Medical Microbiology Course
The science of Medical Microbiology includes studies of the human immune system and hundreds of bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, and helminths. The impact of microbial diseases on human health cannot be overstated. While most infections are relatively uncomplicated and treatable, invariably they are significantly more threatening when our defense mechanisms are weakened. Immune competence and immune dysfunction have a substantial impact on many areas of clinical medicine, and more persons succumb annually to infectious diseases worldwide than to cancer and heart disease combined. Regardless of one's clinical specialty or subspecialty, issues in immunology and infectious diseases represent a significant proportion of a clinical practice. The Medical Microbiology course has two principal missions:
- To provide a foundation on which to build subsequent knowledge and expertise;
- To convey fundamental concepts that will enable medical practitioners to make sound clinical judgements, especially, as new drugs, medical technologies, and vaccines become available.
- For graduate students in Microbiology and Immunology, this course provides a broad foundation for more advanced learning and quest for relevant research questions.
The general goal of the Medical Microbiology course is to introduce immunological, microbiological and clinical realism. Students working "hands-on" in the labs develop an understanding of the microbiological elements necessary for the diagnosis of infectious diseases. In the small group conferences, the students participate in an active, small-group learning experience, recalling concepts and factual information garnered from the didactic sessions and effectively applying them to the study of clinical case problems. Students are guided to develop various skills for the investigation of clinical cases addressing questions related to disease, epidemiology, pathogenesis, and prevention.
