Medicine YSP 2024 Summer Offerings

Did you know that the human kidney processes up to 180 litres of blood a day? What does a universal donor mean? Your heart beats 24/7/365, how come in never takes a break?

Human Physiology deals with just about everything that keeps us alive and working. During this one-week intensive module, students will explore five systems (ardiovascular, hematological, renal, respiratory, and metabolic systems) through a combination of lectures, labs, and interactive sessions. In the laboratory, students have the opportunity to measure lung volumes, blood pressure, determine their own blood type, measure their own visual acuity and hearing, examine reaction times, and record physiological signs involved during a polygraph (Lie Detector Testing).

At the end of the module students will understand how homeostasis in the human body keeps us in tip-top shape.

Why can one microbe be beneficial to make bead, cheese, or wine, while another will kill it's host? Have you wondered how scientists identify microorganisms that you cannot see? Are you familiar with different techniques used to control microbial growth?

During this one-week intensive module, students will be introduced to scientific concepts in microbiology and virology.

In the laboratory, students will learn fundamental concepts of microbiology by doing experiments such as measuring sensitivity of bacteria to different antibiotics and common disinfectants, monitoring the effect of viruses on their host cells, isolating and identifying bacteria from environmental surfaces and analysing bacteria in water from different sources. Plus why is Gram Staining the go-to technique in identifying microbes. Students will attend talks from researchers/clinicians who are leaders in their field, covering topics such as vaccines, antibiotic resistance, public health microbiology and how microbes cause disease.

It is intended that through engaging speakers and hands-on experiments in the laboratory, students will develop a better appreciation of microbes and their importance.

Have you ever wondered what mysteries lie in your DNA or why certain traits are expressed while others are not? How can a single strand of hair incriminate someone? And we are on the verge of gene editing?

During this one-week intensive module, students learn about genomics technologies, forensic techniques such as DNA fingerprinting, and genetic transformation through a variety of hands-on laboratory activities, interactive discussions, and lectures from world-class speakers. Highlighting the program is the mock crime scene where students collect evidence while learning some of the basics of crime scene investigation from real forensic police officers. They then move into the laboratory where they utilize different experimental methods to analyze the collected evidence and work together to solve the case.

From personalized medicine to criminal investigations, the science of molecular biology and genetics is at the centre of many of today’s most contentious issues – students will be encouraged to express their opinions and consider not only the scientific importance but the ethical and social impacts of advances in these fields.

Ever wondered what happens when a drug enters the body at the molecular level? Why are some drugs addictive and others not? What does it take to develop the next blockbuster drug?

For any student planning a career in the medical sciences, pharmacology and toxicology — which examines the interactions between chemical substances and the body — is an essential field of study.

During this one-week intensive hands-on module, students will be introduced to fundamental concepts that include how drugs act on our body (pharmacodynamics), how our bodies metabolize drugs (pharmacokinetics, biotransformation), and why some drugs may cause adverse reactions in some individuals but not in others (pharmacogenetics and toxicology). Students will learn about this field through a combination of lectures, labs, and interactive sessions.

Students will get a feel for the demands of a university course and be introduced to advances in drug research, as well as novel topics such as RNA interference and the impact of cannabis on driving.

Program Description

Format

Academic Modules

Module 1: Human Physiology - Discover How The Body Works

Module 2: Microbiology - Learn To Appreciate The Little things In Life

Module 3: Molecular Biology and Genetics - Applications in Forensics & Medicine

Module 4: Pharmacology & Toxicology - Medications, Drugs & The Body