Professional Course List
Course Descriptions
- BIOC 531 General Biochemistry
- BIOC 705 General Biochemistry - Dental (Spring)
- CCMD 730 Human Function
- MS1 PBL Problem Based Learning
Biochemistry 531
General Biochemistry
General Biochemistry, consisting of the lecture portion of Biochemistry 305, this course is designed to be a general introduction to biochemical compounds, processes and concepts, for the students in the Pharmacy program. Topics such as, enzyme mechanisms, therapeutic use of Enzyme Inhibitors, effects of drugs on various Metabolic Pathways., Signal Transduction, and Biotransformation provide basic information for subsequent Pharmacy courses in the training of these students for the practice of Pharmacy, including passage of the Pharmacy board examination. The course consists of four lectures per week for 4 credit hours.
Course Director - Mike Gunther
Faculty - Peter Stoilov, Drew Shiemke
Biochemistry 705
General Biochemistry - Dental (Spring)
Taught in conjunction with General Pharmacy Biochemistry (BIOC 493/531), the main lecture part of this course is designed to be a general introduction to biochemical compounds, processes, and concepts for students in the dental, pharmacy and related health professions. Through additional topics such as nutrition/effects of nutrient deficiencies, blood clotting, AIDS, diabetes, tooth and bone composition, hydroxyapatite solubility behavior/critical pH/saliva and fluoride protection, dental erosion and caries, connective tissue, and local anesthetic action, special emphasis is placed on biochemistry for dental students as part of their background training for the practice of dentistry, including passage of the National Dental Board exam. The course consists of the four main lectures and one Friday Session/clinical correlation per week for 5 credit hours.
Course Director - Mike Gunther
Faculty - Peter Stoilov, Drew Shiemke
CCMD 730 - Human Function
(1st yr. medical students, others by consent)
Human Function (Fall)
Integrated approach combining biochemistry, genetics and physiology of the human body. Includes molecular, subcellular, and cellular components of the body, organ systems and whole body functions. Application of basic sciences to human health and disease.
Course Director - Drew Shiemke
MSI PBL
Problem Based Learning
A required exercise for 1st-year medical students, Problem-Based Learning involves developing an understanding of basic science by applying its principles to explain the manifestations of clinical problems. Students work together in small groups with a faculty facilitator, meeting 1 ½ hours per week over each medical school semester. Clinical cases are presented progressively over 2-3 sessions, and students decide what they need to learn (“learning issues”) in order to understand the case at hand. They all research the learning issues for the subsequent session in which they discuss their research and refine their hypotheses until, by the last session, they have figured out the problem, its symptoms and the diagnostic test results. Final assessment of student performance by the group facilitator is done with a written narrative, and is based upon developing skills in use of current knowledge base, active learning, thinking/reasoning/problem solving, and communication and team work.
Course Directors - Steve Hardy, Drew Shiemke, Heather Billings