Senior Selectives

Senior Basic Science Selectives

M-ID 740A Clinical Pharmacology

Credit Hours: 4
Number of Weeks: 4 minimum
Available Times: October
Student Limit: Minimum of 12 - Maximum of 18
Primary Faculty: Dr. David McMillan

Format:

  • Lectures providing background basic or clinical material
    • Three topicsdiscussed/week
    • Topics consist of one hour introduction/background by faculty, plus a key paper discussing the current therapy. All students read the paper but only 4-6 students select and then discuss one of the various aspects of the topic, e.g. drug interactions, new/investigational drugs, pharmacokinetics.
  • Student presentations on pharmacotherapy
    • 4-6 student presentations/topic (20 or 30 min. each)
    • Topics announced before first meeting of the Selective, e.g., WEEK ONE will consist of three cardiovascular topics (students choose one aspect of the three topics for their presentation)
    • Current therapy - oral report
    • Pharmacokinetics of current drugs - oral report
    • Drug interactions - oral report
    • New/investigational drugs - oral report
  • Written reports - Medical Letter format (due at end of Selective)

Topic List (under consideration)

Cardiovascular

  • Hypertension
  • Congestive heart failure
  • Angina
  • Arrhythmias

Other Systems

  • Liver Disease
  • Kidney Disease
  • Infections
  • Neoplasms

Psych/Neuro

  • Schizophrenia
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Parkinsonism

Special Groups

  • Pregnancy and Nursing
  • Neonate
  • Pediatric
  • Geriatric

Faculty:

  • Pharmacology faculty - lecturing, tutoring, advising (each faculty member will be assigned at least one student for each weekly session)
  • Clinical faculty - introductory and/or background material
  • Pharmacy faculty - resource, e.g., pharmacokinetics

Contact Hours:

  • Lecture (1 or 2 hours) - first hour, Monday through Friday mornings, presentations of introductory/background (clinical) material
  • Student presentations - second hour, Monday through Friday mornings
  • Student research and preparation (library and faculty consultation)
  • Computer-assisted tutorials, e.g., pharmacokinetics, therapeutics
  • Preparation of Medical Letter style research paper in Medical Letter format

Laboratory Research in Pharmacology

M-ID 741A Laboratory Research in Pharmacology

Credit Hours: 4
Number of Weeks: 4
Available Times: July through December
Student Limit: Open
Primary Faculty: Pharmacology Faculty

M-ID 741B Laboratory Research in Pharmacology

Credit Hours: 4
Number of Weeks: 4
Available Times: January through April
Student Limit: Open
Primary Faculty: Pharmacology Faculty

Format:

  • Basic science research in the lab of one of the faculty members of the Department of Pharmacology.
  • Students should arrange their research individually with the faculty member of their choice in the Department of Pharmacology.

Objectives:

  • Examine an area in more depth than what was covered in the basic pharmacology course by becoming familiar with and learning how to critically evaluate scientific literature associated with a given research area.
  • Conduct experiments directed towards testing a specific scientific hypothesis.
  • Learn how to write a scientific paper by providing a report of the research activities in the format of a primary scientific communication. This report could be presented orally.

Literature Research in Pharmacology

M-ID 742A Literature Research In Pharmacology

Credit Hours: 4
Number of Weeks: 4
Available Times: July through December
Student Limit: Open
Primary Faculty: Pharmacology Faculty

M-ID 742C Literature Research In Pharmacology

Credit Hours: 2
Number of Weeks: 2
Available Times: July through December
Student Limit: Open
Primary Faculty: Pharmacology Faculty

M-ID 742B Literature Research in Pharmacology

Credit Hours: 4
Number of Weeks: 4
Available Times: January through April
Student Limit: Open
Primary Faculty: Pharmacology Faculty

M-ID 742D Literature Research In Pharmacology

Credit Hours: 2
Number of Weeks: 2
Available Times: January through April
Student Limit: Open
Primary Faculty: Pharmacology Faculty

Format:

  • Based on library research, consultation with basic science and clinical faculty, the student will prepare a critical evaluation of the pharmacological treatment for a specific disease entity or a critical evaluation of a new medication.
  • Students should individually make arrangements with the faculty member of their choice in the Department of Pharmacology.

Objectives:

  • Examine the current pharmacological agents which are available for treating a disease including a thorough investigation of the scientific literature and discussion with specialists in the field.
  • Determine the advantages and disadvantages of each class or type of medication available including an analysis of the pharmacokinetic properties, the pharmacodynamic properties, drug interactions, adverse effects and contraindications.
  • Summarize the results of the research project in the form of a written document (perhaps patterned after the Medical Letter). The results might also be presented as a seminar, in Grand Rounds or as a lecture to other students.

For more information contact:
Dr. David McMillan
Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience
985800 Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, Nebraska 68198-5800

Phone: (402) 559-8146

FAX: (402) 559-7495
dcmcmillan@unmc.edu