Medical Physiology

Guidelines 2006

UMDNJ RWJMS Department of Physiology and Biophysics
Medical Physiology (PHYS 6000)
Course Guidelines, 2006

It is my pleasure, on behalf of the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, to welcome you to semester two and the Medical Physiology course. This course is designed to build the solid foundation in human physiology that is necessary to further your understanding of human medicine. The faculty involved in this course are here for your benefit; with that in mind, do not hesitate to seek our assistance over the next few months and beyond. Faculty contact information and office hours are listed in this handout and within the course WebCT site. Please take time to read the following course guidelines. If you have any questions whatsoever regarding the Medical Physiology course, please contact me at your convenience.

We are confident that Med Phys will provide you with a valuable learning experience. Once again, do not hesitate to contact myself and/or the other members of the Med Phys teaching faculty should you have questions and/or require assistance with this course. Best wishes for a productive and successful semester!

Dr. Rob Zachow
Course Director
Department of Physiology and Biophysics

I. Objectives
The following objectives for attitudes, skills, and knowledge are designed as short-term goals to be achieved upon completion of the Medical Physiology course. These objectives are closely related to the long-range goals of the RWJMS ASK Matrix; especially to the Skills and Knowledge of Goals I and III, and to the Attitudes of all four goals.

Why is the study of medical physiology important? Medical physiology is designed to establish the following: 1) a fundamental working knowledge of human systems physiology, and 2) a foundation for describing the mechanisms of action underlying human health and disease.

The material presented in Medical Physiology is designed to build upon, and reinforce, the other courses taught during the first year curriculum. By the end of this semester, it is expected that, as a result of the first year courses, students will have assimilated the information that is necessary to describe the healthy state. With this knowledge, students can then better understand the mechanisms of action of pathology and disease. This process is necessary as an evolution into the study and application of clinical medicine.

Throughout this course, students will also be expected to further develop and demonstrate the appropriate professional attitudes and skills that are commensurate with not only the study of the pre-clinical medicine, but those also required for effective peer and physician-patient interactions.

II. Organization
Medical Physiology is divided into three blocks. Please refer to the course syllabus for the subjects to be covered within each block. Course material will be provided in the form of lectures, small group sessions, handouts, texts, clinical correlations. Comprehension of the material in each block will be assessed by unit examinations. One comprehensive final examination will be given at the end of the course.

Official communication between the Department of Physiology and Biophysics and students will be via 1) E-mail at umdnj.edu and announcements that will be posted on WebCT, 2) announcements made in lectures, and when necessary 3) hard copies distributed via student mail boxes. Students should consider WebCT, email accounts, and announcements during scheduled lectures as their primary sources for obtaining course-related announcements. Thus, students are advised to attend all scheduled lectures and check their university email accounts and WebCT daily. If there is a problem in using the electronic resources at your disposal, please contact Dr. Zachow.

A. Lectures
Lectures will provide an overall introduction to topics, and will emphasize the important aspects of the subject. Handouts will be supplied (via hard copy and WebCT) in order to support and summarize the lecture content. Unless otherwise indicated, lectures will be held in the Main Lecture Hall.

B. Texts, handouts, and References

1. Texts

a. Standard

•  Berne R. M., et al., Physiology, 5th Edition, 2003; Costanzo L. S., Physiology, 2nd Edition, 2002;. Copies of Costanzo and B&L are available for loan through the RWJMS Media Library.

b. Recommended

•  Benjamin Abelow, Understanding Acid-Base, 1998, Williams & Wilkins (this text is required for the 2nd year Clinical Pathophysiology).
•  John B. West, Respiratory Physiology, The Essentials, 6th edition, 2000, Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.

2. Handouts
The first handout will be available for pick-up from the Department of Physiology and Biophysics office (R527) immediately prior to the end of semester 1-06. It is the students’ responsibility to obtain this handout from the Departmental office. The second and third block handouts will be distributed following first and second block exams, respectively. Students will not be provided with duplicate copies of handouts. For additional copies of a handout, masters can be photocopied (at the student’s expense) at the RWJMS Media Library (Kessler Teaching Laboratories, N-209).

3. WebCT
Lecture audio, visual, and handout material (e.g., PowerPoint presentations), as well as small group questions and supplemental materials (e.g., clinical and scientific papers), are available within the Medical Physiology WebCT site. Course-related announcements will be posted within this site. Student course evaluations and exam grades will be administered within this site. Students are thus advised to check this resource regularly. Keep in mind that WebCT is a work in progress; thus student comments and suggestions are welcome. If you have any problems accessing or using WebCT, please contact Dr. Zachow or James Galt (235-3368).

4. Other
There are a variety of other full texts, specialty texts, self-study guides and some archived exam questions in the Media Library. In order to purchase texts, contact the Rutgers Bookstore.

