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Specialist Program in Pathobiology: An undergraduate program in mechanisms of disease
Author(s) -
Gotlieb Avrum,
Templeton Douglas
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.693.1
Subject(s) - curriculum , medical education , population , graduate students , medicine , reading (process) , psychology , pedagogy , political science , environmental health , law
A specialist undergraduate program was developed in Pathobiology at the University of Toronto in order to teach current concepts in mechanisms of disease to students selected from a large undergraduate life science student population in the Faculty of Arts and Science. The goal of the program was not to train laboratory professionals or to be a pre‐med course. New faculty appointments supported by the university provost, Faculty of Medicine and department were required. The faculty of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology was expanded to include a faculty of both basic and clinical scientists who were able to teach a unique curriculum consisting of one full and ten half courses on diverse topics in pathobiology, including cardiovascular pathobiology, neurodegenerative disease, cancer, inflammation, and immunopathology. Following foundation courses in the various life sciences in second year of the Arts and Science curriculum, the Pathobiology courses are introduced in third and fourth year. The courses are small with no more than 30 students in a class which permits more discussion and opportunities for mentoring of students. Students are given didactic lectures and prepare reports and grant applications focused on topics in pathobiology. Reading the current literature on pathogenesis of disease is required. There are hands‐on research opportunities through project course work and twelve‐week summer student placements in graduate faculty research laboratories where students are supervised by faculty, interact with graduate students and carry out a project which they report upon in poster format. Many students utilized these opportunities to select labs for graduate studies. Fourteen classes of Hons. B.Sc. students have graduated from the program. Outcomes were tracked for students graduating between 2007 and 2012 and outcomes for 99 students (70% of available graduates) were determined for the year following graduation. Of these, 52 went to medical school (including three into MD/PhD programs), 31 to graduate life sciences research, 10 to other health care‐related pursuits (e.g., pharmacy, public health), and six to other non‐medical careers. Two former students are currently residents in anatomic pathology. The undergraduate specialist (honours) program in Pathobiology requires a dedicated research faculty who are able to teach at the intersection of basic pathobiology and clinical disease and provides students with an excellent background and preparation for careers in basic discovery and clinical biomedical research.