This first didactic experience serves two purposes: 1) To provide fellows with a stimulating introduction into the study of disease-based research, facilitated by top disease-oriented scientists and clinicians; and 2) To provide a mechanism for fellows to select labs for their research theses.
"Modeling Human Disease" is taken during the summer prior to initiating the core graduate curriculum. This jump on the curriculum serves to form a cohesive unit of graduate students interested in disease-related, and potentially translational, research.
Course description:
This disease- and case-based, clinical, pathobiology conference-style experience was adapted from an existing medical student elective that is routinely evaluated as one of the best courses in the UAB Medical School. This 6 week course is also extremely popular with the HMG fellows.
During the first hour, a respected physician-scientist presents a patient who interacts with the clinician and fellows, including relevant physical exam data, laboratory data and clinical management and Q&A session.
The second hour is led by a prominent researcher in the respective disease area who highlights current research, molecular basis of the disease, and mechanism for diagnosis and treatment.
Through the ongoing development of this course, students have taken an active role in the course curriculum and are now responsible for choosing the topics and speakers highlighted. HMG fellows identify the most appropriate academic physicians and basic researchers for presentations, thereby familiarizing them with faculty and teaching them to assess clinical and research quality. This process also takes advantage of UAB's major faculty strengths. Fellows are responsible for introducing speakers, which gives them further insight into the training, accomplishments, and quality of the selected faculty.
As students progress through the HMG program, their responsibilities shift. During year 1, fellows participate strictly as learners. In subsequent years, they team with presenters and participate in presenting and discussing patients on a rotating basis. These hands-on responsibilities serve several important purposes. First, they encourage interactions between fellows, faculty, and patients. Second, they demand in-depth knowledge of the disease and its relationship to basic science. Third, they may stimulate and guide fellows to an area of particular interest or identify possible connections between the students' interests and approaches undertaken in different lines of research. Last, early in their training, fellows are exposed to the actual workings of an academic health center. In addition to their understanding and interactions with faculty, this course serves as a model to incorporate classroom interactions with HMG fellows and, beginning this year, members of the MSTP. These interactions allow HMG fellows to work alongside the MSTP students and foster discussions regarding translational models of disease.
During the final phase of this course, HMG scholars participate in a summer research retreat held in conjunction with the MSTP. All fellows in the research phase of the program present a poster, with awards presented for the three best poster presentations. The retreat also provides additional opportunities for fellows to interact with prospective mentors.
