November 28, 2022-December 16, 2022
15 half days
Course Director
Chester Oddis, MD
Professor
Department of Medicine
cvo5@pitt.edu
Course Director
Lisa Borghesi, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Immunology
borghesi@pitt.edu
Course Description
Our immunology course frames basic immunology principles in the context of translational and clinical applications. You will learn about the processes that control immune responses to microbes, to environmental triggers such as allergens, and to cancers which are normal cells that have undergone abnormal changes.
Clinical faculty discuss several inflammatory musculoskeletal and autoimmune diseases as well as their management and other emerging therapies.
The goals of the course are for students to gain a basic knowledge and understanding of:
- Fundamental actions of the immune system and the different layers of immune defenses that protect us from infection.
- Mechanistic basis of immunodeficiencies and autoimmunity, and new disease treatments.
- Mechanisms of immunological tolerance and the application to clinical transplantation and autoimmunity.
- Cancer immunology and immunotherapies.
- Rheumatic diseases that have an immunologic basis.
- Pharmacologic therapies for the management of patients with immunologic and rheumatic diseases.
Educational Methods
Flexible Learning Formats
Online
- 100 practice Quiz questions on Navigator
- 100 practice Exam MCQ and Clinical Vignettes on Navigator
Syllabus
- Basic concepts presented in a clinically relevant context
- High-yield topics flagged
- Step One “Learning Pearls” and “Clinical Correlates” detailed
- USMLE Content Mapping = 91%
Lecture
- Course organized into four blocks
- Choose your lecture style: Executive Summary (~20 min) or Full-Length (~45 min) versions of the content
- Interactive/discussive clinical scenarios and Q&A sessions
- In-class mock exam
- Attendance optional, all lectures recorded
Study Guid & Quick Reference
- 10 Key Concept and Clinical Review Sheets
- 12 Quick Refresher Videos (5 min ave length)
Race Equity and Social Justice
- 5 Social Determinants of Health in Clinical Immunology Cases
- The Slowdown, daily 5 min Reflection and Personal Growth
Small Group
- Case-based scenarios
- Active learning environment
Evaluation
Evaluation for this course is based on attendance at small-group sessions (10%), two mandatory quizzes (40% total; each is 20%), and a final exam that consists of board-style multiple-choice questions written by the course directors (50%).
Grading: This course comprises 32% of the grade for the Foundations of Medicine Block, Section 2. Grading for the block is Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.