DundeeChest 3.0

Archive for the ‘Phase 2’ Category

Welcome to week 3. Last week seemed to go pretty well – I got very wet in Barcelona, and Richard managed to keep things moving along nicely back here in Beanoland. I understand that one tutor did not turn up for a ward based session, but this has been re-arranged for this week. The ITA session on spirometry has drawn some positive feedback, along with the very well received Smoking Cessation and Pulmonary Rehabilitation sessions.

Richard’s ABG sessions were the first step on a long journey for every second year – ABG interpretation continues to be complex, but you all now have a solid grounding on which to base your future work.

The core clinical problems session encouraged, and disappointed me. Those who did stay for the whole session sere able to work through the concepts of CCPs, and then specifics of the CCPs in the respiratory block. Half of the year chose to leave the session half way through – I hope you all found something productive to do for that hour.

This week we have already had Dr France’s always well received lung cancer lectures, and the patient journey session with Dr Goudie. The DVD is available to take home, if anyone wants it (Come down to my office, where my secretary can burn you a disc!)

Later in the week will be the brand new MDT sessions, and a mixed bag of lectures on pleural disease, interstitial lung disease, and sleep apnoea. The lectures are up online to browse through now.

All being well, I’ll see you for the pleural disease lecture on Thursday.

Just a quick note to commend DundeePRN to you all. I helped set up the site last year with a group of second years. The site is going very well – the 3rd years are now up and running with their materials this year, and things are going from strength to strength. There’s 3 podcasts this year, already!

What the site really needs is some 2nd years (and 1st, 4th and 5th years) to get involved in writing content, posting comments, and making things happen. Head over to the site, register, and start contributing.

If you want some assistance with recording podcasts, writing content, etc, just let me know.

NIV Sessions Cancelled

We had planned to hold an ITA session in Non-Invasive ventilation next week. Although this is not core curriculum, it is interesting, and worthwhile, so we thought we’d try to fit it in. Unfortunately we simply do not have the numbers of doctors to cover this session as well as everything else, so we’ve had to cancel those sessions. This means you all have a block of private study one day next week. You can look at the East Block timetable and pick something else to do if you wish, or you can use the time however you feel it is most useful.

MDT Moved

Due to the cancellation of the NIV session, we can now do the MDT session in the ITA. This is a far better place to hold the session, so overall I think things will turn out well. The MDT session is one of the new items in the block – I think it is the most exciting addition, and I’m looking forward to going over things with you.

Reminders

I have had a couple of people asking why there are conflicts in the timetable between DundeeChest and BlackBoard. As I said in the first lecture last week, we will update DundeeChest rapidly, first and as a priority, then Blackboard will be updated later. This is a test of change to use a more accessible system, to keep you updated more easily, and in a timeous manner.

The Medical School Office have also been in touch saying that they are receiving queries about timetabling, and tutorials, and all that. Please don’t make their lives any more difficult than they already are – post your questions and queries on the blog, and one of us will reply as quickly as possible. Issues have been raised, and we can sort them quickly – the medical school office are not as rapidly updated on the changes as the website is.

This site has a wealth of information on it. People are still asking me what time clinics are, and when the bronch lists are, yet there is a page up there with the timetable on.

Please make the most of Ask DundeeChest. We are sat around, waiting for your questions on today’s lectures, comments on respiratory medicine, or anything you want. This service drops off significantly at the end of the Respiratory Block, so if you have something to say or ask, do it now, before you lose the opportunity.

Welcome to week 2. Now we get into the fun stuff, putting to good use all that physiology and getting to practise your new found clinical skills to appreciate the clinical presentation of patients with obstructive lung diseases.  We will have you pitting your lung function against each other with our spirometry machines, we will show you how to help manage patients with and without the use of medications and give you your own personal Rosetta stone to interpret Arterial Blood Gases. The week 2 study guide is now available here.  Of course, all of the lecture material and formative assessment for this week is available on the blog. Now don’t say we’re not good to you…..

