Course Descriptions for 1st and 2nd Year Medical Students

The following courses constitute the preclinical component of the curriculum for the M.D. degree and are required for medical students during the first and second years. Some of the courses are available to graduate students in the university, but the number of students who can be accepted is limited by laboratory facilities, and enrollment requires the written approval of the course director.

FIRST YEAR

BMS 6015 ESSENTIALS OF PATIENT CARE I (4 Credits)

This course is the first in a series of four that teach the skills and behaviors necessary to care for patients. The course consists of two interlocking components: communication skills and basic physical examination skills. The communication skills portion of the course covers the following topics: fundamentals of good communication, patient-centered interviewing, history of present illness, review of systems, past medical history, and recognizing and responding to emotions by employing empathetic skills. The basic clinical skills portion of the course is a year-long introduction to the physical examination. Working in the Harrell Assessment Center, students will learn and practice the skills of physical diagnosis.

BMS 6016 ESSENTIALS OF PATIENT CARE II (4 Credits)

This course is a continuation of Essentials of Patient Care I. Continuing sessions in basic clinical skills will advance the student’s expertise in the performance of the physical examination. This course also features small groups, led by faculty members in the Department of Medicine, that focus on clinical evaluation. Students learn to integrate the medical history and physical examination findings to develop clear, concise case presentations.

BMS 6828 INTERDISCIPLINARY FAMILY HEALTH I (2 Credits)

The Interdisciplinary Family Health course includes students and faculty from six colleges in the Health Science Center and demonstrates a shared mission of collaborative training that features case discussions and home visits with volunteer community families. The program’s learning objectives are focused on core curriculum areas that exist in most healthcare disciplines: developing interviewing skills, assessing family systems, and learning the principles of preventive medicine. The highlight of the interdisciplinary curriculum is the sequence of home visits in which interdisciplinary teams of students are expected to develop a health care plan for their assigned families.

BMS 6829 INTERDISCIPLINARY FAMILY HEALTH II (2 Credits)

Prerequisite: Satisfactory completion of BMS 6828. This course is a continuation of Interdisciplinary Family Health I.

BMS 6020 MEDICAL NEUROSCIENCE (5 Credits)

This course provides an integrated and multidisciplinary approach to the study of the anatomy and physiology of the central nervous system. The course includes a review of neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, neuroembryology, neurohistology, neurophysiology, and higher cortical function. Sensory and motor system functions are also stressed. The laboratory portion of the course is intensive, allowing students to develop a working knowledge of human brain structure and organization. There also is a strong emphasis on applying basic science information to actual clinical problems.

BMS 6100C CLINICAL HUMAN ANATOMY (8 Credits)

Lectures, case-based presentations, and laboratory dissections are used to illustrate the anatomy of the human body. Basic anatomical principles and relationships are presented in a regional approach. Embryological case-based presentations are also presented in a systematic format to assist students in learning pertinent aspects of normal and abnormal human developmental anatomy. The course is integrated with the Anatomy by Diagnostic Imaging course and the Medical Cell and Tissue Biology course.

BMS 6110C MEDICAL CELL AND TISSUE BIOLOGY (6 Credits)

The course is designed to teach the microscopic structure and function of human cells, tissues and organs. The correlation of structure and function at the cellular and molecular levels is emphasized in lectures, small group discussions, and laboratory sessions. The application of cell biology and histology to clinical disciplines is emphasized.

BMS 6190 ANATOMY BY DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING (2 Credits)

The goal of this course is to describe normal human anatomy in multiple dimensions (frontal, coronal, sagittal and axial) using imaging modalities available to diagnostic radiologists. The course is oriented to regional anatomy and systematically reviews each organ system. Nine didactic lectures are given by clinical faculty. Emphasis is on self and group study using computer-aided instruction and a set of teaching films. All content is integrated with other courses given during the fall term.

BMS 6003 MEDICAL ASPECTS OF HUMAN GENETICS (2 Credits)

This course is designed to familiarize the student with the medical aspects of human genetics. It presents both theoretical and clinical information related to cytogenetics, population genetics, and molecular genetics, together with a review of its application in the diagnosis, risk prediction and treatment/prevention of genetic diseases. Special topics such as cancer genetics are also covered.

BMS 6204 BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF HEALTH AND DISEASE (6 Credits)

A general biochemistry course is a required prerequisite. Lectures, small group discussions, and a gene diagnostic laboratory are designed to build on the student’s knowledge of basic cellular function. Emphasis is placed on the molecular mechanisms that underlie the pathogenesis and treatment of disease. Topics include molecular biology, physical biochemistry, metabolism, and nutrition.

BMS 6500 PRINCIPLES OF PHYSIOLOGY (6 Credits)

The objective of this course is to help medical students learn and comprehend functions of the human body that are essential for clinical medicine. The course covers normal physiology, as well as selected pathophysiological conditions. Concepts are organized by system: cardiovascular, endocrine, respiratory, renal and acid/base, and gastrointestinal. The theme of functional genomics ties the information together. The course consists of didactic lectures covering basic science and clinical correlations, quiz conferences, small group discussions, student presentations, quantitative and demonstration workshops, laboratory exercises, review sessions, web-based instruction, and examinations.

