Welcome to the Human Structure & Function Course Homepage. The Human Structure & Function course is a multidisciplinary approach to medical education that fully integrates the basic disciplines of Gross Anatomy, Normal Radiology, Development, Histology and Physiology of the human body, and its organ systems. Please feel free to use the drop down menu above to quickly view the course description, content, required readings, grading policy, faculty listing and weekly schedules.


Course Directors

Dr. Thomas Maack
Director

Dr. Lawrence Palmer
Co-Director

Dr. Domenick Falcone
Associate Director (Microscopic Anatomy)

Dr. Donald Fischman
Associate Director (Development and Embryology)

Dr. Michele Fuortes
Associate Director (Problem Based Learning and Journal Club)

Dr. Neil Khilnani
Associate Director (Radiology)

Dr. Estomih P. Mtui
Associate Director (Gross Anatomy)

Dr. Lawrence Palmer
Associate Director (Physiology)


Objectives and Learning Modalities

This course fully integrates the basic disciplines of Gross Anatomy and Radiology, Developmental Biology and Embryology, Histology, and Physiology of the human body, and its organ systems.


General Objective

Acquisition of essential knowledge of normal macro and microscopic and microscopic anatomy, radiological imaging, embryology/developmental biology, and physiology in an integrative manner that emphasizes structure- function relationships in the human body at the tissue, organ and systemic levels of biological organization. Fostering of continuous self-education in these fields.


Modalities of Learning and Modules

The course was designed to use several modalities of learning, including problem based learning (PBL), lectures, laboratories (cadaver dissection, radiology, histology, computer embryology labs, and physiology), demonstrations (used sparingly), small group reviews (used sparingly), and journal club. The course has been divided in the following modules:

1. Early Development, Skeletal-Muscle-Skin Systems, Autonomic Nervous System, Nervous Tissues, Spinal Cord, Back, Pectoral Region and Upper Limb
   
   
2. Cardiovascular System
   
   
3. Respiratory System
   
   
4. Gastro-intestinal System
   
   
5. Kidney, Perineum, and Pelvis
   
   
6. Reproduction and Endocrinology
   
   
7. Locomotor System
   
   

Problem Based Learning (PBL)

PBL plays a central but not exclusive role in the curriculum. Fundamentally, PBL will "drive" the other modalities of learning. The main objectives of PBL are to stimulate:

1. Active self-learning
   
   
2. Learning to retrieve information efficiently from books, computers, and journal articles
   
   
3. Construction of logical interrelations from apparently disperse pieces of factual knowledge in preparation for understanding and exercising some of the thinking patterns of medical practice
   
   
4. Integration of basic knowledge within a context of a realistic clinical case in which the emphasis is on normal structure-function relationships of the human body rather than on clinical diagnosis, treatment or outcome
   
   
5. Reading, critical analysis, presentation of original articles in the modern biomedical literature related to the clinical case. (see "Journal Club" below)
   
   

Pilot Of A Modified PBL/Clinical Skills Center Learning Activity

This year in the fifth week of the course, a pilot of a modified format for PBL will be performed. Students will have a PBL case together with an experience with standardized patients, and a simulator of physiological and pathophysiological functions in our new Clinical Skills Center, directed by Dr. Yoon Kang. Together with Dr. Kang and her team, Drs Palmer, Maack and Fuortes will conduct this pilot.


Lectures

Lectures play an important role in the curriculum and are designed to provide:

1. Conceptual overview of topics that are addressed or not in other modalities (PBL, Labs, Demos)
   
   
2. Explanation of concepts and facts that by historical experience are particularly difficult for a majority of our students
   
   
3. Important topics that are not encompassed in the PBL cases
   
   
4. Important topics in which there is faculty expertise at the forefront of the field, and for which the faculty is also known to have exceptional didactic skills. Each lecturer will obligatorily provide a transcript of its lecture to preclude use of "student transcripts". Use of textbooks and other resources, in addition to the transcripts, is highly encouraged. When appropriate, the lecturer will direct the students to original articles.
   
   

Laboratories

Laboratory experience, including cadaver dissection, radiological imaging, histology, embryology computer labs, and physiology, is highly emphasized in the curriculum, and in terms of total hours of contact with students is the most extensive part of the course. The laboratories are designed to provide:

1. "Hands-on" and "eyes-on& acquisition of knowledge in gross anatomy, radiology, and histology
   
   
2. Familiarity with some physiological tests commonly used in clinical practice (e.g., blood pressure measurement, ECG, pulmonary function tests)
   
   
3. Reinforcement of concepts of structure-function interrelationships in the human body
   
   

Journal Club

Journal Club will be an integral part of the PBL. One or more articles at the forefront of the field will be chosen for presentation and discussion in each PBL case (each student will present at least 2 articles in the year). Each article will be directly related to the topics of the PBL case. Performance in presentation and discussion of articles will be an integral part of student’s PBL evaluation (see "Student Evaluation" below.)


Demonstrations

Used very parsimoniously to expose students to important clinical and laboratory procedures in which "hands-on" experience is not feasible at this stage of instruction (e.g., angiography)