MLC III Distance Learning (2009-2010)

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Each online session will feature a timed quiz and short written assignment addressing the course objectives given below. Taped video feeds of the sessions are provided, which should prove useful in completing the discussion questions for each assignment.

Knowledge of the basic science and clinical issues relevant to the readings.
Ability to assess and critique the research presented.
Ability to translate the research into lay language appropriate for communication with patients
Ability to appropriately apply the findings to clinical problems.
Ability to suggest further research questions stemming from the study results.
A scientific attitude and knowledge of the scientific method.

Awareness of ethical issues in scientific investigation.

Schedule for Online Sessions:

Assignment(s) & quiz (s) due by 25th of each month at midnight*

Peer grading(s) due by last day of each month at midnight*

* Exception: March 2010 (see schedule)

Distance Learning Schedule (click here for a printable version):

July Assignment(s) due: July 25th Peer grading(s) due: July 31st	Topic: Transplantation to Improve Quality of Life; Discussant: Amy Friedman, MD Research: Outcomes 18 Months after the First Human Partial Face Transplantation [NEJM 357(24): 2451, 2007] Editorial: Transplantation of the Larynx – A Case Report that Speaks for Itself [NEJM 344(22): 1712, 2001]
July Assignment(s) due: July 25th Peer grading(s) due: July 31st	Topic: Kinase Inhibitors in CML; Discussant: Sara Grethlein, MD Study: Dasatinib in imatinib-resistant Philadelphia chromosome-positive leukemias [NEJM 354(24): 2531, 2006] Case: A mutation conferring resistance to imatinib at the time of diagnosis of chronic myelogenous leukemia [NEJM 348(22): 2265, 2003] Editorial: Circumventing Resistance to Kinase-Inhibitor Therapy [NEJM 354(24): 2594, 2006]
August Assignment(s) due: August 25th Peer grading(s) due: August 31st	Topic: "The Great Debate in Preventive Cardiology"; Discussant: Robert Carhart, MD Research: Effect of Lower Targets for Blood Pressure and LDL Cholesterol on Atherosclerosis in Diabetes: The SANDS Randomized Trial [JAMA 299(14): 1678, 2008] Editorial: The Great Debate of 2008—How Low to Go in Preventive Cardiology? [JAMA 299(14): 1718, 2008]
August Assignment(s) due: August 25th Peer grading(s) due: August 31st	Topic: Childhood Vaccinations; Discussant: Leann Lesperance, M.D., Ph.D. Study: Early Thimerosal Exposure and Neuropsychological Outcomes at 7 to 10 Years [NEJM 357(13): 1281, 2007] Perspective: The Problem With Dr. Bob’s Alternative Vaccine Schedule [Pediatrics 123: e164: 2009]
September Assignment(s) due: September 25th Peer grading(s) due: September 30th	Topic: Blood Transfusions; Discussant: John Fortune, MD Study: A multicenter, randomized, controlled clinical trial of transfusion requirements in critical care [NEJM 340(6): 409, 1999] Study #2: Allogeneic blood transfusions explain increased mortality in women after coronary artery bypass graft surgery [Am Heart J 152:1028, 2006] Perspective: Transfusion triggers [Surgery 142: S67, 2007]
September Assignment(s) due: September 25th Peer grading(s) due: September 30th	Topic: Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever; Discussant: Timothy Endy, MD, MPH Commentary: Dengue and Hemorrhagic Fever – A Potential Threat to Public Health in the United States [JAMA 299(2): 214, 2008] Perspective: Hunt for Dengue Vaccine Heats Up As the Disease Burden Grows [Science 317: 1494, 2007] Study: Epidemic Dengue and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever at the Texas-Mexico Border: Results of a Household-based Seroepidemiologic Survey, December 2005 [Am J Trop Med Hyg 78(3): 364, 2008]
October Assignment(s) due: October 25th Peer grading(s) due: October 31st	Topic: Barrett's Esophagus; Discussant: Ronald Szyjkowski, MD Study: Circumferential ablation of Barrett’s esophagus that contains high-grade dysplasia: A U.S. multicenter registry [Gastrointest Endosc 68: 35, 2008] News Article : Esophageal Therapy You Can Stomach [Wall Street Journal, May 20, 2008] Review: Medical Progress: Barrett’s Esophagus [NEJM 315(6): 362, 1986]
October Assignment(s) due: October 25th Peer grading(s) due: October 31st	Topic: September 11th Syndromes; Discussant: Sara Grethlein, MD Study: World Trade Center "Sarcoid-Like" Granulomatous Pulmonary Disease in New York City Fire Department Rescue Workers [Chest 131: 1414, 2007] Perspective: The Legacy of World Trade Center Dust [NEJM 356(22): 2233, 2007] News Article: Lawyer killed by lung disease added to 9/11 toll [CNN, May 24, 2007]
November Assignment(s) due: November 25th Peer grading(s) due: November 30th	Topic: Hepatitis A: Managing Foodborne Outbreaks; Discussant: Cynthia Morrow,MD,MPH Editorial: Hepatitis A – The Price of Progress [NEJM 353(9): 944, 2005] Study: An Outbreak of Hepatitis A Associated with Green Onions [NEJM 353(9): 890, 2005] Follow-up perspective: Universal Hepatitis A vaccination in the United States [Pediatr Infect Dis J 27(4): 287, 2008]
