Introduction to Medical Mycology
Code
21211
Academic unit
NOVA Medical School | Faculdade de Ciências Médicas
Department
Medical Mycology
Credits
2
Teacher in charge
Prof. Doutor João José Inácio Silva
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
This curricular unit is intended to alert students to the importance of fungi in the context of Human Health, with particular emphasis on the laboratory diagnosis of fungal diseases.
At the end of the UC students:
- Understand the classification and evolution of fungi, the importance of these organisms as disease agents and the strategies and difficulties associated with their treatment;
- Demonstrate how to diagnose in the laboratory the main fungal infections;
- Critically discuss the advantages and limitations of laboratory diagnostic strategies currently available in medical mycology.
Prerequisites
n/a
Subject matter
Topics to teach in lectures include:
Classification, evolution and importance of fungi.
Clinically relevant fungi and human mycoses (Characterization of pathogenic fungi; Dimorphism; Fungal virulence factors and host factors; Mycoses strictly superficial, cutaneous, subcutaneous and systemic; Opportunistic mycoses).
Laboratory diagnostics in medical mycology (Collection and processing of biological samples; Conventional and molecular techniques for detection and identification of fungi).
Therapy and fungal susceptibility to drugs (Groups of antifungal drugs and target pathogens; Mechanisms of resistance).
The human mycobiome (Strategies for studying the human mycobiota and its importance in homeostasis and disease).
Topics to teach in practical classes include:
Collection and processing of samples.
Conventional techniques for identification of fungi.
Nucleic acids extraction methods for the molecular identification of fungi.
Bibliography
Barroso H, MeliçoSilvestre A, Taveira N (Eds). 2014. Microbiologia Médica. Lidel, Lisboa
Kauffman CA, Pappas PG, Sobel JD, Dismukes WE (Eds). 2011. Essentials of Clinical Mycology SpringerVerlag, New York.
Reiss E, Shadomy HJ, Lyon GM (Eds). 2012. Fundamental Medical Mycology. WileyBlackwell, New Jersey.
Teaching method
Lectures are predominantly taught with a expositive method, with the goal of teaching students the relevant knowledge in medical mycology and its application. The expositive-participatory method is suitable for the presentation of the contents covered in the UC, being aligned with the first intended learning outcome in which students "understand" the taught subjects. The remaining intended learning outcomes require higher level cognitive skills by the students, in which they should be able to "demonstrate" how to diagnose laboratorially the main fungal infections and "critically discuss" the advantages and limitations of diagnostic techniques.
Therefore, for ensuring a suitable alignment of teaching methodologies with the intended learning outcomes, these matters are addressed in laboratory practical classes in which students develop experimental work and learn by doing, by applying the knowledge acquired. The assessment is performed by a final written exam on the contents taught in lectures and lab classes, incorporating multiple choice questions. The alignment of this assessment tool with intended learning outcomes involving the "understanding" of materials by the students is widely described in the educational literature, and considered to be methods with high reliability, transparency and authenticity (e.g. Hift 2014. BMC Medical Education 14:249). Educational research also highlights the utility of multiple choice questions in the assessment of intended learning outcomes of higher cognitive levels, including the "demonstration" and "critical discussion", being particularly useful in the context of health sciences subjects (e.g. Palmer and Devitt 2007. BMC Medical Education 7: 49; Hift 2014. BMC Medical Education 14:249). The multiple-choice questions that are part of the examination are built in accordance with internationally recognized guidelines in health sciences education (Case and Swanson 2000. Constructing written test questions for the basic and clinical sciences. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: National Board of Medical Examiners), ensuring its alignment with the learning outcomes of the curricular unit.
Evaluation method
The theoretical concepts are taught with a expositive method, promoting interaction, oriented dialogue and discussion with students, stimulating the pedagogical action. The laboratory work is carried out in groups of two to four students. Each group must fill out a form on the results and discuss them in class. The evaluation is performed by a final written exam on the contents taught in lectures and lab classes, lasting an hour, incorporating 40 multiple-choice questions. The approval to this curricular unit requires a classification of at least 10 (out of 20) marks.