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%).  1 two-hour in course MCQ exam (50%) and completed laboratory reports (50%).

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

Formative Assessment

PRS-based MCQ in lectures/practicals
Problem-solving sessions

Feedback

Practical reports will be marked with written comments.
Students given general feedback on performance during PRS sessions.
General feedback provided following in-course MCQ assessments
General feedback following problem-solving sessions

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr John Barrow / 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: 5 laboratory reports and 5 MCQ tests.

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

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

SM 1001; SM 1501

Notes

All students in the School of Medical Sciences are required to take this course, which develops and enhances the foundation skills for further study of all disciplines within the School.

Overview

This course focuses on developing core skills for life scientists and will be required for all students with degree intentions in the School of Medical Sciences. Topics will include: numerical manipulations, practical skills, interpretation of graphs and data sets, basic statistics, application of statistical analysis to data, designing experiments, critical analysis of published work, evaluating sources of information, analysis of conflicting published data, basic presentation skills.

Structure

A lecture and three-hour Workshop every other week, followed by availability of practice questions on webCT and an individual one-hour assessment the following week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: There are 5 assessments and a practical project. Each assessment has to be passed, students are able to retake any failed assessment until they pass, although limited to a CAS 9 for any attempt other than their first.

Students retake any failed assessment until passed.

Formative Assessment

PRS-based questions in the lectures.
Workshop material allows them to practise the skills with lots of staff for assistance and feedback.
Practice questions give full feedback on the answers.

Feedback

Students given feedback in lectures, workshops and practice sessions on the web.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Professor M Cotter

Pre-requisites

SM 1001; SM 1501

Notes

All students in the School of Medical Sciences are required to take this course, which develops and enhances the research skills for further study of all disciplines within the School.

Overview

This course focuses on enhancing core research skills for the study of the medical sciences. It is a requirement for all students with degree intentions in the School of Medical Sciences. The course develops the essential skills that are needed to undertake a research project. Its aim is to instil an active student-driven approach to learning based on curiosity and exploration of knowledge as opposed to passive acquisition. Students work in groups of 6 and will research a particular topic related to the general theme of 'Health and Disease'.

Structure

1 three-hour seminar, 6 one-hour tutorials, 1 three-hour presentation session.

Assessment

1st Attempt: Continuous assessment (100%); comprising:

An individual report (submitted under exam conditions) (40%)
A group presentation (40%)
A graded tutorial (15%)
Student group peer-assessment (5%)

Students who do not contribute to the group effort have to do a project on their own, which they present to staff (40%) they receive a tutor mark (15%) and do an individual report (submitted under exam conditions)(40%). They forfeit the (5%) peer assessment.

Formative Assessment

Students receive regular feedback from tutors on their progress with both the oral presentation and the report.

Feedback

Comprehensive feedback on both presentation and report are provided.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr B Muller

Pre-requisites

BI 2002, BI 20M3 and BI 25M5

Overview

This course describes and explains the theory and practice of the tool kit that modern molecular biology uses to derive information about how biological systems function and interact. Detailing a wide and comprehensive range of molecular techniques, the material leads from basic molecular biology and the manipulation of DNA and RNA, through gene cloning and gene expression analysis, to studies of the function of genes and their protein products. This is followed by a consideration of the study of proteins themselves, together with their properties. Finally, the use of antibodies as molecular tools is considered.

Structure

4 lectures per week. 7 four hour practicals, 1 three hour practical and 3 two hour tutorials during the course.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 three hour essay examination (70%) and in-course assessment (30%). Continuous assessment comprises: 1 laboratory report, 1 lab related problem solving exercise.

Resit: 1 three hour essay examination (70%) and previous continuous assessment (30%).

Formative Assessment

- Case-study exercise with feedback in preparation for summative assessments.
- PRS-based revision sessions allow students to receive feedback on their performance.
- Practice exam questions on MyAberdeen.
- Problem-solving sessions.

Feedback

- Practical reports will be marked with written comments.
- Problem solving questions will be discussed during a lecture/feedback session.
- Tutorial sessions will provide feedback on course content.
- Students are given general feedback on performance during PRS revision sessions.
- Feedback on problem-based learning exercise.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr A Jack and Dr S Tucker

Pre-requisites

BI 20B2
BI 25B2

Overview

The course will cover basic principles that are common to cell physiology, pharmacology and molecular and cell biology to encourage thinking across disciplines. To include receptors, agonists and antagonists, signalling and transduction mechanisms, voltage-gated and ligand-gated channels, synaptic transmission, and action potential physiology. It covers membrane biophysics and the properties of ion channels and gap junctions in addition to ion and non-electrolyte transport pathways. Molecular biology relating to DNA and protein synthesis will also be covered.

12 week course, Thread I.

Structure

3 one-hour lectures per week, 1 all day practical (7 hours), 15 hours of tutorials and workshops over the twelve weeks, plus in course assessment exercises (incorporating a 3 hours timetabled slot).

In course assessment includes a computer simulation exercise, a problem solving exercise, mock examination essays and one all day laboratory session. Students will be required to show competence using spreadsheets (instruction will be provided where necessary) and pass a lab safety test.

There will also be 6 hours of career information/advice over the 12 weeks.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 three-hour written examination paper (70%) and continuous assessment (30%) (problem solving exercise (10%), practical and report (10%), mock exam essay (5%) and computer simulation exercise (5%)).

Resit: 1 three-hour written examination paper (70%) and continuous assessment (30%).

Formative Assessment

- Practice exam essay allows students to write under exam conditions and receive feedback on their performance.
- Problem-solving sessions.
- Tutorials and workshops in preparation for assessed lab work.

Feedback

- Practical reports, action potential exercise and problem solving paper will be marked with written comments and/ or answers provided.
- Course material will be discussed on a one-to-one basis during workshop sessions.
- Revision sessions will be organised as appropriate.
- Students receive on-line feedback on completion of the online quiz.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr M Scholz and Dr A Jenkinson

Pre-requisites

SR 2002, BI 25B2

Overview

This course provides a cross-discipline based background to the physiological responses to exercise and to the adaptations that occur in response to repeated exercise (training). It deals with the factors which determine muscle strength, and with the responses to brief high intensity and prolonged exercise. There will be emphasis on the whole-body integrated response to different types of exercise, with emphasis on the following: muscle fibre recruitment patterns and motor control, cardiovascular and respiratory changes, thermoregulation and fluid homeostasis.

Structure

3 one hour lectures per week and 1 practical every week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 three-hour essay examination (70%) and in-course assessment (30%). Continuous assessment comprises: 1 essay, 1 presentation and 2 practicals.

Resit: 1 three-hour essay examination (70%) and previous continuous assessment (30%).

Formative Assessment

- Mock exam allows students to practice for essay based exams and receive feedback on their performance.

Feedback

- Practical reports and essays will be marked with written comments.
- Written comments will be provided on the mock exam question.