November Assignment(s) due: November 25th Peer grading(s) due: November 30th	Topic: Acyclovir Therapy in Neonates; Discussant: Thomas Welch, MD Study: The Prevalence of Neonatal Herpes Simplex Virus Infection Compared with Serious Bacterial Illness in Hospitalized Neonates [ J Pediatr 153: 164, 2008] Editorial #1: When Should You Initiate Acyclovir Therapy in a Neonate? [ J Pediatr 153: 155, 2008] Editorial #2: In Defense of Empiric Acyclovir Therapy in Certain Neonates [J Pediatr 153: 157, 2008]
December Assignment(s) due: December 25th Peer grading(s) due: December 31st	Topic: Balloon Sinuplasty; Discussant: Robert Kellman,MD Editorial:Balloon sinuplasty: A current hot topic in rhinology [Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 265: 509, 2008] Study: Safety and outcomes of balloon catheter sinusotomy: A multicenter 24-week analysis in 115 patients [Otalaryngol Head Neck Surg 137(1): 10, 2007]
December Assignment(s) due: December 25th Peer grading(s) due: December 31st	Topic: Vagus Nerve Stimulation; Discussant: Tom Schwartz,MD Editorial: Approving the Vagus-Nerve Stimulator for Depression [NEJM 356(16): 1604] Study 1: Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Randomized, Controlled Acute Phase Trial [Biol Psychiatry 58: 347] Study 2: A One-Year Comparison of Vagus Nerve Stimulation with Treatment as Usual for Treatment-Resistant Depression [Biol Psychiatry 58: 364]
December Assignment(s) due: December 25th Peer grading(s) due: December 31st	Topic: Colonic Pseudo-Obstruction; Discussant: John Fortune, MD Study: Neostigmine for the Treatment of Acute Colonic Pseudo-Obstruction [NEJM 341(3): 137: 1999] Case #1: Colonic ileus [NEJM 354(7): e6, 2006] Case #2: Post-cesarean section acute colonic pseudo-obstruction with spontaneous perforation [Int J Gynaecol Obstet 89:144, 2005] Editorial: Management of Acute Colonic Pseudo-Obstruction [NEJM 341: 192, 1999]
December Assignment(s) due: December 25th Peer grading(s) due: December 31st	Topic: Controversies in Spinal Surgery; Discussant: James Holsapple, MD Perspective: Back Surgery - Who Needs It? [NEJM 356(22): 2239, 2007] Trial: Surgical versus Nonsurgical Treatment for Lumbar Degenerative Spondylolisthesis [NEJM 356(22): 2257, 2007] Editorial: Spinal-Fusion Surgery – The Case for Restraint [NEJM 350(7): 722, 2004] News Article: Surgery Better Option for Common Back Conditions [Medical News Today, 5/31/07]
January Assignment(s) due: January 25th Peer grading(s) due: January 31st	Topic: Diabetic Ketoacidosis in the Pediatric Population; Discussant: Thomas Welch, MD Study: Preventing a Drop in Effective Plasma Osmolality to Minimize the Likelihood of Cerebral Edema During Treatment of Children with Diabetic Ketoacidosis [J Pediatr 150: 467, 2007] Editorial: Choosing the Right Fluid and Electrolytes Prescription in Diabetic Ketoacidosis [J Pediatr 150: 455, 2007]
January Assignment(s) due: January 25th Peer grading(s) due: January 31st	Topic: Antimicrobial Resistance; Discussant: Cynthia Morrow, MD, MPH Study: Invasive Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections in the United States [JAMA 298(15): 1763, 2007] Editorial: Antimicrobial Resistance - It’s Not Just for Hospitals [JAMA 298(15): 1803, 2007]
February Assignment(s) due: February 25th Peer grading(s) due: February 28th	Topic: Etomidate for Rapid-Sequence Intubation; Discussant: John McCabe, MD Editorial: Should etomidate be used for rapid-sequence intubation induction in critically ill septic patients? [ Am J Emerg Med 26: 229, 2008] Commentary: Clinical Controversies: Etomidate as an Induction Agent for Endotracheal Intubation in Patients With Sepsis [Ann Emerg Med 52(1): 13, 2008] Study: Randomized Clinical Trial of Etomidate Versus Propofol for Procedural Sedation in the Emergency Department [Ann Emerg Med. 49: 15, 2007]
February Assignment(s) due: February 25th Peer grading(s) due: February 28th	Topic: Phototherapy Treatment; Discussant: Ramsay Farah, M.D. Study: Photodynamic therapy with aminolevulinic acid topical solution and visible blue light in the treatment of multiple actinic keratoses of the face and scalp: investigator-blinded, phase 3, multicenter trials. [Arch Dermatol 140(1): 41, 2004] Editorial: Photodynamic therapy for nonmelanoma skin cancer - and more? [Arch Dermatol. 140(1): 116, 2004]
March Assignment(s) due: March 13th Peer grading due: March 16th	Topic: Developmental Hip Dysplasia; Discussant: Danielle Katz, M.D. Study: Intraarticular Findings in Symptomatic Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip [J Pediatr Orthop 29:9, 2009] Perspective: Developmental dysplasia of the hip: Definition, recognition, and prevention of late sequelae. [Ped Annals 35(2):92, 2006]
March Assignment(s) due: March 13th Peer grading due: March 16th	Topic: Burkitt’s Lymphoma; Discussant: Rosemary Rochford, Ph.D. Perspective: Endemic Burkitt’s lymphoma: a polymicrobial disease? [Nat Rev Microbiol 3(2):182, 2005] Study: Children with endemic Burkitt lymphoma are deficient in EBNA1-specific IFN-γ T cell responses [Int J Cancer 124:1721, 2009]