Pathophysiology for Clinical Practice

On our short course you’ll gain core knowledge of basic medical sciences in the fields of anatomy, physiology, pathology/histology, microbiology and clinical medicine and develop your understanding of pathophysiological processes to support advanced clinical practice.

We’ll use clinical scenarios to integrate core knowledge of pathophysiology with clinical reasoning skills. You’ll use this learning to reflect on the presentation of a patient to a senior clinician, recognise abnormal pathophysiology, make a diagnosis and identify appropriate treatment options.

Study by hybrid learning, a mix of online and campus sessions. For the campus sessions you can join us in Cambridge or Chelmsford.

Assessment

Your learning will be evidenced through a clinical scenario and viva voce examination. The structured viva voce will assess your ability to analyse and interpret evidence presented to you as part of the assessment task.

Outline content

• The anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology of the main human systems (respiratory, gastrointestinal, renal, musculoskeletal, neurological, cardiovascular, reproductive, endocrine, immunological, dermatological, haematological).
• Clinically appropriate biochemistry and the relation to normal physiology and pathophysiology (for example, renal function, thyroid function, glucose regulation and hormone function, hyperlipidaemia, and acid/base balance).
• Overview of the pathologic processes and how this relates to pathophysiology (cause, pathogenesis, morphology and clinical manifestation).
• The microbiology of pathogenic disease processes including the major microorganisms causing human disease; their distinguishing characteristics; basic mechanism through which they cause disease; and the general approaches to control, prevention and detection.
• Introduction to the impact of genetics on the pathophysiology of common diseases.
• The assessment and integration of pathophysiology into the diagnostic process and the identification of an appropriate clinical management plan.

Learning outcomes

• Recognise normal human physiology and be able to distinguish this from pathophysiology.
• Critically evaluate the key pathophysiological processes underlying diseases.
• Critically appraise the clinical science underpinning diagnostic tests and their interpretation.
• Critically discuss the assessment, management, treatment and prevention of common diseases
• Analyse and interpret evidence required for clinical reasoning.