Admission requirements
Description
The module Mechanisms of Disease 1 (G2MD1) elaborates on the first year modules of Medicine in which the normal anatomy, physiology and homeostasis were taught. Disease results from a disturbance in the structural integrity and/or normal function of (part of) the body and/or the response to this disturbance. The second year starts with the module Mechanisms of Disease 1, focusing on 3 different mechanisms of disease: acute and chronic inflammation, disordered immunity and cell/tissue injury and repair. In MOD2, 4 other basic disease mechanisms are covered, including neoplasia, metabolic and degenerative disorders, congenital abnormalities and hemodynamic disorders.
Themes
I. The immune system and its opponents
II. Micro-organisms as cause of disease
III. Infectious Diseases
III.A. Host-pathogen interactions
III.B. Clinical aspects of infectious diseases: clinical presentations and diagnostics
III.C. Clinical aspects of infectious diseases: therapy
IV. Prevention and control
IV.A. Epidemiology of infectious diseases and Planetary Health
IV.B. Prevention and control of infectious diseases
V. Allergy and Auto-immunity (hyper-responsiveness of the immune system to, respectively, non-self and self)
VI. Transplantation
Course objectives
- The student describes individual components and interactions between components of the defense mechanisms which underlie normal response and repair mechanisms for the maintenance of tissue homeostasis
- The student recognizes and classifies histological features of acute or chronic inflammation, necrosis and repair responses, and deduces the consequences of these processes for tissue/organ function
- The student categorizes different classes of micro-organisms, describes the structural characteristics and relates structural components to physiology of micro-organisms
- The student explains the pathogenesis of diseases that result from an interaction between the immune system and pathological stimuli, with focus on microorganisms, and deduces the clinical symptoms that result from this interaction
- The student categorizes the causes of failing defense mechanisms and over-responsiveness of the immune system (type I-IV allergies and auto-immune diseases) and explains the pathogenesis and clinical symptoms of diseases resulting from these disorders
- The student distinguishes the immunological principles of solid organ transplantation, names factors which affect transplantation outcome and describes the pathogenesis of clinical problems associated with transplantation
- Given a description of diagnostic test results in a study population, the student interprets these results, calculates sensitivity, specificity and positive/negative predictive value and predicts the effect of a change in pre-test probability on these parameters. (LIJN AWV JAAR 2)
- The student recognizes characteristic clinical presentations for a number of infections and immune disorders
- The student explains the pathogenesis for a number of infections and immune disorders
- The student selects appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic options, indicates the mechanism of action of selected immunosuppressive, immune enhancing and antimicrobial drugs
- Given a microscopic or clinical image, the student names the most likely microorganism, infectious syndrome, or immune disorder
- The student analyzes the infection chain (reservoir, source, transmission route and host factors) and applies the principles of prevention and control of infectious diseases to concise but realistic problems and situations
- The student recognizes the consequences of climate change on the epidemiology of infection and can relate this to actual emerging infections
- The student recognizes normal cells, tissues and organs
Timetable
All course and group schedules are published on MyTimeTable.
The exam dates have been determined by the Education Board and are published in MyTimeTable.
It will be announced in MyTimeTable and/or Brightspace when and how the post-exam feedback will be organized.
Mode of instruction
In each theme, lectures will provide an overview of the subjects. Self-study is an important teaching method in this module, based on the study books, e-learning lessons and self-study assignments. In 3 interactive seminars the students’ knowledge of a theme is actively trained. In 4 work groups the students will work together on specific assignments. Microscopy is refreshed during a voluntary histology (computer) practical. Two (digital) microscopy practicals (bacteriological and parasitological diagnostics) provide a case-based practice of interpretation of microbiological microscopy.
The rest of the course is made up of a combination of (online) lectures, short knowledge clips, work lectures, patient demonstrations (these are depending on the possibilities at the time of the module), and various e-learning modules.
Assessment method
weekly formative tests (in Remindo or via Brightspace)
1 final summative examination (extended matching, multiple choice and integrated puzzle for 100 points) in week 6. The grade is determined by the sum of the points obtained in the test.
The exam dates can be found on the schedule website.
Reading list
For the complete reading list for the bachelor of Medicine, see the Study Materials List GNK 2024-2025.
Registration
Students are required to register for exams through uSis.
The registration for a working group is done by handing in your ‘studieplan’.