Digestion & Nutrition
MS-2

November 9, 2009 – December 18, 2009
32 half days

Course Director
Patricia K. Eagon, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Medicine
pkeagon2@pitt.edu

Course Director
Georgia K. Duker, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Cell Biology and Physiology
gduker1@pitt.edu

Course Director
David C. Whitcomb, MD, PhD
Professor
Department of Medicine
whitcomb@pitt.edu

Course Description

This course covers the normal function and pathophysiology of the several organs that comprise the gastrointestinal tract.

The goals of the course are:

1. to learn the five organs that make up the gastrointestinal tract and their enervation, vascular supply and sequence of  activation during normal digestion.
2. to understand the combination of physical and chemical events necessary for normal digestion and the physiologic regulation that coordinates these processes.
3. to understand the structure and function of the enteric nervous system and the cellular mechanisms targeted by pharmacologic agents that act in this system.
4. to understand the interplay between neural and hormonal regulation of digestion.
5. to understand the role of the liver, gall bladder and pancreas in metabolic homeostasis.
6. to learn the characteristics of common diseases of the gastrointestinal system, their clinical presentation, diagnostic methods, pathology, etiology and treatment.
7. to understand the role of normal GI function in nutrition and some specific challenges posed by GI disease states.

A multidisciplinary team of 41 faculty, including basic scientists, clinical gastroenterologists, pediatric gastroenterologists, histologists, and pathologists, conduct the learning sessions in this course. Faculty are from 6 departments: Cell Biology and Physiology; Medicine (Divisions of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition; and Clinical Pharmacology); Microbiology and Molecular Genetics; Pediatrics; Pharmacology; and Pharmacy and Therapeutics.

Educational Methods

	Lectures		Histology labs		Small group Problem-Based Learning sessions		Review sessions
	Online Problem-Based Learning sessions		Online workshops for independent or group learning		Online quizzes for self-study		Online discussion of online and live learning

Evaluation

Evaluation for this course is based on two multiple-choice examinations (90%) and on PBL attendance and participation (10%).

Grading: This course comprises 41% of the grade for the Organ System Pathophysiology Block, Section 3. The block section is graded Honors, Satisfactory, Unsatisfactory.

Faculty Note

Georgia Duker, PhD, is a recipient of the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award, the Kenneth E. Schuit Award, Excellence in Education Awards for Problem-based Learning Facilitator and for Small Group Facilitator multiple times, and the Pre-Clinical Golden Apple Award. In addition, Dr. Duker is a member of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Academy of Master Educators.