ANATOMY 1 Name of the Department: Department ... - Biomeedikum

PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
Name of the Department: Department of General and Molecular Pathology
Head of the Department: Professor Aavo-Valdur Mikelsaar
Name of the Chair: Pathophysiology
Head of the Chair: Professor Enn Seppet
Subject codes: ARMP.03.006; ARMP.03.008; ARMP.03.015;
ARMP.03.016; ARMP.03.016
I. CONTENT OF THE TEACHING
1. Describe shortly the main study and student evaluation methods applied at
the department.
The objective of pathophysiology is to teach medical students to understand
the etiology and pathogenesis of the syndromes and diseases at the level of
organism, organ, tissue, cell and molecules. The specific emphasize is put not
on learning the morphological alterations but on reflecting the physiologic
changes that produce signs and symptoms as well as compensatory mechanisms.
Pathophysiology is teached within the “Pathology” block together with
pathological anatomy on 5 th term. The course of pathophysiology comprises
64 hours of lectures and 64 hours of practicals /seminars with a total volume of
5.5 credit points (5.5 weeks of work). In the lectures the students are acquainted
with the concepts of general pathological processes and dysfunction
of the organ systems. The students are provided with the relevant materials for
self-learning. The practicals are devoted to accomplish the laboratory/experimental
studies in order to learn the methods and results of scientific
work in the Chair of Pathophysiology, to investigate the clinical material (blood
tests, urine analyses and muscle specimen) from patients with different diseases,
and to perform some experiments on laboratory animals. During seminars
the students are requested to analyse the cases and slides describing the
mechanisms underlying the pathological processes, symptoms and syndromes.
In this process the students are asked to explore the following domains:
hypothesis generation, analysis and synthesis of the information, definition
of learning issues, application of newly acquired knowledge in order to
formulate decisions and tasks for further self-learning.
The work of students is evaluated throughout the course in a form of three
tests in which the students have to write essays on the topic required. The
positive marks in all three tests are prerequisites to be allowed to take the
written exam.
2. How the aims and objectives described in the curriculum changed during
the past five years?
Teaching in pathophysiology has been reformed two years ago. The major
changes undertaken in the curriculum are:
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