General Medical Microbiology

and Infectious Disease

BMS 6301

(850) 644-9219

2005 – 2006  Course Syllabus

Evaluation of Student Performance and Grading 

The material for examinations and quizzes will come from lectures, small group sessions, material on the Blackboard site for the course, handouts, and the textbook.  The format for written examinations will be multiple choice questions (single best answer). 

There will be three integrated block examinations in the Fall semester.  These examinations will cover material in all the courses for the four weeks prior to each examination.  The microbiology component of each examination will consist of 36 multiple choice questions.  There will also be eight laboratory (small group session) quizzes and one parasitology presentation (using informatics skills) in this course.  The final grade will be based upon the total score calculated from the total number of points as follows:   

Grading for the course is based on a numeric score calculated as a percentage achieved from all possible points, as follows: 

Attendance, Remediation, and Other College of Medicine Policies 

The following policies have been adopted by the Florida State University College of Medicine for all courses in the medical curriculum.

Attendance Policy:

Students are expected to attend all scheduled activities.  Students are expected to be on time.    Being on time is defined as being ready to start at the assigned time.  If a student has an emergency that prevents her/him from attending a scheduled activity, she/he is to call and notify the Office of Student Affairs and request that they inform the supervisors/professors/clerkship faculty for that activity.  If at all possible, the student should also call and, at a minimum, leave a message with one of the course/clerkship directors.  It is important that students realize that their absence or tardiness negatively impacts a number of other people.  Attendance, including tardi­ness, is part of the student’s evaluation for professionalism.  Negative evaluations may result in decreased grades and, in severe cases, referral to the college Student Evaluation and Promotion Committee. 

Procedure for Notification of Absence:

If the student knows in advance of an upcoming legitimate absence, the “Advance Notification of Absence from Educational Activity(ies)” form should be completed with signatures from the student, the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, the course or clerkship faculty member and the Course/Clerkship Director.  The form will be filed in the Office of Student Affairs.  The impli­cations for the absence (e.g., remediation, course grade adjustment, make-up exam, etc.) will be given to the student by the course/clerkship director and final decisions regarding these actions shall rest with the course/clerkship director.

If the absence occurs due to an unforeseen emergency, the student should contact the course/ clerkship director and the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs immediately to report the absence, including the reason for the absence.  The implications for the absence (e.g., remediation, course grade adjustment, make-up exam, etc.) will be given to the student by the course/clerkship director and final decisions regarding these actions shall rest with the course/clerkship director.

Remediation Policy for Absences from Examinations, Quizzes,

Small Group Sessions, Laboratory Sessions, Clinical Learning Center Sessions,

Preceptor Visits, and Clerkship Call:

The remediation policies for absences from examinations, quizzes, small group sessions, laboratory sessions, clinical learning center sessions, preceptor visits, and clerkship call are:

1.   POLICY ON MISSED EXAMINATIONS:  Students are required to take major in-term and final examinations.  According to the Curriculum Committee, a student can only be excused from an examination by a course director decision based on the personal situation of the student.  The course director will determine the time of the exam make-up session.  Also, accord­ing to the Curriculum Committee decision and the existence of the FSU-COM honor code, the student will be given the same examination given to the other students.  In this course (BMS 6301), all examinations must be made up within 1 week of returning to class.

2.  POLICY ON MISSED QUIZZES:  Students are required to take scheduled and unscheduled quizzes in the courses.  A student can only be excused from a quiz by a course director decision based on the personal situation of the student.  The student must make arrangements with the course director to make up a missed quiz.  Also, according to the Curriculum Committee decision and the existence of the FSU-COM honor code, the student will be given the same quiz given to the other students.  In this course (BMS 6301), all quizzes must be made up within 1 week of returning to class.

3.  POLICY ON MISSED SMALL GROUP SESSIONS, LABORATORY SESSIONS, CLINICAL LEARNING CENTER SESSIONS, PRECEPTOR VISITS AND CLERKSHIP CALL:  The student should contact the course director, small group leader or clerkship director for instructions on remediation of the missed session and material covered.  In this course (BMS 6301), missed small group sessions must be made up within 1 week of returning to class.  They will be made up by handing in the answers to the questions in the small group session and a 1-page discussion of the material covered in the session.

Remediation Policy for Students Who Fail the Course

Remediation of courses/clerkships will be planned and implemented by a combined decision of the Evaluation and Promotion Committee in collaboration with the course/clerkship director.

Unexcused Absences

Each unexcused absence from an academically required small group, laboratory, PBL, or other group activity where students are broken into smaller meeting units, will be penalized by deduction of the points attributable to the quiz administered for that session, if applicable, from the “final point score.”  Students who have an unexcused absence from an examination will lose the entire score (points) awarded for that examination, and the final grade for the course will reflect this loss.  Students with more than two such absences in the Fall Term will not receive academic credit for the course, and a grade of “F” will be submitted to the Registrar.

