MED - Biomedical Education Course Descriptions

In this freshman undergraduate core course on drug abuse and addiction, the emphasis is to be on a broad acquaintance with the principles and systems involved in drug addiction and the mechanisms by which these issues may be ameliorated. The subject matter is sufficiently broad to elicit interest in undergraduate students, yet provides enough information, regarding the various major categories of abused substances, that a student interested in further pursuit of studies in this field will have a solid base upon which to build. This course will be particularly useful for students interested in physiological or clinical psychology and those considering careers such as medicine, law, education, public policy, law enforcement, social work, as well as to those who seek to learn about the impact of drug addiction on the individual and society. The course will define addiction and other terms used to describe drug abuse. It will address why individuals abuse drugs, consider the interactions between drug taking behavior of individuals with social and legal values of the community and the consequences of chemical dependency and treatment options. It will also explore the neurobiological and pharmacological basis for the actions of major drugs of abuse, animal models useful in understanding the basis of action of these drugs, and will address future directions in the field. The classes will be team-taught by a sociologist, an anthropologists and neuropharmacologists. 

MED 10100 is focused on individual student development. Students are challenged to enhance their self-esteem and personal development, enhance their intellectual potential, understand their moral and academic responsibilities, reinforce their wellness habits, and appreciate the need for diversity and inclusion in our CSOM community and society at large. Several self-reflective writings are required.

This is intermediate course, which includes most of the topics covered in a traditional pre-med General Chemistry course but delves more deeply into concepts and principles that will appear in the students' medical career. These involve acid-base behavior, some aspects of thermodynamics, and selected properties of liquids, gases, and solutions among others. Many of the principles and concepts taught are applied to biological systems. Mathematical techniques needed to understand the principles of chemistry are integrated into the course of elementary are integrated into the course and elementary physics concepts are reviewed. Prereq.: High School algebra, geometry, trigonometry and chemistry; physics recommended.