PATU-4022 - Research in Infectious Disease Pathogenesis

PATU-4022 - Research in Infectious Disease Pathogenesis

Elective Title: Research in Infectious Disease Pathogenesis
Course Number: PATU-4022
Elective Type: research Duration/Weeks: 4 to 8 Max Enrollment: 1
Prerequisites: Successful completion of Year 2
Additional Requirements: A R-form must be submitted 60 days in advance of all research electives. (2 consecutive blocks required with rare exception)
Responsible Faculty Director: David H. Walker, M.D. Periods Offered: 1-13 including holiday period 8 
Coordinator: Tracy Wilkins Other Faculty: n/a
Location to Report on First Day:
Department of Pathology Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases 1.104B Keiller Bldg. (409) 747-3990

Goals
The rotation is designed to help students develop an understanding of the pathogenesis of infectious diseases, particularly rickettsiosis, ehrlichiosis, Covid-19.

Objectives
The student should:
1. Acquire knowledge of the pathogenesis, immunity, and epidemiology of infectious diseases.
2. Learn how to design an experiment leading to meaningful results.
3. Apply the appropriate laboratory methods to obtain data.
4. Interpret the data, draw conclusions, and write a report including a journal article, if appropriate, under Dr. Walker's guidance.

Description of course activities
Basic laboratory research on the pathogenesis of and immunity to obligately intracellular bacterial diseases such as scrub typhus is available for student participation. Examples of potential projects include immunohistochemical localization of the infected tissue of humans and/or experimentally infected animals, identification of candidate vaccine antigens for scrub typhus that stimulate neutralizing antibodies.


Type of students who would benefit from the course
Students wishing to pursue a career in infectious diseases, experimental pathology, or public health.

Weekly Schedule
  Clinical Activities (estimated schedule)  
Day of Week   AM   PM
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday

 Average number of patients seen per week: none
 Call Schedule:

Research Activities (estimated schedule)
Activity Hours per Week
Faculty Contact-Time 2
Self-Directed Study 10
Data-Collection/Analysis 28
Other

Method of Student Evaluation
1.  Clinical Observation
  A. Where are students observed on this elective?
    Inpatient Service   Ambulatory   Surgery   Standardized patients
Patients simulators   Other
  B. Frequency - How often are students observed clinically?
   
  C. Format - What method(s) are used to document the student's clinical performance?
    Daily oral feedback   End of period oral feedback   Written feedback
Other

2.  Oral Presentation
  A. Audience - To whom does the student present?
    Rickettsial and Ehrlichial Diseases Research Laboratories faculty and staff.
  B. Frequency / Duration of Presentation(s)?
    Weekly 10 min with a final presentation 45 min.
  C. Format - What guidelines are set for the student's presentation?
    Weekly research in progress discussion of problems and data. Final presentation by power point to audience of scientists of the background, data produced, and conclusion.
  D. Assessment - Who assesses the student's presentation performance?
    Self-assessment   Peer assessment   Faculty assessment
  E. Method of content selection
    Current cases  Student-selected topic   Assigned topic

3.  Written Assignment (H&P's, notes, papers, abstracts, etc.)
  A. Frequency of written assignment(s)?
    Twice.
  B. Format - What guidelines are set for the student's written work?
    The student will write review manuscript on a topic related to the research project and a manuscript in the style for publication, including introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, and bibliography.
  C. Length of written assignment(s)?
    Abstract   Annotated bibliography   1 - 2 page paper   3+ page paper
  D. Are recent references required?   No    If yes, how are they selected?
    Relevance to their research project.
  E. Method of content selection - e.g. student-selected, relate to cases, etc.?
    Related to research performed during the performance of this elective.
  F. Audience - Who assesses the student's written performance?
    Peer Assessment     Faculty Assessment     Other

4.  Examination
  Format
    Oral   Written multiple choice   Written essay / short answer   OSCE
Other

5.  Extra Course Activities
  What expectations do you have for the student to demonstrate participation in the elective (e.g. small group activities, seminars, thoughtful questions, providing resources, journal club, resident lecture attendance)?
    UTMB Seminars on Microbiology, Immunology, Tropical and Emerging Infectious Diseases (x2/week).

6.  Additional Costs
  Please list any additional costs and/or purchases (books, materials, movies to watch, etc.) that are required for this course. Include an estimated total cost. If there are no additional costs, please enter "None".
    None

7.  Other Modes of Evaluation
  Please explain below.
    Based on research participation and contribution

8.  If this course is an Acting Internship, please complete the following:
  A. Objectives for the AI should relate directly to the Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs). Each AI should describe how the four key Year-4 EPAs that our school has identified as being Year-4 skills are assessed. The Year-4 objectives are:
1. Entering and discussing orders/prescriptions.
2. Give or receive patient handover to transition care responsibility.
3. Recognizing a patient requiring urgent or emergent care and initiating management.
4. Obtaining informed consent for tests and procedures.
Specify how the student will be given formative feedback on their clinical skills.
   
 
B.
Year-4 students should demonstrate mastery of EPAs they developed in the clerkship year, including recommending and interpreting common diagnostic and screening tests, and performing general procedures of a physician. They should be able to demonstrate masterfully and independently skills they mastered in Years 2-3, including efficiently performing comprehensive admission-notes and succinct daily progress notes and perform accurate, concise, and hypothesis-driven clinical presentations, form clinical questions and retrieve evidence to advance patient care. They should be able to demonstrate basic understanding of and beginning mastery of collaborate as a member of the interprofessional team and identify system failures and contribute to a culture of safety improvement.

List advanced clinical skills that a student will be assured an opportunity to practice.
   
 
C.
How specifically will this AI build on developing skills from the clerkship year to prepare students for internship?
   
 
D.
What opportunities will typically be available to all students who take this AI (procedures, required presentations, etc.)? What opportunities may be available based on patient load/presentation or student initiative (ie. Writing a case report)?
   
 
E.
An AI should have expectation of a minimum of 32 hours per week of clinical responsibilities. Duty hours should be capped at ACGME limits for an intern, thus up to 24 hours followed by 4 hours of activities related to patient safety, education, and handoff. Students cannot work more than 80 hours per week averaged over 4 weeks. They can only have 1 day off in a 7-day work week with 8 hours off between shifts.

Clinical responsibilities will vary depending on specialty, but how is the student functioning with work commensurate to a PGY1 with an appropriate level of training?
   
 
F.
How is the student demonstrating drawing clinical conclusions and/or developing a management plan and documentation as an intern would do?
   
 
G.
How and by whom will midpoint feedback be provided to the student? How will you remediate deficiencies identified at midpoint?
   
 
H.
Acting Internship students often seek letters of recommendation following their experience. How many different Faculty will work directly with the student and have knowledge of the student's abilities to detail in a written evaluation? Describe the degree of supervision and interaction with faculty vs. residents or other providers and how feedback will be obtained if more direct work is with residents or other providers.