Skip to Main Content
MD Program
YSM Home

INFORMATION FOR

Attacks and Defenses

Course Directors

Course Description

Organization

The Attacks and Defenses master course introduces the scientific principles of immunology including tissue injury and repair and medical microbiology. These principles are applied to the clinical fields of infectious diseases, rheumatology, allergy and immunology, and dermatology.

Additionally, the course integrates the longitudinal threads of cell biology, diagnostic methods, health equity, nutrition, pathology, and pharmacology. Students are introduced to the prevention, diagnosis, and management of infectious, immunologic, and dermatologic disorders. Understanding disease in underserved and diverse populations is a critical component of the course.

The course is divided into three larger learning units, each consisting of several weeks of integrated activities:

  1. Basic Immunology / Medical Microbiology / Infectious Diseases
  2. Rheumatology / Allergy and Immunology
  3. Dermatology

The rationale for integrating these diverse topics into one course is that each is related to the body’s defenses (the immune system) against attacks, which may be extrinsic (e.g. infectious pathogens, tissue injury) or intrinsic (e.g. autoimmunity, hypersensitivity, cancer).

A thorough mastery of basic immunology is therefore required for both scientific understanding and clinical practice.

Understanding how the immune system prevents infection is essential to understanding how infectious organisms and tumors subvert that system. Understanding how the immune status of the individual influences the clinical course of these diseases is critical. Finally, understanding mechanisms to manipulate the immune system is key to making therapeutic decisions.

Social aspects of disease including public health responses to disease outbreaks and vaccines are central components of this course.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to co-create a learning journey with each student as they move toward achieving a MD degree. Our goal is to enable students to realize their potential to become a master clinician, researcher, educator, leader, or other self-defined goal in this field.

Pedagogy

Each element of the pedagogical approach is designed to facilitate the student’s progress in achieving the learning objectives of the course.

The course employs a mixture of pedagogical approaches, including:

  • asynchronous learning resources
  • large-group interactive sessions (including team-based learning and test-enhanced learning)
  • interactive labs
  • case-based small group workshops
  • skills sessions
  • patient panel discussions and simulation
  • and elements of gamification to enhance student engagement and the development of a learning community.

All topics are taught with a mix of lectures, workshops, laboratories, team-based learning, and patient encounter sessions.

Assessment and Feedback

Formative Feedback

Competency and EPO Type Initiated by Completed by #/course
MTD 2.1: Mechanism and Treatment of Disease

HP 1.1/1.2: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

CR 3.1: Clinical Reasoning

RS 7.1/7.2/7.3/7.4: Responsibility to Society

PS 9.1: Physician as Scientist 		Quizzes Faculty Students 6-8 (every 1-2 weeks)
Self-Assessment (written) Faculty Students 2
Quizzes after video materials Faculty Students 2-3 items after each video lecture
Qualifier prep sessions Faculty Faculty 1-2
CR 3.1: Clinical Reasoning

PC 4.1: Patient Care
ONE ROW 		Clinical Reasoning Consultation Faculty and ACEs Students 1
PR 5.3/5.4/5.5: Professional Identity Formation

CM 6.3: Communication Skills 		Small-group written feedback Faculty Faculty 1/student (piloting with HE group)
CR 3.1: Clinical Reasoning

PC 4.1/4.4/4.5: Patient Care

CM 6.3: Communication Skills 		Simulation Feedback (with optional simulation written reflection) Faculty Faculty (during debrief) 3 simulations in this course
  • Summative
  • End-of-course, pass/fail qualifier with two components (written knowledge-based exam and lab component-based analysis of lab and clinical images)

Learning Objectives

Discipline-specific learning objectives

Comp EPO Course Objective
HP 1.1 Demonstrates foundational knowledge in epidemiology and public health approaches to health promotion and disease prevention for common infectious, immunologic, and dermatologic disorders, including environmental and individual risk factors that may be modifiable (see course core condition list).
HP 1.2 Demonstrate knowledge of health promotion and disease prevention recommendations and guidelines for common infectious, immunologic, and dermatologic disorders (see course foundational concepts).
MTD 2.1 Demonstrate knowledge of the normal development, structure and function of the immune and integumentary systems and the related molecular, biochemical, and cellular mechanisms required for health and homeostasis (see course foundational concepts).

Demonstrate knowledge of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, evaluation, and management of common infectious, immunologic, and dermatologic disorders (see course core condition list).
CR 3.1 Formulate basic, prioritized differential diagnoses and outline a diagnostic evaluation and management approach for common infectious, immunologic, and dermatologic presentations, making the reasoning and information needs explicit (see course fundamental concepts and core condition list).
PC 4.1 Select and prioritize key history questions for common infectious, immunologic, and dermatologic disorders, including key symptoms, risk factors, and pertinent positives/negatives (see course core condition list).

Identify the paraclinical data (lab studies, imaging, and other tests) most appropriate for the investigation of common infectious, immunologic, and dermatologic disorders (see course core condition list).
PC 4.4 Recognize the indications for and identify the appropriate referral service for patients with common infectious, immunologic, and dermatologic conditions (see course core condition list).
PC 4.5 Outline the anatomic considerations, indications, risks, risk-mitigating measures, and benefits of procedures commonly used in the management of common infectious, immunologic, and dermatologic disorders, including skin biopsy and Mohs micrographic surgery
RS 7.1 Demonstrate understanding of the social and structural determinants of health that impact the development and progression of common infectious, immunologic, and dermatologic disorders. (see course core condition list).
RS 7.2 Demonstrate understanding of the disparate impact of common infectious, immunologic, and dermatologic disorders on diverse populations and the factors impacting health equity.
RS 7.4 Recognize factors that contribute to health care costs in patients with common infectious, immunologic, and dermatologic disorders.
PS 9.1 Apply concepts of epidemiology and public health to the fields of infectious diseases, rheumatology, allergy and immunology, and dermatology, focusing on these concepts in common disorders

Common learning objectives relevant to this course

Comp EPO Course Objective
PR 5.3 Demonstrate the ability to collaborate effectively with peers in small-group activities by completing required preparation; showing respect; welcoming teammates’ input; responding to others’ needs; and contributing to a psychologically safe environment grounded in mutual respect and trust.
PR 5.4 Exhibit professionalism within the learning environment, including meeting administrative deadlines without reminders; completing course evaluations; adhering to policies; notifying small group leaders about absences; and communicating promptly and professionally with course directors, coaches, Heads of House, and/or deans to request guidance or assistance on all issues that impact the ability to meet course or phase requirements.

Demonstrates professionalism in clinical correlation sessions involving patient participation by arriving on time, engaging respectfully with all session participants, showing empathy and respect for patients’ backgrounds and circumstances, safeguarding patient privacy and confidentiality, and fostering an inclusive, psychologically safe learning environment.
PR 5.5 Demonstronstrate the ability to identify ethical principles in clinical scenarios and case vignettes and discuss how they impact patient care.
CM 6.3 Demonstrates the ability to communicate effectively with peers and faculty in small-group activities, including active listening, respectful and honest communication, ability to ask and answer questions, and willingness to receive feedback.

Demonstrates effective interactions with patients during clinical correlation sessions (e.g. asking appropriately framed questions, and expressing appreciation).
RS 7.3 Demonstrate knowledge of core principles of patient safety and quality improvement and apply them to cases to identify system contributors to harm, disparate outcomes, and possible system improvement activities.

Apply an equity lens to safety/quality cases to identify structural contributors to disparate outcomes and propose system-level improvements.
RS 7.4 Recognize factors that contribute to health care costs and the application of cost-effectiveness analysis in guiding clinical decision making and allocation of resources