Foundations of Medicine

Catalog description

This lecture-based course provides the foundation of the basic scientific concepts and principles needed for the study and treatment of diseases. It consists of five modules: Microbiology, Immunology, Genetics, Cell Physiology and Introduction to Pharmacology. The five modules of the course provide the molecular and cellular basis of diseases which is vital for understanding the mechanisms of disease pathogenesis. The cell physiology module presents the physiological fundamentals and processes at the human cellular and tissue level necessary for understanding disease processes and drug metabolism. The genetics module presents the basic concepts and principles of genetics, the basic architecture of the genome, mechanisms of disease related to genetic changes, and gene therapy, to build upon the role of genetics in disease risk, development and prevention. The microbiology and immunology modules introduce and explore the roles of bacteria, viruses and other infectious-disease-causing microorganisms in humans. The module covers useful diagnostic laboratory procedures and emphasizes the clinical significance of pathogenicity and therapy. The Introduction to Pharmacology module presents the basic scientific principles of pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and biotransformation needed to understand the therapeutic uses and effects of drugs. The module provides an introduction of how to apply these principles to classes of drugs using prototype and common examples in each class.