| Text only | |||||
 |
 |
||||
|
|||||
This course covers an introduction to ADME, drug metabolism, pharmacokinetics, an introduction to toxicology, carcinogenesis, mutagenesis and biochemical mechanisms of drug action.
Course Co-ordinator: Dr Steve Tucker (437491; s.j.tucker@abdn.ac.uk)
Course Aims & Learning Outcomes
The students will be conversant with the principles of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion, pharmacokinetics, toxicology and some aspects of clinical and biochemical pharmacology. The course will close with 3 special topics applying the principles of the course to selected body systems and their specific pharmacological manipulation. The approach will be mechanism-based and will include problem solving and practicals to illustrate and reinforce the principles covered in the lectures.
Introduction to the course and what is biochemical pharmacology
Dr S. Tucker
Introduction to the course and the subject material that will be covered. There will also be an outline of the assessment criteria for the course, and the various exercises that constitute it. The lecture will finish with an introduction to what biochemical pharmacology is, how it will be explored through the course and why it is a key area of study.
Absorption, distribution and excretion of drugs (ADE)
Dr P. Teismann
Revision of pKa, partition coefficient, Henderson Hasselbach equation. Passage of drugs across membranes, diffusion, active transport, facilitated diffusion. Enteral administration, factors affecting absorption, including worked example. Non-parental routes of administration. Distribution of drugs, plasma protein binding, tissue reservoirs. Excretion of drugs in urine - tubular reabsorption, active secretion. Biliary secretion of drugs. Enterohepatic circulation.
Pharmacokinetics: Dr P. Teismann
Definitions - TDM, first order kinetics, zero order kinetics, half life, kel, Vd, clearance, extraction ratio, bioavailability, renal clearance - calculation of these parameters using plasma data and urinary excretion data.
Intravenous infusion, Css, calculation of clearance, factors determining steady state and time to reach steady state, loading dose, calculation of pharmacokinetic parameters from infusion data.
Oral administration and multiple dose administration. Factors affecting bioavailability, determination of fraction of a drug absorbed into the systemic circulation. Calculation of absorption and elimination rate constants for a drug. Relationship between steady state concentration and half life of a drug. Calculation of peak and trough concentrations after multiple dosing.
Integration of concepts and kinetics. Factors affecting physiological variables, primary and secondary pharmacokinetic parameters. Influence of increased blood flow and intrinsic clearance on pharmacokinetic parameters.
Phase I metabolism (oxidation): Dr S. Tucker
Consequences and need for drug metabolism. Site of drug oxidation - liver (microsomes, mitochondria, cytosol). Microsomal oxidations - cytochrome P450-dependent oxidations, co-oxidation by PG synthetase, lipoxygenases. Non-microsomal oxidations - amine oxidases, alcohol and aldehyde oxidases, dehalogenation and purine oxidation. Enzymology - catalytic activity, co-factor requirements, substrate specificity, inhibitors. Relevance of drug oxidation to bioactivation and detoxification.
Cytochrome P450: Dr S. Tucker
Catalytic cycle of cytochrome P450. Cytochrome P450 isozymes, mammalian isozymes, substrate specificity, implications for therapeutic effect and toxicity.
Induction/inhibition of CYP450: Dr S. Tucker
Mechanisms of cytochrome P450 induction, receptor mediated (Ah, PXR, PPAR), species differences. Inhibition of cytochrome P450 by destruction of P450, formation of inactive complexes. Competition for active site of P450. Induction/inhibition of other drug metabolising enzymes.
Phase II metabolism (conjugation): Dr S. Tucker
Role of phase II reactions in drug metabolism. Subcellular distribution of enzymes. Conjugation reactions - glucuronidation, sulphation, glutathione conjugation, acetylation, methylation, aminoacid conjugation. Enzymology - catalytic activity, co-factor requirements, substrate requirements, substrate specificity, inhibitors. Genetic polymorphisms - glucuronidation, acetylation. Glutathione transferases. Pharmacological and biological aspects of drug conjugation.
Phase III metabolism (transporters): Dr H. Wallace
An overview of the basics of drug transport and its importance in relation to other drug metabolising processes.
Pharmacogenetics: Dr S. Tucker
What is pharmacogenetics? What influence does genetic make-up have on drug metabolism and drug effects? Polymorphisms in the population. Case studies of aldehyde dehydrogenase, N-acetyl transferase and others. Polymorphic susceptibility based on endogenous role of enzymes.
