| Unit name | Foundations in Clinical Perfusion Science |
|---|---|
| Unit code | BRMSM0072 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Becky Foster |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Bristol Medical School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Health Sciences |
Why is this unit important?
Our students embark on their clinical perfusion science training with different educational backgrounds and experiences, and it is important to ensure you are equipped with the knowledge and skills to prepare you for the course ahead and enable you to succeed in your academic, clinical and research endeavours. This unit provides an essential foundation for your educational journey and development as a student and perfusionist. You will develop your academic and research skills, including study design and statistics in the context of clinical perfusion science enabling you to interpret and critique relevant literature and appreciate evidence-based practice.
The clinical interventions and patient assessments you will perform as a perfusionist, including during cardiopulmonary bypass, require in depth knowledge and understanding of the functional anatomy and physiology of key organs of the body. This unit provides knowledge of normal physiology which is essential for understanding the basis of disorders that affect the body’s functioning due to disease and/or perfusion procedures.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
This unit is taken at the beginning of your programme to ensure you have a solid foundation anatomy and physiology as well as academic and research methods to prepare you for further study on the course and beyond. Core knowledge and understanding of normal body systems will be built upon in subsequent teaching and learning of the diseases that affect your patients and the impact of perfusion strategies on these systems.
An overview of content
This unit examines the major systems in the body that are affected by perfusion techniques and relevant to clinical perfusion scientists: heart, circulation, blood, lungs, kidneys, liver, gut and nervous system. The main diseases that occur in these organs are outlined and the impact of cardiopulmonary bypass on these systems is introduced, thus providing a comprehensive background on functional anatomy and physiology in the context of perfusion science.
Integrated into this unit is academic and research skills training including academic writing, reading, interpreting and presenting clinical and scientific literature. The principles of research study design and statistical analysis of data will be emphasised. Essential concepts underlying statistical methods will be introduced to enable you to identify which statistical analysis method should be employed and interpret the analyses.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
The breadth and depth of your knowledge and understanding of perfusion-relevant organ systems will be expanded and you and will begin to appreciate the benefits and risks of perfusion strategies on the function of the body. You will have the academic and research skills to enable you to identify, interpret and evaluate information from relevant scientific and clinical studies to inform your learning. You will have developed relationships with your peers through collaborative learning and critical discussion and gained confidence in spoken and written science communication.
Learning Outcomes
You will primarily learn through interactive in person lectures, where core information is delivered, with opportunities to ask questions and discuss topics. Academic skills tutorials will provide coursework examples to discuss and assess. You will also learn through asynchronous on-line mini-lectures which allow you to work at your own pace, the information provided in these will be consolidated by in person interactive problem-based tutorials, working together in small groups to discuss your ideas and understanding to solve problems. The formative group presentation will help you synthesise information from both the anatomy and physiology and the research methods teaching. MCQs encourage you to review core information from across the unit and test the breadth of your knowledge to provide a foundation for your summative essay and research methods short answer questions. You will be given formative feedback on all coursework assessments to aid learning. These ways of learning will ensure you are well prepared to tackle your summative assessments across the programme.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
You will submit a short essay at the start of the unit which will be used for providing guidance on essay structure, referencing and ethical academic practice. Generic and individual verbal and written feedback will be provided to use for subsequent written assessments. You will collaborate with other students to prepare and deliver a group presentation early in the unit, based on your choice of perfusion-related clinical study. This will enable synthesis and application of knowledge relating to both organ physiology and research methods; it will encourage team building and develop confidence in presenting. Group and individual written feedback will be provided to use for subsequent presentations. Some formative MCQs are included in lectures to help prepare you for the summative MCQs on this and subsequent units.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
When assessment does not go to plan
If you do not pass the unit, you will normally be given the opportunity to take a reassessment as per the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes. Decisions on the award of reassessment will normally be taken after all taught units of the year have been completed. Reassessment will normally be in a similar format to the original assessment that has been failed.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. BRMSM0072).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
