AIM
To provide students with basic knowledge of the major human parasite diseases, concentrating on diagnosis.
OBJECTIVES
By the end of this module students should be able to:
- demonstrate knowledge of the appearances, life cycles and modes of transmission of the major helminth and protozoan parasites of man;
- diagnose microscopically those parasitic diseases for which this technique is appropriate;
- demonstrate basic knowledge and understanding of the medical importance and epidemiology of parasitic diseases;
- demonstrate more detailed knowledge and understanding of up to two selected parasitic diseases.
CONSTITUENCY
This module is designed for those with little or no knowledge of parasitic diseases.
CONCEPTUAL OUTLINE
This module will take place on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesday mornings. Monday mornings will be used for lectures covering the life-cycles, modes of transmission and appearance of the causative agents of the major parasitic infections
Most of Tuesday will be spent in the laboratory, acquiring the practical skills of microscopal diagnosis. It is not intended, in this module, to cover serological or DNA probe diagnostic techniques, nor is this a clinical parasitology course. Monday afternoons and Wednesday mornings will be reserved for private study. It is intended that this time should be spent (in roughly equal proportions) on private reading and assimilation of the subjects covered in the lectures, and group work. The course will be divided into groups of about four persons. Each group will explore in depth up to two selected parasitic diseases. These efforts will result in the production of a poster which will be displayed to all module participants on the last day of the course.
TEACHING STRATEGY
Lectures, laboratory practicals and small group work.
LEARNING TIME
The module is made up of 150 Notional Learning Hours – 32 hours contact time, 60 hours directed self-study, 44 hours self-directed learning, and 14 hours assessment, review and revision.
ASSESSMENT
The assessment will consist of two components: evaluation of the group poster presentation (which will result in a group grade) and a practical test. The grades for each will be weighted 40% and 60% respectively and combined to give an overall GPA.
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