Introduction to toxicology: Dr H. Wallace
Introduction to toxicology and its importance relating to drug administration, toxic substances and biochemical pharmacology. Introduction to the regulations guiding the drug discovery and development industry. These regulations are critically required from a legal and ethical stand-point. The drug discovery/development process will be outlined, with the key legal checkpoints throughout. Legislation governing the development and usage of drugs (e.g. The Medicines Act, 1968) will be described and discussed.
In vivo/In vitro toxicology: Dr H. Wallace
The use of In vitro models to investigate and demonstrate toxicological profiles of poisons and drugs. Description of advantages and disadvantages of these models. In vivo models and the use of animal will also be described, again with an appraisal of the relevant advantages and disadvantages of these systems. How are these very different models used to explore toxicology of substances and drugs.
Mechanisms of toxicity: Dr H. Wallace
Mechanisms of necrotic cell death, generation of electrophiles, free radicals, reactive oxygen species, protein thiol modification, depletion of pyridine nucleotides, disturbance of calcium homeostasis, morphological distinction between necrosis and apoptosis.
Pathology of drug toxicity: Prof G.I. Murray
Introductory pathology. Liver pathology - acute and chronic. Acute and chronic kidney, lung, GI pathology, illustrated with examples of appropriate histology.
Carcinogenesis/mutagenesis: Dr H. Wallace
Basic mechanisms of carcinogenesis and mutagenesis. The multistep process of carcinogenesis. Tests used to determine if a compound is a either a carcinogen or a mutagen.
Target organ toxicity: Dr R. Scott
Concepts and reasons for site-specific toxicity. General mechanisms of nephro- and hepatotoxicity, illustrated with appropriate examples. Pulmonary toxicology - anatomy, response of lung to injury, fibrosis, emphysema, e.gs ozone, silica, asbestos, paraquat, bleomycin, toxic furans.
Immunity – a controlled Toxicity System I & II: Dr K. Stewart
The immune system is a sophisticated toxic killing machine. These two teaching sessions will look at the role of the Immune system one of the main defence systems of the body. How the cells of the adaptive and innate immune systems interact and communicate to protect us.
The recognition of non-self or altered self by the immune system protects us form overwhelming infection and cancer.
Immune mediated toxicity –Allergy & Autoimmunity: Dr K. Stewart
Because the Immune system is a toxic killing machine if it goes wrong this can have very serious consequences. This teaching session will look at the Hypersensitivity reactions particularly those that may lead to Allergy and autoimmunity pathologies.
Special topic I: Respiratory pharmacology: Prof G Nixon
The concepts and material of the course will be examined in the context of the respiratory system with focus on airway diseases and their treatment e.g. asthma, COPD.
Special topic II: Renal pharmacology: Dr D. Scott
Renal Pharmacology I
This lecture will begin by briefly reviewing the major functions of the kidneys that are important for drug handling in the body and those that can be targeted to achieve therapeutic outcomes. We will then review the major class of drugs that affect renal function - the diuretics. Topics to be covered include: diuretics acting on the proximal tubule, loop diuretics, diuretics acting on the distal tubule (e.g. thiazides, aldosterone antagonists), osmotic diuretics.
Useful reading: Rang et al. (2007), 6th Ed., Chapter 24 The Kidney.
Renal Pharmacology II
This lecture will review agents that can increase or decrease urinary pH and drugs that can alter the excretion of organic molecules. We shall also examine the various drugs that are used to treat various renal conditions such as renal failure i.e. targeting problems such as hyperkalaemia and hyperphosphataemia, with a brief introduction to aspects of cardiovascular drugs that may also be of use in such situations. Finally, we shall review drugs used in urinary tract disorders i.e. agents that may aid urination or prevent incontinence.
Useful reading: Rang et al. (2007), 6th Ed., Chapter 24 The Kidney.
Special topic III: Bone pharmacology: Dr F. Coxon/Dr K. Thompson
Social and economic burden of bone diseases. Bone destruction by osteoclast cells. Historical development of bisphosphonate drugs: general structure, bone targeting, pharmacokinetics. Molecular mechanisms of action of bisphosphonates: inhibition of FPP synthase, effects on protein prenylation and osteoclast function/apoptosis. Structure-activity relationships of bisphosphonates. Adverse effects and current issues.
