Unit information: Reproductive Physiology and Endocrinology in 2023/24

Unit name	Reproductive Physiology and Endocrinology
Unit code	MEDIM4000
Credit points	20
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director	Dr. Ford
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	None
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	None
Units you may not take alongside this one	None
School/department	Bristol Medical School
Faculty	Faculty of Health Sciences

Unit Information

This introductory Unit, the first that students encounter, introduces them to the expected content of Reproductive Physiology and Endocrinology but also to the methods of assessment, both written and online, which students undertake with formative feedback to enable students to adjust to these aspects of the course.

Your learning on this unit

On completion of this unit, students will be able to:

• critically discuss the role of the endocrine system in reproduction with particular reference to the hypothalamic-pituitary gonadal axis
• describe the anatomy and physiology of key organs in the male and female reproductive tract
• outline the development and anatomy of the breast and describe its functional role in producing breast milk during maternal lactation.
• describe a number of endocrine-related pathological conditions and explain how these may cause reproductive dysfunction.
• develop and utilise practical strategies to enhance their learning and academic literacy.

How you will learn

• Lectures/Seminars
• Synchronous discussion sessions
• Self-directed study
• Peer-to-peer learning (group work/peer review)
• Asynchronous discussion forums

How you will be assessed

Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):

• A draft version of the essay and log book will be used to prepare you for your coursework tasks. Feedback from the markers will be provided prior to submitting the summative version of these tasks.
• Interactive online journal club run as a discussion forum with staff and peers

Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):

• Coursework (contributing a total of 60% to the Unit)
• Essay 30%
• Practical log book 10%
• Infographic assignment 20%

A timed assessment contributing to 40% of the Unit

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. MEDIM4000).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.