| Unit name | Coronary Artery Disease I |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SOCSM0003 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. Johnson |
| 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 |
Why is this unit important?
This unit will introduce the clinical problem of coronary artery disease, which is the cause of around 10% of all deaths in the UK. Coronary artery disease is the most commonly diagnosed cardiovascular disease worldwide, with around 200 million people living with the disease. Since coronary artery disease has such a large impact on global morbidity and mortality, it is vital that we understand the underlying pathobiology of atherosclerosis, which causes this disease. This unit will provide a detailed overview of the underlying processes driving atherosclerosis, and teach you how animal models can be used to further understand the pathophysiology. Learning about the pathophysiology will allow you to understand the mechanism of currently used drug treatments for coronary artery disease, and appreciate how new therapeutics can be discovered and developed for clinical application. This unit will also include academic skills training, enabling you to succeed in your academic endeavours.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit is taken at the beginning of the programme and precedes Coronary Artery Disease II. Understanding the fundamentals of the epidemiology, diagnosis, pathophysiology and pharmacological treatment of this disease will allow you to learn about additional treatments in Coronary Artery Disease II. Atherosclerosis also contributes to the development of peripheral arterial disease, carotid artery disease and some forms of aortic aneurysm, which will be covered later in the MSc programme (Aneurysm, Peripheral Vascular Disease & Stroke). You will learn about research techniques to study atherosclerosis, including animal models, which can be applied during the Research Project unit (MSc students only). Furthermore, academic skills training will prepare you for subsequent study.
An overview of content
The unit provides a detailed overview of the underlying processes driving atherosclerosis, including endothelial cell dysfunction, inflammation, smooth muscle cell behaviour, plaque rupture, thrombosis and vessel occlusion. This will help you understand the currently used drug treatments for coronary artery disease, and the animal models utilised to further understand the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and evaluate potential new therapeutics.
The unit provides you with an overview of the methods currently utilised for patient diagnosis and assessment of disease severity (from GP to clinic), such as ECG, angiogram, imaging and identification of biomarkers. We will also study the disease epidemiology and discuss common risk factors (including hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes, smoking). Integrated into this unit is skills training, including academic writing; reading, interpreting and presenting clinical and scientific literature.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
Coronary artery disease is the first cardiovascular disease covered on our programme; teaching on this unit will help you understand the complexity of disease pathology and allow you to appreciate the contribution and behaviour of many different cell types involved in disease development and progression. This knowledge will provide a good foundation for learning about other cardiovascular diseases within the following units. This unit exposes you to the cutting-edge atherosclerosis research within our department and beyond, and may inspire you to pursue further research on this topic.
Learning Outcomes
After successfully completing this unit you will be able to:
The core content will be delivered via in-person lectures (campus students) or lecture recordings (online students). Lecture recordings will be available to all students so you can review the lecture material multiple times at your own pace, with the inclusion of captions. Lectures will be supplemented with additional teaching methods such as:
Students will be given formative feedback on all coursework assessments to aid their learning.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
When assessment does not go to plan:
If you do not pass the unit, you will normally be given the opportunity to take a reassessment as per the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes. Decisions on the award of reassessment will normally be taken after all taught units of the year have been completed. Reassessment will normally be in a similar format to the original assessment that has been failed.
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. SOCSM0003).
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.