Laboratory Work
The details of the practicals are given in the Practical Manual. Please ensure that you bring clean white laboratory coats to the practical and all students must read and observe the Notes on Behaviour and Safety in Laboratories enclosed with the laboratory manual.
Laboratory reports should be prepared with the aid of a word-processor and the data analysed with the aid of appropriate software packages.
The practical work required in this course may present difficulties to students with special educational needs. For such students, alternative arrangements will be made. Any student with special needs should make these known to the Course Co-ordinator when registering for the class, and should then also discuss their needs with the Disabilities Co-ordinator, to ensure that they have the best possible outcome.
Assignments
Formative
These assessments do not count towards the final course mark, but are designed to reinforce and apply the materials covered in lectures. As they are integrated with other aspects of the course, they are compulsory and failure to complete these will deem you at risk of being withdrawn from the course.
There will be timetabled tutorial sessions studying: (i) receptor pharmacology and (ii) autonomic nervous system and the pharmacology of the neuromuscular junction. Due to the size of the class, these tutorials will be attended in groups, with group A attending at 2pm and group B attending at 3 pm on the allotted days (see timetable for details). In addition, some computer-aided learning (CAL) exercises are available for reinforcing the drug metabolism and pharmacokinetic sections of the course. These are designed for students to work through in their own time, and are very useful exercises. As well as developing understanding of the concepts, these exercises will help students direct their own learning, an important aspect of learning moving towards the latter stages of their degree programme. Details of these will be released through MyAberdeen. There will also be additional practice problems and exercises released through the course and a formative MCQ test at the end of term designed to test student knowledge and understanding of all aspects of the course.
Summative
These assessments do count towards the final course mark, and are designed to assess practical skills and understanding of the lecture material.
There will be 3 practical sessions:
1. pKa determination
2. In vitro metabolism
3. Pharmacokinetics
These will each require a detailed report to be written up after the class, and will each count 7.5% towards the final course mark.
In addition, 3 assessed problem exercises will be released throughout the course, covering the following:
1. ADME
2. Pharmacokinetics
3. Drug metabolism
These will each contribute 2.5% toward the final course mark. Students will be given at least a week to complete these short exercises and sessions are timetabled on selected weeks after the Friday afternoon lecture to go over these exercises and provide feedback on student performance.
There is a regular programme of seminars given throughout the academic year by invited specialists from within the broad field of biomedical research.
These are usually held on Thursdays from 12noon -1pm in the IMS Building at Foresterhill (check the School or IMS websites for specific locations of seminars).
As you are studying within research-driven disciplines, we strongly feel that you should attend these whenever possible, with a view to broadening your appreciation of medical sciences. You will also be directed to attend any other relevant seminars when they arise.
General Reading List
Books recommended for purchase
1. Gibson & Skett; Introduction to Drug Metabolism (Third edition)
2. Timbrell; Principles of Biochemical Toxicology (Third edition).
3. Birkett; Pharmacokinetics Made Easy.
4. Rang and Dale; Pharmacology (seventh edition).
5. Clark and Smith; An Introduction to Pharmacokinetics (Second edition). We have lots of these available for consultation if required)
The following are available at The UniversityLibrary & Medical School Library (Heavy Demand)
1. Introduction to Toxicology, Third Edition, John Timbrell, CRC Press (Taylor & Francis).
2. Drug Metabolism: Chemical and Enzymatic Aspects, Eds. J.P. Uetrecht & W Trager, Informa Healthcare (Taylor & Francis).
3. Introduction to Pharmacokinetics & Pharmacodynamics, Thomas N Tozer & Malcom Rowland.
4. Pratt & Taylor Principles of Drug Action (Third edition). ISBN.0443086761.
5. Casarett & Doull's Toxicology. (Fifth edition). ISBN. 0071054766. (International Edition), ISBN. 0071139273.
6. Lu Basic Toxicology. (Fourth edition). ISBN. 0415248558.
7. Hayes, A.W. Principles & Methods of Toxicology. (Fourth Edition). ISBN 1- 56032-814-2.
The University has strict regulations on plagiarism. If you are unsure about what constitutes plagiarism read the University guide on plagiarism at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/writing
Copying or plagiarising another persons work, either from other students or published material in books or papers and submitted as your own for assessment is considered a form of cheating. This is considered by the University to be a serious offence and will be penalised according to the extent involved and whether it is decided there was an attempt at deliberate deception, or whether bad practice was involved. If you do use information or ideas obtained from textbooks or other published material you must give a precise reference to the source both at the appropriate point in your narrative and in a list of references at the end of your work. Direct quotations from published material should be indicated by quotation marks and referenced in the text as above.
