Professional Documents
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Pathophysiology Syllabus
Reviewed by Ogan Gurel
14 April 1994
Pathophysiology Syllabi
The format of these syllabi is usually very similar to the Oklahoma one in which a faculty
team makes contributions to isolated topics in the course. Each presentation varies in
quality and form and often is heavy on the text and light on illustrations. For both
students and faculty to accept a separate pathophysiology book, it must above all, be
complementary to their own printed materials. The book as it stands is too similar to
these other syllabi. Thus the students would be unconvinced that this book could help
them and the faculty would view this book as direct competition with their own syllabi.
There is, however, a strong need for a separate pathophysiology text/review book.
Several changes would help make the Oklahoma book complementary to traditional
syllabi and thus fill this gap. First, is a more conceptualized presentation, which can be
achieved by both by paring down text and increasing the number of illustrations.
Sections highlighting key concepts, essential points, etc. would be also very important.
Secondly, it might be a real coup if the book could incorporate some clinical cases with
accompanying small-group questions and. Students would most definitely read these in
addition to their regular materials.
We have, as JFK might have put it “a pathophysiology gap.” “Ask not what medical
students can do for us, ask what we can do for medical students.” If we can give them a
clear, unified, conceptually-oriented, well-illustrated book with accompanying discussion
of clinical cases then we will have gone a long way towards filling that gap.