Course Information and Policies

Texts and Materials

The officially recommended texts are:

• Alberts et al., Essential Cell Biology, 2nd ed., Garland (2004).
• Nussbaum, McInnes & Willard, Thompson & Thompson Genetics in Medicine, 6th ed.Revised Reprint, Saunders (2004).•
• Devlin, Textbook of Biochemistry, 6th ed. Wiley Liss (2006).

These three textbooks contain most of the information that will be covered in MFM. Many of the faculty will use figures and diagrams directly from these texts in their lectures and will suggest reading specific sections in one or more of the texts. The recommended texts will be available for purchase at the Upstate bookstore and copies will be on reserve in Upstate’s Health Sciences Library.

Other Texts:
The following textbooks are also on reserve in the library. Some students may find these useful in providing additional information, a more thorough explanation of a topic, or a different approach to the material found in the three recommended texts. Some faculty may include a few figures and diagrams directly from these texts in their lectures to supplement the material found in the recommended texts.

• Voet, Voet, and Pratt, Fundamentals of Biochemistry, Wiley (2006).
This biochemistry text is more detailed and focuses on traditional biochemical mechanisms and pathways that in some cases are less obviously related to direct clinical application.
• Smith et al., Mark’s Basic Medical Biochemistry, 2nd ed. Lippincott (2005).
This Biochemistry text is more clinically oriented and is particularly strong in the metabolic pathways and their integration with one another.
• Alberts et al., Molecular Biology of the Cell, 4th ed. Garland (2005).
This Cell and Molecular Biology text is a larger more in-depth version of the recommended Essential Cell Biology text.
• Turnpenny and Ellard, Emery’s Elements of Medical Genetics, 12th ed. Lippincott (2005).
This genetics textbook is not as comprehensive as the Thompson and Thompson text, but it has excellent descriptions of genetic principles and is very useful as a supplement to the primary text.

Syllabus.

The Syllabus will be distributed in three sections, corresponding to the three course Segments. Each Syllabus package contains handouts for most of the Lectures, as well as background reading and cases for some of the Clinical Problems sessions. In addition, all materials will be posted to Blackboard.

Each lecturer or organizer of a CP session prepares his/her own handouts. The length, style, and types of information provided vary somewhat from instructor to instructor, but the intent in each case is to include essential items that will help the student to master the material. The handouts will generally include learning objectives, recommended readings, an outline of the lecture, key illustrations, and review questions with answers.

'Blackboard' course management software.

The Web-based Blackboard system will be used to facilitate course administration. Students will be expected to access the course website daily. The following will be posted on Blackboard: (a) announcements, such as group and room assignments for small-group sessions or any changes to the published course schedule; (b) links to access digital video recordings of lectures; (c) various study aids, including: the course syllabus, PowerPoint slides used by lecturers, supplementary reading materials, review questions (with answers) from past exams, and practice tests.

Video recording.

The Department of Educational Communications will make digital video recordings of all Lectures and review sessions. The videos will be posted by the staff of the Curriculum Office on a Blackboard site that will be used for all courses in Year 1.