The distribution of assessments is as follows:
1. Degree written exam (3h paper with 2 compulsory questions + 2 out of 6 questions) = 70% of CAS mark for this course.
2. Practical reports (3) + assignments = 30% of CAS mark for this course.
Past papers for PA3004 are available from the exam database.
Students are expected to attend the lectures, practicals and tutorials. Any period of absence must be covered by a medical certificate in accordance with University regulations (see Notice Boards). Practical reports and assignments must be handed in for marking by the dates indicated. A 100% attendance is required at practicals. If assignments are not handed in on time, eg more than 1 week late without good cause, it will not be marked.
Prof Graeme Nixon
Dr Roderick Scott
Dr Peter Teismann
Dr Steven Tucker
Dr Heather Wallace
Dr F. Coxon (FC), School of Medicine and Dentistry Prof G.I. Murray (GIM), Pathology Dr D. Scott (DS), School of Medical Sciences Dr K. Stewart (KNS), Medicine & Therapeutics Dr K. Thompson (KT), School of Medicine and Dentistry
If students have difficulties with any part of the course that they cannot cope with alone they should notify someone immediately. If the problem relates to the subject matter you may be best advised to contact the member of staff who is teaching that part of the course. Students with registered disabilities should contact either the IMS based School Office (Miss Lyndsay McEwan l.mcewan@abdn.ac.uk) or the Old Aberdeen office associated with the teaching laboratories (Mrs Alison Davidson alison.davidson@abdn.ac.uk) to ensure that the appropriate facilities have been made available. Otherwise, you are strongly encouraged to contact any of the following as you see appropriate:
Course student representatives.
Course co-ordinator. Dr Steve Tucker
Convenor of the student-staff liaison committee. Dr Gordon McEwan
Adviser of studies.
Disabilities Co-ordinator. Dr Derryck Shewan
Staff are based at Foresterhill and we strongly encourage the use of email or telephone the School Office. You may be wasting your time to travel to Foresterhill only to find staff unavailable.
Support Available to Students
The University is keen to help you successfully complete your studies. If at any time you feel you need assistance, there is a range of support services available to help you. These include support to assist with unexpected and/or exceptional financial difficulty, support for disabled students and academic learning support through the Student Learning Service. Further details about all these services area available at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/studenthelpguide/.
Transition into level 3
As students progress through their degree programme, they will notice a change in the style and approach of teaching and the expectations upon them as learners. This is particularly marked as students move into level 3 and beyond. To help with this transition into level 3, a number of activities will be planned to address any new challenges faced by students at level 3. The level 3 co-ordinator - Dr Steve Tucker (s.j.tucker@abdn.ac.uk; 01224 437491) will organise such events and should be a first point of contact for any level 3 SMS students facing any kind of difficulty. Regular activities and workshops will be designed around key issues faced by new level 3 students e.g. new exam format, time management, but guidance and support will also be provided on request for individuals or groups with any other problem relating to level 3. In addition, Dr Tucker will hold regular, advertised drop-in surgeries for students to raise any issues face to face and all level 3 SMS students will have access to a MyAberdeen site that will offer information, feedback, guidance and discussion forums designed to enable all students to achieve the most from level 3.
We value students’ opinions in regard to enhancing the quality of teaching and its delivery; therefore in conjunction with the Students’ Association we support the operation of a Class Representative system.
The students within each course, year, or programme elect representatives by the end of the fourth week of teaching within each half-session. In this school we operate a system of course representatives. Any student registered within a course that wishes to represent a given group of students can stand for election as a class representative. You will be informed when the elections for class representative will take place.
What will it involve?
It will involve speaking to your fellow students about the course you represent. This can include any comments that they may have. You will attend a Staff-Student Liaison Committee and you should represent the views and concerns of the students within this meeting. As a representative you will also be able to contribute to the agenda. You will then feedback to the students after this meeting with any actions that are being taken.
