Cardiovascular and Pulmonary

This course covers the circulatory and the respiratory systems. It attempts to integrate normal structure and function with pathology, pathophysiology, therapeutics, and diagnostic techniques. Teaching modalities include lectures, case-based small group sessions, and laboratories.

Learning Goals
The content of the course is established in a set of tables called Weekly Learning Goals. Students are expected to learn the information suggested by these weekly goals. Suggested sources for study are provided. Lectures will cover most, but not all, of the weekly learning goals.

Lectures
Lectures are occasions that can help students understand and remember portions of the required information. The primary source of information is not lectures, but books. Lectures will feature discussion of important concepts and, as much as possible, be interactive.

Problem-Based Learning (PBL)
For PBL, the class will be divided into groups of nine or ten students each. Six hours of PBL are scheduled per week. These six hours are divided into three two-hour periods to be held on each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. A 1-2 hour period (usually on Friday) is scheduled for PBL clinical wrap-up. The problems will be clinical cases (three per week) that relate to the content of the weekly learning goals. The first hour of each period will be used to discuss learning issues generated in the previous PBL period. The second hour of each period will be used for presentation and discussion of a new case, and for generating new learning issues. A list of case-specific learning issues will be distributed at the end of each case. Exams will include questions based on these learning issues.

Laboratories
Pathology labs: Microscopic and gross specimens will be examined and correlated to real clinical cases
Diagnostic techniques: Electrocardiography and pulmonary function tests will be performed.

July, 2007