Course Title: Medical Mycology

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Medical Mycology

Credit Points: 24.00

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
ONPS1059	City Campus	Postgraduate	135H Applied Sciences	Face-to-Face	Sem 2 2006, Sem 2 2008, Sem 2 2010, Sem 1 2012

Course Coordinator: Prof. Ann Lawrie

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 7157

Course Coordinator Email: aclawrie@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 223.1.68

Course Coordinator Availability: Email for appointment

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Prior qualifications or experience in microbiology at second and third year level of a degree.

Course Description

This course has a vocational focus and is aimed to allow students to offer specialist skills in medical mycology in pathology laboratories. The course covers, in both theory and practical aspects, the knowledge and practical skills needed to work with and identify the fungi and some filamentous actinomycetes most commonly causing disease in humans and some of the research and more advanced techniques being developed in this area.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

By the end of the course, students should be able to work safely in a medical mycology laboratory, dealing with specimens and identifying the causative fungi using a variety of traditional and molecular techniques:

Capabilities
This course is particularly important in the graduate capabilities of: knowledgability, competency in technical skills, ability to complete self-directed and motivated learning, critical thinking ability, problem-solving ability and employability. See also list below for more details.

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

1. outline the symptoms and causes of human mycoses without the aid of texts
2. identify the causal fungi and common contaminants to genus and species with the aid of texts
3. handle and store infected materials and cultures safely
4. consult reference literature on clinical mycology
5. conduct diagnostic work, analyse the data and draw appropriate conclusions
6. write adequate diagnosis reports in standard format
7. know and use basic information services available in the library, including computer-based services, e.g. catalogues, databases, to find specific information relevant to topics
8. use computer applications for word-processing (Word), spreadsheet/database/graphics (Excel) and presentation (PowerPoint) for presenting written and oral reports.

Overview of Learning Activities

Formal classes (lectures and practicals) will be augmented by self-directed learning in individual practical assignments and web-based tests. Oral assessment will be held in the last week of the semester or by arrangement with the lecturer. See also syllabus provided.

Students have the roles of active learners and are responsible for attending and actively participating in all planned student learning experiences, i.e. lectures and practical classes, reading all relevant references pointed out during planned student learning experiences and undertaking such other private study as will benefit their learning towards the objectives of the course. Although no minimum attendance is required, students must be aware that sessions are available only at the times specified and cannot be repeated.

Overview of Learning Resources

In general, the learning resources used will comprise the lecture content (available on the DLS), books, reviews, original papers in journals, web sites and practical notes and instructions.
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Overview of Assessment

Learning will be assessed by examinations, online tests and assignments, as appropriate for the learning objectives. Marks available within each type of assessment will be weighted according to contact time and effort required. Assignments are due on the dates specified within the semester after distribution of information on the content and how to tackle the assignment. Assignments involving practical results are normally due one week after the assignment has been completed. Some assignments need to be completed during designated sessions in the laboratory.