SCHOOL OF 2012-2013 - St. George's University

upon the major theoretical perspectives are covered and
empirically based treatment outcome studies are reviewed.
SSCI 412
Social Science and Medicine
This course examines several aspects of medicine. First, it
examines how the health care system is a social institution
with norms and belief systems that may differ in other
cultures. Second, the doctor-patient relationship is
examined and the concepts of doctor communication,
patient adherence, and compliance, in addition to types
of health care delivery, are highlighted. Third, behavior
and how it affects patient health is examined. Specifically,
the course discusses stress, personality, drug use, alcohol,
smoking, diet, and pain management as important factors
contributing to a person’s health. As fewer people die from
infectious diseases and more people die from diseases
(such as cancer) that may be prevented through a healthy
lifestyle, understanding patients’ lifestyles outside of
the hospital is imperative. Overall, the course discusses
health and illness within the biopsychosocial model that is
replacing the biomedical model in medicine.
Doctor of Medicine Program
The medical program curriculum is divided into two
segments, the Basic Medical Sciences and the Clinical
Years.
Basic Medical Sciences Courses
The following descriptions are overviews of the Basic
Medical Sciences courses. The subject matter and course
objectives will continually change to reflect advances and
new directions within the discipline, as well as growth
and new dimensions within the faculty and academic
community of the School.
Anatomical Sciences
Marios Loukas, MD, PhD, Chair
ANAT 531
Histology and Cell Biology
This course presents the structure and function of
the human body as revealed by light and electron
microscopy, as well as cell biological techniques, such as
immunocytochemistry. The course commences with a
discussion of the cell and its internal structures. Students
are introduced to the concepts of how cells interact with
each other and their external environment. Cell signaling,
cell secretion, the cell cycle, and the extracellular matrix
are some of the topics presented in the analysis of cell
structure and function.
Students’ mastery of cell structure and function leads to
the organization of cells into the four basic tissues of the
body. Each of these is presented with emphasis on the
role of cells in tissue organization and function. The cellular
nature of the tissues and the interactions of cells with the
extracellular matrix are stressed so that students have a
firm understanding of the concept of a histological tissue.
An understanding of the four basic tissues is paramount to
students becoming complete and modern physicians.
The basic tissues of the body are then arranged into the
organs and organ systems. Once again, the cellular aspects
of organ structure and function are emphasized because
cells in the various organs are the main contributors to the
function of those organs.
The emphasis on the cell in histology and cell biology
cannot be overly stressed since all diseases occur at
the cellular level. Thus, students must understand the
basic science of the cell and its mechanisms before they
can understand how pathologies work. In addition, cell
structure and function as presented in this course serves
as preparation for the elaboration of these concepts in the
physiology and pharmacology courses, and will prepare
students to be lifelong learners of medicine. The students
are taught learning skills and gain knowledge about
information that is an absolute necessity for the modern
physician.
ANAT 550
Human Gross and Developmental Anatomy
The course in human gross and developmental anatomy
consists of approximately 160 scheduled class hours
devoted to cultivating an appreciation of a threedimensional
visual image of the human body and its
development. Formal lectures present integrated
general and applied anatomy, imaging, clinical anatomy,
developmental anatomy, and clinical embryology. Specific
objectives are provided to facilitate learning, in addition
to reading the required text and anatomical atlas. All
lectures and laboratory sessions are available through the
University website on SAKAI, which also provides online
School of Medicine
Course Descriptions
School of Medicine Catalog 2013–2014 | 57