Training
Training for class representatives will be run by the Students Association. Training will take place in the fourth or fifth week of teaching each half-session. For more information about the Class representative system visit www.ausa.org.uk or email the VP Education & Employability vped@abdn.ac.uk. Class representatives are also eligible to undertake the STAR (Students Taking Active Roles) Award, further information about the co-curricular award is available at: www.abdn.ac.uk/careers.
The University operates a system for monitoring students' progress to identify students who may be experiencing difficulties in a particular course and who may be at risk of losing their class certificate. If the Course Co-ordinator has concerns about your attendance and/or performance, the Registry will be informed. The Registry will then write to you (by e-mail in term-time) to ask you to contact their office in the first instance. Depending on your reason for absence the Registry will either deal directly with your case or will refer you to your Adviser of Studies or a relevant support service. This system is operated to provide support for students who may be experiencing difficulties with their studies. Students are required to attend such meetings with their Adviser of Studies in accordance with General Regulation 8.
Set criteria are used to determine when a student should be reported in the monitoring system. You will be asked to meet your Adviser if any of the following criteria apply for this course:-
either (i) if you are absent for a continuous period of two weeks or 25% of the course (whichever is less) without good cause being reported;
or (ii) if you are absent from two small group teaching sessions e.g. (laboratory/tutorial classes) without good cause;
or (iii) if you fail to submit a piece of summative or a substantial piece of formative in-course assessment by the stated deadline
If you fail to respond within the prescribed timescale (as set out in the e-mail or letter) you will be deemed to have withdrawn from the course concerned and will accordingly be ineligible to take the end of course assessment or to enter for the resit. The Registry will write to you (by e-mail in term-time) to inform you of this decision. If you wish consideration to be given to reinstating you in the course you will be required to meet the Convener of the Students' Progress Committee.
Absence from Classes on Medical Grounds
Candidates who wish to establish that their academic performance has been adversely affected by their health are required to secure medical certificates relating to the relevant periods of ill health (see General Regulation 17.3).
The University’s policy on requiring certification for absence on medical grounds or other good cause can be accessed at:
www.abdn.ac.uk/registry/quality/appendix7x5.pdf
You are strongly advised to make yourself fully aware of your responsibilities if you are absent due to illness or other good cause. In particular, you are asked to note that self-certification of absence for periods of absence up to and including eleven weekdays is permissible. However, where absence has prevented attendance at an examination or where it may have affected your performance in an element of assessment or where you have been unable to attend a specified teaching session, you are strongly advised to provide medical certification (see section 3 of the Policy on Certification of Absence for Medical Reasons or Other Good Cause).
Students who attend and complete the work required for a course are considered to have been awarded a ‘Class Certificate’. Being in possession of a valid Class Certificate for a course entitles a student to sit degree examinations for that course. From 2010/11 class certificates will be valid for two years and permit a total of three attempts at the required assessment within that two year period i.e. the first attempt plus up to two resits.
You will receive a University e-mail account when you register with the University Computing Centre. The University will normally use e-mail to communicate with you during term-time. These e-mails will be sent to your University e-mail account, which you can access using Eudora or SquirrelMail.
It is your responsibility to check your e-mail on a regular (at least weekly) basis and to tidy the contents of your e-mail inbox to ensure that it does not go over quota (see http://www.abdn.ac.uk/diss/email/mailquota.hti for guidance on managing your e-mail quota). It is recommended that you use your University e-mail account to read and respond to University communications. If you already have a non-University e-mail account that you use for personal correspondence, it is possible to set up automatic forwarding of messages from your University e-mail account to your personal e-mail address (see http://www.abdn.ac.uk/local/mail.forward/) but, should you do so, it is your responsibility to ensure that this is done correctly. The University takes no responsibility for delivery of e-mails to non-University accounts.
You should note that failure to check your e-mail or failure to receive e-mail due to being over quota or due to non-delivery of an e-mail forwarded to a non-University e-mail account would not be accepted as a ground for appeal (for further information on appeals procedures, please refer to http://www.abdn.ac.uk/registry/quality/appendix5x17.hti).
TurnitinUK
TurnitinUK is an online service which compares student assignments with online sources including web pages, databases of reference material, and content previously submitted by other users across the UK. The software makes no decision as to whether plagiarism has occurred; it is simply a tool which highlights sections of text that have been found in other sources thereby helping academic staff decide whether plagiarism has occurred.
