TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES

INTRODUCTION

The Department of Anaesthesia has a greatly expanded role in undergraduate teaching in the School of Medicine, and a growing role in cross-disciplinary courses. In the new undergraduate medicine teaching programme, teaching in the second medicine year [Organ Failure Module], the third medicine year [Respiratory, Perioperative and Critical Care Medicine I] and the final medicine year [Respiratory, Perioperative and Critical Care Medicine II] of the new medicine curriculum. This central role is reflected in the fact that Prof Laffey is a member of the Core Curriculum committee, which oversees the new curriculum, and is Semester head for Year 3 Semester 2. In addition, Dr Leo Kevin is the leader of the Organ Failure Module in year 2.

UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL TEACHING PROGRAMME

The new 5 year undergraduate medicine curriculum takes an Organ and System based approach to teaching, rather than the traditional discipline based teaching. Level I Biomedical Science Modules are taught in Years 1 – 2 of the curriculum. At the end of year 2, students undertake a module in Organ Failure, directed by Dr Leo Kevin, which introduces them to the clinical consequences of failure of a major organ system. 
In the first semester of year 3 there is a transition to clinical teaching, with a focus of the pathobiology of disease. In the second semester of year 3, students undertake 5 clinically focussed 4 week Modules, which build on organ based approach developed in pre-clinical years. These rotations comprise Level II Basic Clinical Modules in Cardiovascular medicine, Respiratory Perioperative and Critical Care Medicine, Gastrointestinal Medicine, Care of the elderly, and Acute Hospital Care.  In the fourth medicine year, students undertake basic (semester 4.1) and advances (Semester 4.2) modules in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Psychiatry, General Practice with ENT, and Paediatrics.

In the first semester of year 5, students undertake 4 clinically focussed 4 week Modules, which build on the Level II Basic Clinical Modules undertaken in year 3. These Level III Advanced Clinical Modules are in Cardiovascular medicine, Respiratory Perioperative and Critical Care Medicine, Gastrointestinal Medicine, and Acute Hospital Care.  In the second semester, students will undertake specialist modules, and complete advanced junior internships, prior to graduation and entry into the internship programme. 
In a major development for the School of Medicine, students will spend one year of their clinical medicine training at one of 4 medical academies being developed at our affiliated hospitals in Sligo, Letterkenny, Castlebar and Ballinasloe/Roscommon. 

COMPONENTS OF THE TEACHING PROGRAMME

Organ Failure Module

This is an 8 week module in the second semester of year 2 of the undergraduate medicine programme is directed by Dr Leo Kevin of the Department of Anaesthesia. The aim of this module is to integrate the biologic sciences into clinical setting and demonstrate relevance of basic sciences to clinical practice

Didactic Approach

1. Clinical case/problem centered scenarios 
a. One hour lecture outlining basic physiology of the organ/system 
b. One lecture outlining physiology of failure of that organ in a specific clinical context 
c. Case based scenario to integrate the lessons of first 2 lectures and outline practical clinical approach

2. For each organ system, include the following components 
a. Underlying causes / disease processes leading to loss of organ function 
b. Clinical consequences of loss of organ function [clinical scenario] 
c. Basic management principles and issues arising 
d. Introduction to organ supportive/replacement therapies

3. Focus on group and self directed working 
a. Use of relevant clinical scenario involving failure of a major organ system. 
b. Group presentation of knowledge gained during self-directed learning session 
c. Grouped assessment of submissions

6 Key Knowledge Areas

1. Acute Hepatic Failure [Prof L. Egan, Dept of Pharmacology] 
a. Patient with Paracetamol poisoning

2. Acute Brian Injury [Prof J .Laffey, Department of Anaesthesia] 
a. Patient with an intracerebral bleed

3. Acute Renal Failure [Dr D Reddan, Department of Medicine] 
a. Patient with acute renal failure due to severe Abdominal Sepsis

4. Hypovolaemic Shock  [Dr L. Kevin, Department of Anaesthesia] 
a. Patient bleeding e.g. post surgery

5. The Failing Heart [Dr P Nash, Department of Medicine] 
a.  Patient with congestive heart failure

6. Acute Respiratory Failure [Prof J .Laffey, Department of Anaesthesia] 
a. Patient with Acute Lung Injury

Assessment

Grouped Assessment of work from Self Directed Learning component of module will contribute 60% to the overall assessment. A final MCQ examination will contribute the remaining 40% to the overall assessment.