SCHOOL OF MEDICAL SCIENCES

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr G T.A. McEwan & Dr J Barrow

Pre-requisites

None

Co-requisites

None

Overview

This course will introduce core disciplines associated with the School of Medical Sciences. Through exploration of basic human body function in health and disease, the course will engage students with the fundamental concepts of anatomy, physiology and neuroscience. This will lay the foundation for understanding the general principles of pharmacology, developmental biology and the biomolecular sciences. Discipline specific skills and techniques will be utilised to enhance understanding and to develop broader medical science skills and methods.

Structure

3 one hour lectures per week and one 3 hour practical/problem-solving class per fortnight.

Assessment

1st Attempt: Continuous assessment (100%).  MCQ assessments during course and completed laboratory reports.

Resit: 1 two-hour MCQ exam (70%) and previous continuous assessment (30%).

Formative Assessment

PRS-based MCQ in lectures/practicals
MCQ practice questions on WebCT
Problem-solving sessions

Feedback

Practical reports will be marked with written comments.
Students given general feedback on performance during PRS revision sessions.
Students receive on-line feedback on completion of WebCT-based practice MCQ tests.
General feedback provided following in-course MCQ assessments
General feedback following problem-solving sessions

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr Kath Shennan / Dr Allison Carrington

Pre-requisites

None

Co-requisites

None

Notes

The practical work required in this course may pose difficulties to students with some disabilities. If this arises alternative arrangements will be made. Any student wishing to discuss this further should contact the School Disability Co-ordinator.

Overview

The course explores cells as the basic unit of life. All organisms are composed of cells whether they exist as single-celled microbes, or multi-cellular organisms, as in plants and animals. The course starts by discussing how cells evolved, illustrating the diversity of cells types while also showing how cells are all "variations on a theme".? As the course progresses the structure and function of the cell is explored and the fundamental molecular concepts of life are introduced.? Later in the course the focus will be on how cells are able to come together to form multi-cellular organisms such as animals and plants.? This multi-cellularity requires cells to stick together and to communicate with each other.? The course also explores how cells grow and divide and how some cells can differentiate to allow specialised functions.? The last few lectures illustrate some of the exciting cell biology studies being carried out in the University of Aberdeen, ranging from fungal and parasite biology through to research into bone disease and cancer.

Structure

3 one hour lectures per week and 1 three hour practical class per fortnight.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour MCQ examination (60%) and in-course assessment (40%). Continuous assessment comprises: 6 laboratory reports, 3 MCQ tests, 3 On-line quizzes.

Resit: 1 two-hour MCQ examination (60%) and in-course assessment (40%). This may contain material from both the practical and lecture components of the course.

Formative Assessment

PRS-based revision sessions allow students to practice for MCQ tests and receive feedback on their performance.

Feedback

Practical reports will be marked with written comments.

Students are given general feedback on performance during PRS revision sessions.

Students receive on-line feedback on completion of the MCQ tests and quizzes.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Professor M Cotter

Pre-requisites

BI 1004

Overview

6 four-hour workshops every other Wednesday morning involving a Personal Response System (PRS) lecture at the start to introduce the topic, followed by groups of students working together to complete a related task eg solve a number of data interpretations.

Web-based "homework" available in the next week consisting of a bank of questions, which the students are advised to answer and practise. On alternate Wednesday mornings, students have to complete an individual assignment, generated randomly from the bank of questions. At this point there will be feedback on their answers. Any student who fails this assignment will be able to repeat the task.

Topics will include: numerical manipulations, practical skills, interpretation of graphs and data sets, basic statistics, application of statistical analysis to data, writing good scientific English, preparation of abstracts, designing experiments, critical analysis of published work, evaluating sources of information, analysis of conflicting published data, basic presentation skills.

Structure

6 four-hour workshops and 6 one-hour individual assignments.

Assessment

1st Attempt: Continuous assessment (100%). Consisting of 25% for group work, peer assessment (5%), (see note 20 below) and individual assignments (70%).

Resit: Students will be able to repeat individual assignments until they achieve a pass.

Formative Assessment

Feedback