So, we’ve made it through week 1 in one piece. Yes there have been a few slip ups, a missed lecture and delayed ward teaching as well as a few technical hiccups, but on the whole I think we got through unscathed. All these issues have now been addressed or rectified – and thanks for letting us know about them early. Remember, if you want to go over the lecture material from this week it is all here on the site as well as some formative assessment to make sure you are up to speed. And don’t forget about the iCAST material – may be a long and winding road to get to it, but I think it is well worth it. Let us know in the comments what you think of week one or if there are any issues you haven’t told us about yet. And if you haven’t already made use of “Ask DundeeChest” – feel free. There have been some good questions and answers posted there already. I mean, where else do you have a students question answered by both the Professorial System Convener as well as the Phase Convener within 24 hours? Where else? Nowhere else, that’s where.

We have discovered that the PCs in the first IT suite need to have their software upgraded to the latest version of Flash, to enable the ITA material to function correctly. The IT people are carrying out the upgrade tomorrow morning.

Sorry to those who have run into problems with the flash videos, you should be able to visit them after tomorrow morning, whenever you wish.

It’s been brought to my attention that there is yet more formative assessment for you all to get stuck into. The iCAST (interactive clinical anatomy and skills teaching) online modules are on blackboard now and there are 5 packages starting with the normal findings and examination. They are all designed to integrate the anatomy with the clinical examination in a normal or pathological chest. I’ve had a look at the first one on examination and normal function and it’s a really good package which goes into a bit more detail than we have time to cover in the clinical skill sessions. The other packages cover various disease processes and will come in handy in the coming weeks as we cover the system more fully. I can’t link them into DundeeChest directly because of password and coding malarky but I will give you a roadmap to find your way to them

Click on “Teaching Materials” on the left hand side

Then on “Formative Assessment” in the bottom left hand corner

Then on “Phase 2”

Then on “Year 2 Respiratory”

Then on “iCAST Normal 2010-11” (or whichever you fancy)

You will be greeted with a long page of confusing text but not far from the bottom is where you will find the first one on normal function and structure.

Simples eh?

Confused by the anatomy of the thorax? Professor of anatomy at Warwick University Peter Abrahams has made a nice series of videos for iTunes to explain the anatomy of the thorax, and more.

You can link to the iTunes movie here, and I’ll upload the file when I work out how to embed MP4 video into the site…..

Slightly late, I know, but here’s the study guide for week 1.

As I am away next week, Richard will work on the study guide for week 2, and get it out to you as soon as possible.

Cheers
Respiratory Study Guide 2010 Week 1

So, sorry about the pharmacology lecture. Dr Wilson assures us that he will fit everything in tomorrow, and I’m sure he’ll be available to answer questions in both real life, and on the blog.

The questions are starting to come into “Ask DundeeChest”. I can answer some of them, but as I’m not a respiratory physiologist, I will ask Dr Khogali to answer the more technical of questions, particularly as he wrote the lectures!

Dr Goudie has kindly pointed out that there are a couple of mistakes in the Week 1 “ITA” session material. A case of an arrow the wrong way around, two figures swapped around, and a typo. The material is created quite quickly, and despite proof reading, these mistakes do occasionally slip through. I can’t edit the changes from home, so I’ll try to sort it tomorrow, and get the corrected version up by Friday.

Many of you are asking for the study guide. Apparently you’ve been told that there isn’t one – this isn’t strictly true. There is one, but I am trying to make some changes to it to bring it up to date. I suspect I’m going to have to give you the week 1 part now, then the other weeks as we go along. I’d rather get you things that make sense, than last year’s materials, which are a little out of date.

I know that we are still waiting for a couple of the lectures to go online. We are aware, and we’re hunting down the culprits. They know who they are.

I hope you’re enjoying the course, and things are, apart from the above-noted, going smoothly. 1431 hits to the site today!