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Unit of study_

PATH5000: Surgical Pathology

Semester 2, 2021 [Online] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

The Surgical Pathology Unit of Study course is an online course available in Semester 1 and 2. It covers general pathology and aligns with the Pathology component of the General Surgical Sciences Examination. The unit utilises virtual macroscopic pathology specimens (bottles) available through the Pathology Museum collection and examination of microscopic slides of relevant pathological processes. The course runs over 13 weeks and covers 13 topics. Each week recorded lectures, accompanying slides, required reading, and supplementary materials are provided to students. All material (including assessments) will take approximately 10 hours per week to complete. Topics that will be covered in the course will include basic pathological processes (eg immunology, inflammation, neoplasia etc) and systems pathology (eg cardiovascular, respiratory, gastroenterology, neurology, genitourinary, etc).

Unit details and rules

Unit code PATH5000
Academic unit Department of Medical Sciences
Credit points 6
Prohibitions
? 
None
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

No

Teaching staff

Coordinator Greg Sutherland, g.sutherland@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s) Jie Liu, j.liu@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Final exam (Live+ supervised) Type A final exam Final Exam
Final exam
40% Formal exam period 1.5 hours
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Small test Graded Quizzes
Small online test
20% Multiple weeks 30 minutes each
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment PeerWise
Online written task
20% Multiple weeks 2 cycles
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Assignment Case Discussions
Case study
20% Multiple weeks 500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Type A final exam = Type A final exam ?

Assessment summary

  • Graded quizzes: Students will be required to complete a graded quiz consisting of questions relating to the content of each module. The quizzes will be open for a period of two weeks.
  • PeerWise: PeerWise allows students to author their own multiple choice questions related to the content they have been covering. Peers can then answer these questions and provide critique or comments for improvement. This will help to expose gaps in student knowledge. All comments should be based upon relevant literature, with the use of references as much as possible, and submitted via PeerWise assignment page. 
  • Case discussions: Students will be provided with a number of topics and are required to respond as directed and comment on the posts of their peers. Students’ answers should be based upon their understanding of the case or topics and on the relevant literature. Discussions should be referenced by key citations sourced from current medical literature.
  • Final exam: The final exam is fully invigilated exam conducted via Canvas with the help of an online proctor. The exam will consist of Type A, Type B, and Type X questions to align with the GSSE.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

 

Distinction

75 - 84

 

Credit

65 - 74

 

Pass

50 - 64

 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website  provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.  

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Cell injury and tissue response to injury Online class (10 hr)  
Week 02 Inflammation Online class (10 hr)  
Week 03 Immunology Online class (10 hr)  
Week 04 Infection Online class (10 hr)  
Week 05 Neoplasia Online class (10 hr)  
Week 06 Genetics and Haematology Online class (10 hr)  
Week 07 Cardiovascular Online class (10 hr)  
Week 08 Respiratory Online class (10 hr)  
Week 09 Renal/Genitourinary Online class (10 hr)  
Week 10 Gastrointestinal Online class (10 hr)  
Week 11 Neuropathology Online class (10 hr)  
Week 12 Endocrine Online class (10 hr)  
Week 13 Revision week Online class (10 hr)  

Attendance and class requirements

Required materials: The following equipment is required in order to take the final exam: a desktop computer or laptop (not tablet), a webcam and microphone, an internet connection speed of at least 2 Mbps download and 2 Mbps upload speed and a browser with pop-up blocker disabled (Chrome is recommended).

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease: 9th edition; Vinay Kumar, Abul K. Abbas, and Jon C. Aster.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. analyse general pathological mechanisms and the basis of these mechanisms in common diseases, in preparation for the General Surgical Sciences Examination and for surgical practice
  • LO2. explain basic processes (degeneration, inflammation, neoplastic)
  • LO3. analyse the aetiology, pathogenesis, natural history, investigation and therapeutic modification of common diseases of the organ systems, as applied to surgery
  • LO4. identify the macroscopic and histopathological features of common pathology.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

We value your feedback about any aspect of the unit of study and your experience as a student of Sydney Medical School. To help ensure our courses meet your needs and maintain a high standard, we welcome your feedback at any time and we ask you to complete the Mid-Semester Evaluation Survey and the unit of study Evaluation Survey at the end of the semester. You can also rate any component of the unit using our star rating system found at the bottom of many pages as you progress through the unit. Your ratings and comments are anonymous and specifying what you liked and didn’t like about any of the learning materials, assessment items, discussion forums, feedback etc will help us to target our improvement efforts. Please note that your participation in this unit of study permits de-identified information about your learning experience and interaction with learning resources to be used for the purpose of improving the student learning experience.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.