward the final grade.
- Each Section Exam is taken through WebCT and requires a computer.
- Like the Midterm and Final Exams, each Section Exam is composed of 50 questions and lasts for 70 minutes.
- Passing a Section Exam will allow the student to start the next section. If a student fails to obtain a grade of 70% or more in a Section Exam, he or she must retake the exam the following day. A second failure on a Section Exam will not affect the course grade or prevent the student from moving on to the next section, but it will be reported to the student’s home institution along with the final course grade.
Evaluation:
- A feedback questionnaire will be requested from each enrolled student to evaluate the course resources (lecture notes, streaming video lectures, lecturers, virtual microscopy resource, exams, help provided by the course directors, overall quality of the course, areas for improvement, etc.)
- Success on the final exam will indicate that the student has reached a level of proficiency in Medical Microanatomy, similar to that of other medical students in this institution.
- Since the material taught and the tests used in this course are equivalent to those used in our regular Microanatomy course, we expect that students passing this Summer Remediation Course in Medical Microanatomy will be well prepared to continue their medical education.
Administration:
- The course is packaged and administered within the frame of WebCT.
- The course is offered through the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, and all administrative tasks related to the course will be handled by the Course Directors.
- Final grades will be sent to the student’s Dean for confirmation of course completion as well as to the student.
Contact:
Haviva Goldman, Ph.D.
Course Director
Summer Remediation Course in Medical Microanatomy
Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy
Drexel University College of Medicine
2900 Queen Lane
Philadelphia, PA 19129
PH (215) 991-8467
FX (215) 843-9082
hgoldman@drexelmed.edu
Registration: http://www.drexelmed.edu/nasr
Course Syllabus:
- All lectures are approximately 50-60 minutes long unless otherwise indicated.
- Labs are to be completed online by virtual microscopy, using annotated digitized glass slides and the online lab manual.
Sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 must be completed between June 14th and June 29th, 2010
Section 1 (Introduction to Microscopy, & Cell Biology):
Introduction to Light Microscopy (1.5 hrs)
Cytoskeleton
Mitochondria
Cell Junctions
Lysosomes & Peroxisomes
Nucleus, Endoplasmic Reticulum, & Golgi
The Differentiated Cell
Lab 1: Microscopy, Stains, & Organelles
Section Exam: Section 1
Section 2 (Epithelium, Connective Tissue, & Skin):
Epithelia & Glands (1.5 hrs)
Lab 2: Epithelia & Glands
Connective Tissue (2 hrs)
Lab 3: Connective Tissue
Integument (1.5 hrs)
Lab 4: Integument
Slide Review Lecture: Section 2 (2 hrs)
Section Exam: Section 2
Section 3 (Muscle & Nerve):
Skeletal Muscle
Cardiac & Smooth Muscle
Lab 5: Muscle
Peripheral Nerve & Ganglia
Motor & Sensory Nerve Endings
Lab 6: Nerve
Slide Review Lecture: Section 3 (2 hrs)
Section Exam: Section 3
Section 4 (Cartilage, Bone, & Endocrine Organs):
Cartilage
Bone
Lab 7: Cartilage & Bone
Bone Formation & Joints (1.5 hrs)
Lab 8: Bone Formation & Joints
Hypophysis
Thyroid & Parathyroid
Adrenal Glands
Lab 9: Endocrine Organs
Slide Review Lecture: Section 4 (2 hrs)
Section Exam: Section 4
Midterm Exam: June 30th, covers Sections 1, 2, 3 & 4
Sections 5, 6, and 7 must be completed between July 1st and July 15th, 2010
Section 5 (Blood, Cardiovascular System, & Lymphoid Organs):
Blood (2 hrs)
Hematopoiesis
Lab 10: Blood & Hematopoiesis
Cardiovascular System (1.5 hrs)
Lab 11: Cardiovascular System
Thymus
Lymph Nodes & Spleen
Lab 12: Lymphoid Organs
Slide Review Lecture: Section 5 (2.5 hrs)
Section Exam: Section 5
Section 6 (Respiratory & Digestive Systems):
Respiratory System
Lab 13: Respiratory System
Teeth
Upper GI Tract (2 hrs)
Lab 14: Upper GI
Lower GI Tract (1.5 hrs)
Lab 15: Lower GI
Liver, Gall Bladder & Pancreas (1.5 hrs)
Lab 16: Liver, Gall Bladder & Pancreas
Slide Review Lecture: Section 6 (2.5 hrs)
Section Exam: Section 6
Section 7 (Urinary System, and Male & Female Reproductive Systems):
Urinary System (1.5 hrs)
Lab 17: Urinary System
Ovary
Female Reproductive Tract
Lab 18: Female Reproductive System
Placenta
Mammary Gland
Lab 19: Placenta & Mammary Gland
Testis
Male Reproductive Tract
Lab 20: Male Reproductive System
Slide Review: Section 7 (3 hrs)
Section Exam: Section 7
Final Exam: Sections 5, 6, & 7
Final Exam is on July 16th, 2010, and covers Sections 5, 6, & 7.