C. Small Group Conferences
These sessions are designed to reinforce and extend the course content through student participation. The small group format will incorporate question and answer problem solving, student presentations, and/or structured discussions with facilitators. General topics and/or clinical case studies will form the basis for small group sessions. Case studies, questions, and problem sets will be posted on WebCT approximately one week prior to each conference. Students will be graded on their ability to answer the questions or problems, as well as general participation in discussions. Small group attendance is mandatory. Small group sessions are an important component of the Medical Physiology course. Therefore, unless otherwise specified by the Course Director, all of the information that is presented as part of the small group format is valid for exam purposes.

Students are required to arrive at small group sessions on time and prepared to discuss the subject matter. Attendance is required for all scheduled small group sessions. An unexcused absence or unexcused tardiness will be considered unprofessional conduct, and the student will receive a FAIL grade for that session. There will be no remediation for FAIL grades due to unexcused small group attendance. Please refer to the UMDNJ-RWJMS Student Affairs Office guidelines (published in the Student Handbook) regarding excused absences.

Active and lucent participation in the discussions and oral and written presentations, and attendance, will be collectively used for the computation of small group final grades. For assistance with any aspect of the small group sessions, to include requests for an excused absence, students should contact Dr. Zachow (See section III below for contact information) and the Office of Student Affairs.

D. Clinical Correlations
Two Clinical Correlation lectures are scheduled:

The Diabetic kidney

GI diseases

The information presented via the clinical correlations is valuable for linking the course material with clinical practice. Unless otherwise specified by the Course Director, students are responsible for all information that is presented within the clinical correlation sessions.

E. Exams and Grades
Student performance will be evaluated by three (multiple choice) block exams, one comprehensive final exam (multiple choice; given in conjunction with the 3rd block exam), as well as attendance and performance in small group sessions.

A secure exam format will be adhered to, meaning that exam questions will not be returned to students. Individual grades will be available on WebCT. Exam self-review sessions will be held so that the students will have an opportunity to review their exams. Recording/photographic devices of ANY type will not be allowed into the exam and exam self-review sessions. No notes may be taken during exam self-review sessions. Following the self-review, questions regarding specific exam questions should be discussed with the lecturer who presented the material. Contact Dr. Zachow if you encounter any difficulty whatsoever when attempting to contact a lecturer.

Students performing below acceptable course standards (i.e. receiving a “FAIL” block exam grade and/or an unexcused absence) will be contacted in writing by the Course Director.Questions regarding exams and/or course grading must be raised within two weeks from the time a score or grade is posted. Students wishing clarification of their score or grade should consult with Dr. Zachow. If the matter cannot be resolved via the Course Director, the Department of Physiology & Biophysics Chair (Dr. Partridge) will be consulted. Matters that cannot be resolved by the Chair will be presented to the Department of Physiology & Biophysics faculty. In this case, a faculty vote will decide the appropriate course of action that is needed for resolution of the situation.

If a student is officially excused from taking a course exam, the exam must be remediated within seven days following the original exam date. In the event of special and/or unusual circumstances, arrangements for exam remediation will be made through the Office of Student Affairs and Dr. Zachow. Please refer to the UMDNJ-RWJMS Student Affairs Office guidelines (published in the Student Handbook) regarding excused absences.

No formal grade decisions will be made until after the all of the exam and small group grade data have been compiled and analyzed by the Course Director and the Medical Physiology teaching faculty. Students are strongly advised to self-monitor their progress throughout the semester. Grading decisions are based upon exam performance as well as small group attendance and participation. The three unit exams comprise approximately 72% of the final grade (24% per exam), the final exam ≈ 20%, and participation in small groups ≈ 8%. Following the final exam, the Department of Physiology and Biophysics faculty determines the grade cut-off distribution. In general, the following scale will be used as a guideline to determine final course grades:

A student who receives a grade of Fail may be offered the opportunity to take the NBME Physiology subject exam (the examination date is posted within the course schedule). Eligibility to take this comprehensive make-up exam will depend on the recommendation of the Student Affairs Office and the Course Director. Upon passing this exam, the student is generally awarded a Low Pass grade. If this make-up exam is failed or is not taken, the student will be required to complete one of the following options for remediation:

• Pass an approved remediation course with a grade of C or better (C- is not acceptable) during the summer. The Office of Student Affairs has information regarding summer physiology courses.

• Remediate the RWJMS Medical Physiology course when it is next offered.

A student who achieves a grade of Low Pass may attempt to improve his/her course grade to Low Pass/Pass by taking the NBME Physiology subject exam. Contact Dr. Zachow for further information.

III. Faculty
A. Faculty/Staff Contact Information and Office Hours