Academic Honor Code

Students are expected to uphold the Academic Honor Code published in the Florida State Univer­sity Bulletin and the Student Handbook:  The Academic Honor System of the Florida State University is based on the premise that each student has the responsibility (1) to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity in the student’s own work, (2) to refuse to tolerate violations of academic integrity in the University community, and (3) to foster a high sense of integrity and social responsibility on the part of the University community.

Students with Disabilities (ADA Statement)

Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation should:

1.   Register with and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC).

2.   Bring a letter to the instructor from the SDRC indicating that you need academic accommodations.  This should be done within the first week of class.  Specific arrangements should be settled with the instructor 5 working days prior to each exam for which accommodations are being requested. 

Evaluations 

Student evaluations throughout the course are an important way of improving medical education, particularly during the founding years of the College of Medicine.  Not only are your comments and suggestions valued, but the evaluation process represents one way for you to become familiar with the peer review process.  Peer review is an important quality management function in all branches of medicine.  In order for peer review to work properly, it must be taken seriously by both the evaluators as well as those being evaluated.  Therefore, we ask that you give careful consideration to evaluations.  When making comments, consider what you would say if you were face to face with the person to whom the comments are directed.  How would you react if the comments were directed at you?  Give thought to how learning resources were used in regard to the way to learn best.  What worked for you and what did not?  How is your time used optimally?  Are you making adequate progress?  Are you being challenged to improve?  Be specific.  Ultimately, your use of the evaluation process can help you learn how to improve your own medical practice. 

Course Objectives 

Knowledge

1.   Develop a knowledge base of principles of microbial taxonomy, structure, physiology, and function.

2.   Develop a vocabulary for describing the taxonomy of microbial organisms and the diseases they produce.

3.   Develop familiarity with the major types of pathogenic microorganisms and the diseases that they produce in humans. 

Skills

1.   Demonstrate the ability to use the laboratory to diagnose infections, including appropriate specimen collection and test ordering.

2.   Demonstrate the ability to interpret laboratory findings in the context of the patient’s presentation and findings.

3.   Demonstrate knowledge of general categories of therapeutic modalities available to treat infections.

4.   Demonstrate knowledge of public health surveillance and measures to deal with infections in a population.

5.   Demonstrate problem solving ability and diagnostic reasoning with infectious diseases.

6.   Develop an ability to use evidence-based medicine to determine methods for diagnosis and treatment of infections.

7.   Demonstrate knowledge of clinical manifestations in the history and physical examination that point to infection.

8.   Demonstrate knowledge of the effect of age on the types of infections seen in the life cycle, including those seen in perinatal, pediatric, and geriatric patients.

9.   Demonstrate the ability to correlate microbial infection with radiologic findings.

Attitudes/Behaviors

1.   Demonstrate professional attitudes and behaviors towards others.   

Integration with College of Medicine Goals and Objectives 

Knowledge

·        Demonstrate the application of the scientific bases of health, disease, and medicine to common and high impact medical conditions in contemporary society.

·        Describe the development, structure and function of the healthy human body and each of its major organ systems at the macroscopic, microscopic, and molecular levels.

·        Recognize and discuss the implications of altered structure and function (pathology and pathophysiology) of the body and its major organ systems that are seen in various diseases and conditions.

·        Identify changes in the structure and function of the human body associated with the aging process and be able to distinguish normal changes associated with aging from those that denote disease.

·        Describe the molecular basis of diseases and maladies and the way in which they affect the body (pathogenesis). 

·        Demonstrate the ability to use basic biobehavioral and clinical science principles to analyze and solve problems related to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.

·        Describe strategies to support life long learning via both print and electronic sources to assist in making diagnostic and treatment decisions (e.g., practice guidelines) and to remain current with advances in medical knowledge and practice (e.g., medical information data bases).

Skills

·        Demonstrate the appropriate use of laboratory tests and radiographic studies in making diagnostic and treatment decisions.

·        Demonstrate the ability to evaluate the patient’s medical problems and to formulate accurate hypotheses to serve as the basis for making diagnostic and treatment decisions.

·        Demonstrate the ability to acquire new information and data and to critically appraise its validity and applicability to one’s professional decisions, including the application of information system technologies for support of clinical decision-making. 

·        Demonstrate the ability to organize, record, research, present, critique, and manage clinical information.

·        Demonstrate the ability to communicate compassionately and effectively, both verbally and in writing, with patients, their families, colleagues and others with whom physicians must exchange information in carrying out their responsibilities.

·        Demonstrate the ability to work effectively as part of a health care team, with appreciation for the multiple contributions of other health care professionals and agencies to the health of the individual and the health of the community.

Attitudes/Behaviors       

·        Demonstrate professionalism and high ethical standards in all aspects of medical practice, specifically competence, honesty, integrity, compassion, respect for others, professional responsibility and social responsibility.

·        Demonstrate awareness of the health care needs of aging patients and a willingness to care for the elderly.