Organization

This year’s course consists of the following elements:
  1. Lectures (53 hours)
  2. Problem sessions (15 hours)
  3. Global Perspectives (11 hours)
  4. "Microbial Topic" sessions (11 hours)
  5. Laboratory Exercises (21 hours)
 When you inspect our "Master Schedule" you will notice that traditional lectures comprise only half of the total time assigned to our course. Moreover, we tried hard to break the monotony of spending long hours in the classroom. We interspersed lectures with "Global Perspectives", "Microbial Topic" sessions and laboratory exercises.

LECTURES

The lectures serve to provide you with a well-structured framework to understand the molecular basis of microbial and immune diseases. Our lectures are organized into four distinct, but interlocked sections:

  1. Immunology(Dr. Luc Van Kaer - Section Coordinator)
  2. Bacteriology (Dr. Ban Allos - Section Coordinator)
  3. Mycology/Parasitology (Dr. David Haas - Section Coordinator)
  4. Virology (Dr. Terence Dermody - Section Coordinator)


Handouts outlining the objectives, explaining new terms and concepts, and highlighting the important facts for each lecture will be available ahead of time. We would like to see you focus your thinking on the material being presented and not distracted by recording lectures. We will make all handout materials and Powerpoint presentations available on the course website (see below) and KnowledgeMap


PROBLEMS:

"Problem "“ sessions will be used as a springboard to emphasize key concepts and to synthesize materials presented in lectures. Some of the problem sessions will help you to provide answers to questions in the list of “Top 30 Questions in Microbiology and Immunology” (see below). A variety of formats will be employed. Many of these problems will include clinical cases. Others will be used to synthesize or review materials presented in lectures. We want students to participate fully in these discussions. We hope that you will utilize this time to the fullest extent to gain a better perspective to materials covered in lectures.


GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES:

To demonstrate problem-solving skills, we introduced "Global Perspectives". These sessions are focused on timely problems facing physicians. Faculty members who are the experts in a given area will conduct these sessions. In several of these sessions we will bring patients to the classroom. We expect that you will be active participants in these sessions and challenge the faculty with many questions. We intend to turn “Global Perspectives” into lively two-way discussions for the entire class. When patients are present we expect you to behave in a professional manner. Dr. Mark Denison is the Faculty Coordinator


MICROBIAL TOPICS:

"Microbial Topics" sessions are problem-based discussion groups depicting "real-life" stories of microbial and immune diseases. These sessions are designed to introduce the element of critical thinking on your part concerning the molecular mechanisms of microbial and immune diseases. "Microbial Topics" will be discussed by small groups of 10 to 11 students with two faculty preceptors, in 11 one-hour sessions on Wednesday and Thursday mornings at 9:00-10:00 a.m. Seven "Microbial Topics" depicting "real-life" stories of microbial diseases will be studied by you. You will be expected to attend all "Microbial Topics" sessions, be punctual, perform all required reading in advance, and participate actively in the discussion. Your performance during these sessions will be evaluated by faculty preceptors and will constitute 15% of the overall grade for the course. Dr. Doug Kernodle is the Faculty Coordinator of "Microbial Topics". Please consult the "Microbial Topics" notes for the rules of engagement and the criteria for evaluation of your performance.


LABORATORY:

The laboratory will provide you with the opportunity to gain "hands on" experience in dealing with microbes and basic techniques for their identification. You will be expected to attend all laboratory sessions and read the relevant laboratory exercise in the manual prior to each lab Your performance in the laboratory section will contribute to 5% of the total course grade. Dr. Chris Aiken is the Faculty Coordinator of the Laboratory Sessions. Please consult the lab manual for the general rules of engagement in the laboratory.