As of Academic Year 2011/12, TurnitinUK will be accessed directly through MyAberdeen. Advice about avoiding plagiarism, the University’s Definition of Plagiarism, a Checklist for Students, Referencing and Citing guidance, and instructions for TurnitinUK, can be found in the following area of the Student Learning Service website www.abdn.ac.uk/sls/plagiarism/.
Feedback Framework
Feedback on assessment:
The University recognises that the provision of timely and appropriate feedback on assessment plays a key part in students learning and teaching. The guiding principles for the provision of feedback within the University are detailed in the Institutional Framework for the Provision of Feedback on Assessment available at:
www.abdn.ac.uk/registry/quality/appendix7x8.pdf
Enhancing Feedback:
The University recognises both the importance of providing timely and appropriate feedback on assessments to students, and of enabling students to voice views on their learning experience through channels such as Student Course Evaluation Forms and Class Representatives. FAQs, guidance and resources about feedback can be found on the University’s ‘Enhancing Feedback’ website at: www.abdn.ac.uk/clt/feedback
Appeals and Complaints
The University’s appeals and complaints procedures provide students with a framework through which to formalise their concerns about aspects of their academic experience or to complain when they feel that standards of non-academic service have fallen short of that which they expected.
The process has been designed to make the appeals and complaints process as accessible and simple as possible and to provide a robust, fair mechanism through which to ensure that all appeals and complaints are considered in the appropriate way at the appropriate level.
A major feature of the process is the emphasis it places on early or informal resolution. All students should note that there is an expectation that they will take responsibility for seeking resolution of their academic or non-academic concerns by raising and discussing them at the earliest possible stage with the relevant individuals in an academic School or administrative Service.
Further details of the processes for making an appeal or complaint, including where to find further help and support in the process, is given at:
www.abdn.ac.uk/registry/appeals
Transcripts at Graduation
It is anticipated that students who commenced their studies in, or after, 2009/10, will receive a more detailed transcript of their studies on graduation. The increased details will include a record of all examination results attained. For students graduating in 2012/13 transcripts will show details of all CAS marks awarded, including marks which are fails. Where a resit has been required as a result of medical circumstances or other good cause (MC/GC) this will not be shown, but all other circumstances (i.e. No Paper ‘NP’) will be included.
My Aberdeen (the University of Aberdeen’s Virtual Learning Environment)
MyAberdeen replaces WebCT as students’ virtual learning environment. This is where you will find learning materials and resources associated with the courses you are studying.
MyAberdeen also provides direct access to TurnitinUK, the online originality checking service, through which you may be asked to submit completed assignments.
You can log in to MyAberdeen by going to www.abdn.ac.uk/myaberdeen and entering your University username and password (which you use to access the University network).
Further information on MyAberdeen including Quick Guides and video tutorials, along with information about TurnitinUK, can be found at: www.abdn.ac.uk/students/myaberdeen.php.
Information about academic writing and how to avoid plagiarism can be found at www.abdn.ac.uk/sls/plagiarism.
Aberdeen Graduate Attributes
Graduate Attributes are a wide-ranging set of qualities which students will develop during their time at Aberdeen in preparation for employment, further study and citizenship.
There are four main areas of the Graduate Attributes:
• Academic excellence
• Critical thinking and communication
• Learning and personal development
• Active citizenship
Students have many opportunities to develop and achieve these attributes. These include learning experiences on credit-bearing courses and co-curricular activities such as work placements, study abroad and volunteering. In accordance with the University’s commitment to Equality and Diversity, students can request support with any aspect of the Graduate Attributes framework.
The ACHIEVE website offers resources that enable students to assess and reflect upon their present skills and development needs. The website also contains resources to help students to improve their skills and links to a range of university services such as the Careers Service and the Student Learning Service. Students can access ACHIEVE from their MyAberdeen site in the ‘My Organisations’ section. More information about Aberdeen Graduate Attributes and ACHIEVE can be found at www.abdn.ac.uk/graduateattributes.