BCC 6151 HUMAN BEHAVIOR (3 Credits)

This course presents an introduction to the biological, psychological and social interactions that underline human behavior in both health and illness. Students learn to conduct medical and psychiatric interviews, perform the mental status examination, and identify the variety of psychological responses to stressors and disease. Discussions include alcoholism, substance abuse, the impaired physician, human sexuality, and an introduction to psychiatric treatment. Small group teaching is devoted to demonstrations and patient interviews.

BCC 6173 INTRODUCTION TO CLINICAL PRACTICE (3 Credits)

During this course, students are assigned to a physician preceptor who practices primary care medicine. Students spend three weeks on location with the physician and have many opportunities to utilize their interview and physical examination skills.

SECOND YEAR

BMS 6191 INTRODUCTION TO CLINICAL RADIOLOGY (2 Credits)

Prerequisite: BMS 6190. The course is an interactive lecture series presented by faculty members from the Departments of Radiology and Pathology and selected clinical departments. It provides imaging correlation with the pathologic entities discussed during the second year. All imaging modalities, including plain film, CT, MRI, ultrasound, and angiography/fluoroscopy will be presented. The course will emphasize the natural history of disease processes.

BMS 6300C MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE (5 Credits)

This course teaches the principles of medical microbiology and infectious disease. It covers basic host defense mechanisms and the interaction of pathogens with these host defenses. Bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic pathogens will be considered. Lectures, laboratories, small-group discussions, self-instructional material, and innovative computer programs will be used to present the material.

BMS 6404 PHARMACOLOGY (6 Credits)

This introductory course reviews the basic concepts of drug action, drug-receptor interaction, drug absorption, drug distribution, and drug elimination and the pharmacology of major classes of drugs. The course includes principles of toxicology. The material is presented in lectures and small group discussions.

BMS 6601C GENERAL PATHOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY (6 Credits)

Prerequisite: Satisfactory completion of the first year of medical school. The course introduces second-year medical students to immunology and inflammation, emphasizing their interaction and function in host defense, transplantation and disease causation. Morphologic and chemical correlates of cell injury, vascular disorders and cancer are presented, as well as tissue and host response to viral and fungal agents. Relevant clinical examples are provided. This course provides the conceptual basis for understanding the pathogenesis of disease and the body’s response to injury.

BMS 6602C SYSTEMIC PATHOLOGY AND LABORATORY MEDICINE (9 Credits)

Prerequisite: Satisfactory completion of BMS 6601C. Building upon general principles learned in General Pathology and Immunology, the student studies the detailed pathology of each organ system. The morphologic, biochemical and biological behavior of various diseases are covered in lecture and amplified by laboratory materials. Functional and clinical implications are discussed, including the appropriate use of the clinical laboratory for diagnosis and therapy.

BMS 6630 ONCOLOGY (2 Credits)

This course is taught in parallel with the pathology courses and provides correlation between the pathogenesis of cancer and the treatment of patients with malignant diseases.

BMS 6822 ETHICAL AND LEGAL ISSUES IN MEDICAL PRACTICE (2 Credits)

This course introduces students to specific ethical and legal issues they will encounter in their clinical years. Students learn to identify ethical and legal problems, improve their communication skills with patients and colleagues, and apply ethical analysis in the resolution of concrete cases. The course is organized around both lecture and small-group dialogue sessions in which students are expected to support their conclusions with reasoned analysis.

BMS 6823 EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE (3 Credits)

This course provides instruction in clinical epidemiology, biostatistics, preventive medicine, managed care, and public health. The critical appraisal of the medical literature is emphasized.

BMS 6830 ESSENTIALS OF PATIENT CARE III (4 Credits)

Prerequisite: BMS 6016. Essentials of Patient Care III builds upon the foundation laid by its predecessors Essentials of Patient Care I and II. Students will evaluate patients in a variety of settings to begin the process of clinical reasoning and to continue development of history-taking and physical examination skills. A selected number of interviews and physical examinations will be videotaped and critiqued in the small group setting. Students will perform two patient medical write-ups during this course. Preceptors will provide specific and timely feedback during all phases of the course.

BMS 6834 ESSENTIALS OF PATIENT CARE IV (3 Credits)

Prerequisite: BMS 6830. Essentials of Patient Care IV builds upon the foundation laid by its predecessors Essentials of Patient Care I-III. Students will evaluate patients in a variety of settings to help develop their clinical reasoning, generate differential diagnoses, and refine their professional persona. The course will culminate in a group problem-solving exercise in which participants are given an unknown clinical scenario. Teamwork and collaborative effort will be required as the group works together to generate a differential diagnosis, outline a plan of action, and interpret acquired data. An afternoon poster session will allow groups to present their patient cases and justify their thought process through the use of laboratory data and diagnostic studies.