Cell Communication and Pharmacology
MS-1

October 16, 2017-October 30, 2017
13 half days

Course Director
Donald B. DeFranco, PhD 
Professor
Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology
dod1@pitt.edu

 

Course Description

This 2-week course coversbasic cellular signaling and pharmacological principlesto illustrate mechanisms of normal and abnormal cell communication as well as strategies to use drugs to restore cellular, tissue and/or organfunction.

The goals of the course are:

1. introduce basic pharmacological principles, including receptor biology (particularly adrenergic and cholinergic receptors), dose-response relationships, absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, and toxicity.

2. present principles of drug action and administration that govern rational drug selection and usage, including pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, i.e., considerations in designing and adjusting a drug regimen.

3. encourage students early in their medical school career to integrate basic and clinical science and to explore the interactions of chemicals with biological systems.

The 10 faculty members involved are from 5 medical school departments including Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Opthalmology, Anesthesiology, Environmental and Occupational Health and the School of Pharmacy.

Educational Methods

Lectures

Pharmacology workshops (in class and small group)

Self-directed VpSim web-based learning modules

Case studies

Evaluation

Evaluation for this course is based on performance on one exam (85%), participation in three small group sessions (10%), and exemplary performance in small groups (5%).

Grading: The weighting of the course grade within a block grade is based on the length of the course. Grading for the block is Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.

Faculty Note

Course Director Don DeFranco, PhD, is a recipient of the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring, Excellence in Education Award,the Sheldon Adler Award for Innovation in Medical Educationand the Kenneth E. Shuit Master Educator Award. Stevan Tofovic, MD, PhD, is a recipient of the Kenneth E. Shuit Master Educator Award. William McIvor, MD, is a recipient of the Donald S. Fraley Award for Medical Student Mentoring and the Clerkship Preceptor of the Year Award. Evan Waxman, MD, PhD, is a recipient of the Kenneth E. Schuit Master Educator Award and the Clerkship Preceptor of the Year Award.Members of the UPSOM Academy of Master Educators include Drs. DeFranco, McIvor, Tofovic, and Waxman.