The Co-curriculum
The co-curriculum enhances a student’s employability and provides opportunities to develop and achieve Aberdeen Graduate Attributes. Co-curricular activities complement a student’s degree programme and include: work placements, study abroad, enterprise and entrepreneurship activities, the BP Student Tutoring Scheme, career mentoring and the STAR (Students Taking Active Roles) Award initiative. Below are examples of credit-bearing co-curricular activities. It is anticipated that these types of activity will be included on an enhanced transcript for students graduating in, or after, 2012/13
ERASMUS is an exchange programme funded by the European Commission which enables students to study or work in another European country as part of their degree programme. Eligible students will receive a grant to help with extra costs while abroad and a number of our partner institutions teach through English. For more information, visit www.abdn.ac.uk/erasmus/. The University also has opportunities for students to study in a non-European country as part of their degree through the International Exchange Programme. International partners include universities and colleges in North America, Hong Kong and Japan (www.abdn.ac.uk/undergraduate/international-exchange.php). The University aims to ensure full academic recognition for study periods abroad, therefore the credits gained from study abroad will count towards the Aberdeen degree programme for students participating in both ERASMUS and the International Exchange Programme.
Work placements can also form an integral part of a degree programme and attract academic credit. Placements are available locally, nationally and internationally, lasting from a few weeks to a full year and are generally paid. Visit the Careers Service website for further placement information and to find available work placements.
Further information about the co-curriculum is available at: www.abdn.ac.uk/careers
School of Medical Sciences - Guide to Citing and Referencing
This guide should be used to assist you when completing any work for disciplines in the School of Medical Sciences. All work should include citations at appropriate places in the text, with a complete reference list at the end of the assignment. If diagrams/ graphs/ tables are copied or adapted from other publications/ websites, the sources must also be cited in the legend for that item, and included in your reference list.
Good citing and referencing not only improves the quality of your work, but it gives credit to the authors of original work, and makes it less likely that you can be accused of plagiarism. Further guidance on writing and plagiarism may be found at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/writing/ . When you submit work for marking, you are declaring that YOU are the author, that you have not copied it or plagiarised any material from other sources, AND that all sources of information have been acknowledged in your text. Students may be penalised by the University if found guilty of plagiarism.
Students are warned to be careful if using websites as sources of information. These may be inaccurate and are often not peer-reviewed. You are strongly encouraged to use advanced textbooks, peer-reviewed papers or reviews as the sources of your information in your work. Students are also advised to avoid quoting chunks of text in their work. Just because you put quotation marks around some text does not mean that you have not plagiarised it. Try and explain ideas and concepts in your own words.
The referencing style used here is Harvard, similar to that recommended by the University Library (see their factsheet for further information on referencing). Students must use this style of citing and referencing for all work. Other styles are not acceptable. Marks may be deducted if students do not cite or reference properly (see specific marking schemes for details).
Citing references within the text
You must provide citations in the text at the appropriate places by putting the author’s surname and year of publication in round brackets immediately after the relevant text (author, date method).
Author, date method
Jones et al. (1999) has argued that….
Studies have produced conflicting results…..(Bloggs, 2000; MacDuff et al., 1993)
Smith stated (1990)…..and then later work confirmed this (2003)…..
Bloggs (2001) investigated…..
One author (Bloggs, 2000)
Two authors (Smith & Jones, 1982)
Three or more authors (Chesterfield et al., 1995)
If the same author(s) wrote two or more papers in the same year Thwaites et al. stated (1990a)…..and then provided further evidence (1990b)…..
N.B. “et al.” should be in italics, as should all other Latin words/phrases in your text (e.g. in vitro). There is also a full stop after “et al.”, since it is an abbreviation of “et alia” (“and others”).
Listing your references at the end of your work
Your list of references must place the surnames of the first authors in alphabetical order. List all authors of a piece of work unless there are a large number.
Format of references at the end of your work
Book - whole Rang, H.P., Dale, M.M., Ritter, J.M. & Flower, R.J. (2007) Pharmacology. 6th Ed. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.
Book – article or chapter within Johnson, D. & Smart, J.S. (1983) Advanced techniques in measuring athletic performance. In: S. Roberts, ed., Sports Science in the Laboratory. London: Macmillan, pp. 3-28.
Journal – article within Furchgott, R.F., Zawadzki, J.V. (1980) The obligatory role of endothelial cells in the relaxation of arterial smooth muscle by acetylcholine. Nature. 288(5789), 373-6.
Website Department for Education and Employment (2000). Student loans: guidance on terms and conditions from April 2000. [online]. Available from: http://www.dfee.gov.uk/loan2000/index.html [Accessed 23rd March 2006]
