| Unit name | Assisted Reproductive Technologies |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MEDIM4004 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Gordon |
| 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?
Assisted reproduction treatments involve the manipulation of eggs, sperm or embryos to achieve pregnancy. You will gain an understanding of what IVF and ICSI treatments are, the most advanced forms of fertility treatments. You will gain an understanding of the procedures of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation, ethical aspects such as welfare of the unborn child, sperm recovery techniques, gamete donation, and laboratory aspects of assisted reproduction. Complications will also be addressed in terms of ovarian hyperstimulation risk and studies reviewing the follow up of the children born.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
The unit progresses from the learning gained from general fertility management in SOCSM0009. It will increase your confidence in the understanding of advances in the field of assisted reproduction and management of an infertile couple at the tertiary level.
An overview of content
This unit will give you a comprehensive understanding of assisted reproductive technologies covering both the clinical and laboratory aspects. Key regulatory requirements overseeing the field, patient’s perspectives, complications to avoid, and management of under or over response to ovarian stimulation will be covered. Controversies in the area will be brought into context strengthening your overall learning.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
You will know about management of infertility at the most advanced level. You will consider the ethical and legal aspects, as well as the individual responsibility to provide appropriate counselling to couples and reduce complications in management.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this unit the students will be able to:
You will learn using a variety of methods:
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
The peer assessment task will give an understanding and experience of close group working, as a multidisciplinary team, to solve a clinical case study/problem. It will give you confidence in undertaking a presentation, fairness in assessment and answering questions. It will allow students from different disciplines (clinical/nursing/general science/embryology) to integrate and work together allowing for exchange of views and varied thinking processes. An interactive session is offered for the peer-assessed case studies. In this you will engage in activities to understand more about the process of self- and peer-assessment as well as getting practice at marking and giving constructive feedback. How to navigate interdisciplinary team working and general support around case-based learning will also be provided.
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. MEDIM4004).
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.
