Biomedical Sciences
Specific course outlines, learning objectives, and syllabi will be provided at the beginning of each term.
MEDICAL HISTOLOGY - OMS 6120
This course is the study of tissue organization which explores the operation of the human body from a cellular and sub-cellular level. It is essential for understanding the mechanism and pathogenesis of disease states and the intricate relationships among the organ systems. Histology also provides the visual picture of the molecular mechanisms of cellular growth, cellular differentiation, tissue repair, and the inter- and intra-cellular defense mechanisms. Lectures are integrated with the laboratory experiences in an organized fashion to illustrate the microstructures of major tissues and organs in relation to their function. During the laboratory sessions, students identify the microscopic structures of various tissues and organs in the human body, correlating these structures with their functions (a prerequisite for understanding the altered state in various disease processes).
MEDICAL EMBRYOLOGY AND GENETICS - OMS 6110
The purpose of the course is to provide an understanding of the fundamental structural modifications that transform the embryo into an adult human being; the formation and 3-dimensional relationships of the major structures in the human body. An understanding of the origin of various tissues and organs will give the student a more complete background in the normal anatomy and physiology of the adult human. The study of embryology also provides the basic principles underlying abnormal development and the nature of mechanisms that result in specific congenital malformations.
HUMAN GROSS ANATOMY - OMS 6130
Human Gross Anatomy is a lecture and laboratory course which focuses on the anatomical structure, function, and relations of the human body. Human cadaveric dissection provides a hands-on learning experience which allows the student to develop a working mental image of the human body and how it functions. The didactic and laboratory components of the course are augmented electronic teaching aids, radiographic anatomy and clinical correlations, and reciprocal peer (student) teaching sessions. Acquisition of this knowledge will serve as the foundation preparing the student’s for their clinical experience in subsequent years of the curriculum.
MEDICAL NEUROANATOMY - OMS 6140
Neuroanatomy augments the initial exposure to the gross topography of the central and peripheral nervous systems in gross human anatomy with additional exposure addressing topics such as the organization of major CNS motor and sensory systems as well as the systems serving emotion, memory, and intellect, principles underlying structure-function relationships at both the cellular and system level, and functional/clinical consequences of damage or disconnection in these systems. The course is primarily a lecture course with only two labs which precedes an in-depth Neuroscience in the second year of the curriculum.
MEDICAL BIOCHEMISTRY - OMS 6170
The purpose of this course is to provide the student with an understanding of modern biochemistry with an emphasis on medical applications. The first part of the course will deal primarily with the biomolecules themselves, with the focus on molecular structure and its functional consequences. The second part of the course will deal primarily with metabolism and its relation to both wellness and medical disorders.
MEDICAL PHYSIOLOGY - OMS 6150
Physiology is the study of the function of organ systems and the integration of these functional systems in the organism as a whole. In order to achieve this goal, however, it is necessary to examine the individual organ systems and attempt to synthesize overall function as a sum of the parts. One aim of this course is to indicate some of the more important interactions between organ systems, especially those that may be of significance to the well-rounded health professional. We consider this of importance since the human patient is a highly integrated organism such that a disturbance of sufficient magnitude in a particular organ can be expected to produce alterations in all other organ systems. Physiology also incorporates studies of the organism at the gene (physiologic genomics), cell signaling pathways, cells, tissues and organs. It is a subject that tries to incorporate an understanding of the smallest part and synthesizes these parts back into an understanding of the function of the whole human organism.
MEDICAL IMMUNOLOGY - OMS 6160
Medical Immunology will cover all of the major topics in both basic and clinical immunology. Topics include cells and organs of the immune system, B cell development and activation, T cell development and activation, major histocompatibility complex, antigen processing and presentation, antibody diversity, tolerance, complement, cytokines, inflammation, hypersensitivity, vaccination, autoimmunity and immunodeficiency diseases, and host pathogen interactions. The purpose of this course is to provide a basic knowledge of the immune response and its involvement in health and disease.