TOP 30 QUESTIONS IN MICROBIOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY:

The Course Faculty have prepared a list of 30 questions (included in this booklet) that are meant to help you in your study and to emphasize key concepts. Any resource, including textbooks, the internet, other students, faculty or residents can be used to answer these questions. However, you cannot exchange written answers to these questions with other students or ask the course faculty to edit your answers. Your answers should be no more than one-half page in length. Ten of these questions will appear on the final comprehensive exam and will constitute 50% of the grade for the cumulative exam.


RECOMMENDED TEXTBOOKS:

The following three textbooks provide a good perspective to the materials covered in lectures, a resource for finding the answers to the list of "Top 30 Questions in Microbiology and Immunology", and to prepare for the "Microbial Topics" sessions:

  1. Murphy, Travers, and Walport. Janeway’s Immunobiology (seventh edition), 2007.


  2. Abbas, Lichtman, and Pillai. Cellular and Molecular Immunology (Sixth Edition), 2007.


  3. Engleberg, DiRita, and Dermody. Schaechter's Mechanisms of Microbial Disease (FourthEdition), 2007.

EVALUATION:


Examinations: We have planned three online exams and a cumulative final exam. The three online exams will cover materials presented largely within weeks 31 and 32, weeks 33 and 34, and weeks 35 and 36, respectively. These exams will include questions concerning the lectures but not the problem, global perspective, microbial topic or the laboratory sessions. The final cumulative exam will contain two parts: the first part will include multiple-choice questions testing key knowledge and concepts, and the second part will consist of 10 questions from the list of “Top 30 Questions in Microbiology and Immunology”. More detailed information regarding the exams is provided elsewhere in this booklet.

Grades: The weight given to the various exams in establishing your final course grade is as follows: 10% for each of the three online exams, 50% for the final cumulative exam (equally distributed among the multiple choice portion and the essays), 15% to your performance in microbial topics, and 5% to the laboratory performance. Our grading scale is as follows: P, ≤ 75%; P*, 70-74%; F, <70%. P* or F grades for the microbial topics or laboratory performance will require remediation, irrespective of the scores for the other portions of the course.


Professional development: In accordance with the grading policy of Vanderbilt Medical School, all students will be evaluated for their professional development and values. Issues that will be evaluated include: adherence to the honor code, communication skills, attendance of all microbial topic and laboratory sessions, punctuality, behavior during class, and interactions with patients, your peers, teaching assistants, staff and the faculty.

Your feedback: You will be asked to provide your candid impression of lectures, problems and global perspectives, using the attached "instant evaluation form." Your "instant comments" will help us to improve the course. In addition, at the end of the course, you will have the opportunity to perform a comprehensive course evaluation. Your "instant comments" will help us to improve the course. In addition, at the end of the course, you will have the opportunity to perform a comprehensive evaluation of the course.

MICROBES AND DEFENSE ACADEMIC SOCIETY (MDAS):

The "Microbes and Defense Academic Society" was founded to enrich interactions between students and faculty and to develop an appreciation of the impact of basic and clinical research on the treatment of microbial and immunological diseases.

The Society is composed of medical students, graduate students, and faculty who share an interest in microbial and immune diseases. Members of the Society meet approximately four times per year to discuss topics of mutual interest. In addition to the dinner meetings, members of the Society organize review sessions for the Microbiology and Immunology Course. The President of the Society is Fyza Shaikh (MSTP-G) and the Faculty Advisor is Dr. John Williams. The course tutorials will be organized by Katie Atnip (VMS II) and Indriati Hood (MSTP-G).

Election to the Society is based on demonstrated interest in microbial and immune diseases (e.g., through participation in a research project) and commitment to participate in Society activities (e.g., meetings and course tutorials). This process involves nomination by a faculty member and approval by the Faculty Advisor and MDAS President. Interested individuals should contact the Course Director or the Faculty Advisor.


Master Schedule

We welcome any questions, comments or suggestions you may have. Please send any general questions or informational requests about the Microbiology & Immunology Course to Dr. Luc Van Kaer, or phone (615) 343-2707. Technical questions or comments about this Web site can be addressed to the Helen Chomicki, or phone (615) 322-2989..