Third Semester Medicine

The course provides the students with knowledge of neurobiology, immunology, blood, genetics and evolution. The course also contains an introduction to psychiatry and basic psychology, preventive medicine, ethics and communication.

An introduction to academic reading and writing is integrated with the course, including a library session.

Upon completion of the course, the student will possess knowledge of:

• the structure and function of the central and peripheral nervous system, including the autonomous nervous system, sensory organs, the motoric systems and structure and function of skeletal muscular cells
• the anatomic structure of the head and neck
• core methods for examining structure and function of the nervous system
• the immunological and blood-forming system, including hemostasis, compatibility, coagulation and common illnesses in this system
• how the immune system protects us from infections, principles of vaccination, immune therapy and transplants, and the immune pathology of allergic, autoimmune, malign and immune-failure illnesses
• heredity and mechanisms for genetic illness, and the most common genetic illnesses.
• the principles and use of medical-genetic laboratory diagnostics
• mechanisms for evolution and population genetics
• what psychological, social and cultural processes that affects doctor-patient relationships
• which preventable illnesses are globally and nationally dominant, and the laws and governing bodies which regulate preventive healthcare
• some ethical dilemmas in the patient-doctor relationship, central ethical issues in medicine, and pertinent ethical questions which are discusses in the public debate
• legal obligations of patient participation that are pertinent to Norwegian health legislation
• how understanding of roles may be utilized positively and health promoting in interaction with patients and next of kin
• how the leadership role may affect patients and colleagues
• fundamental literary searches and use of libraries
• Have knowledge of the rights of immigrants, minority groups and indigenous peoples such as the Sami within the health and care sector

Skills, upon completion of the course, the student is able to:

• account for the central principles of evolution by natural selection
• explain the structure and functions of the nervous system to others
• identify important anatomical structures on anatomical preparation (brain, head, neck)
• exemplify how the nervous system regulates behavior and cognition, and what role the parts of the nervous system plays in sensing, motoric control, memory and learning, emotions and sleep
• account for structures and functions which may be damaged by illness or injury in specific regions in CNS and the head/neck-area and which symptoms such an injury will present
• some fundamental techniques for examining the nervous system, ear-nose-throat and eyes in accordance with the study plan's skills list
• account for the immune apparatus' normal function in combating infections (hereunder the principles of vaccination), and how disrupted function may cause illness
• account for immunological conditions by rejective reactions following transplantation
• recognize different forms of communication in the doctor-patient relationship and utilize these in a appropriate manner
• reflect upon which forms of doctor behavior promotes or hinders health in patients
• reflect upon ethical issues in interaction with patients and next of kin, and in interdisciplinary meetings
• on a basic level, search for relevant academic literature and assess the quality of scientific publications on neurobiological topics
• basic literary search and use of libraries
• make use of an interpreter in a professional manner and know when the usage is indicated

General competence

Upon completion of the course, the student is able to:

• reason from a selected set of symptoms and findings to possible sites of illness or damage to the nervous system
• discuss the impact of heredity and environment as risk factors in all types of illness
• identify and analyze ethical dilemmas
• through practice, achieve an understanding of the interaction between the municipal and specialized health service at the worksite, and how the continuity of patient care unfolds from admittance to discharge
• reflect upon examples of communication between doctor and patient, next of kin, and/or colleagues