PCM 500 Principles of Clinical Medicine 1

PCM1 is a 21-credit course taught over 18 weeks in Term 4 of the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program of St George’s University School of Medicine, Grenada. It is a systems-based curriculum for the second academic year of the Basic Sciences program and is taught in four consecutive modules: Foundation to Clinical Medicine (4 weeks), Renal and Cardiovascular Systems (4 weeks), Respiratory and Hematopoietic Systems (4 weeks), and Digestive, Endocrine and Reproductive Systems (6 weeks).

Foundation to Clinical Medicine: In this module, students learn about the basic principles of integrated patient and clinician-centered medical interviewing, physical examination and formulation of SOAP notes; the general principles of pathology; basic principles of pharmacology including pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, drugs affecting the autonomic system and pharmacology of pain. The module concludes with the study of skin, muscle and bone infections and skin pathology.

Cardiovascular and Renal Systems: In this module, students learn about the systemic diseases, utilizing the principles gained in the first module of this course and prior basic sciences courses. The module starts off with the Cardiovascular System block wherein students learn about cardiovascular diseases, cardiovascular infections, and the drugs that are used to treat cardiovascular diseases. Students also study a hypothesis-driven approach for a patient presenting with cardiovascular and peripheral vascular complaints and performing a comprehensive physical examination of the cardiovascular and peripheral vascular systems. The second block of this module is the Renal System where students learn about renal diseases and urinary tract infections. The module concludes with pharmacogenetics and drugs used for coagulation.

Respiratory and Hematopoietic Systems: In the Respiratory System block of this module, students learn about pulmonary diseases, respiratory tract infections, and the drugs that are used to treat some of the respiratory and mycobacterial diseases. Students also learn about a hypothesis-driven approach for a patient presenting with respiratory, head, eye, ear, neck, and throat complaints and performing a comprehensive physical examination of these systems. In the Hematopoietic System block, students learn about the red and white blood cell disorders, and this block is interspersed with the teaching of anticancer pharmacotherapy. The module concludes with topics including blood and lymphatic infections and the drugs used to treat malarial infections. Students are also expected to complete a mandatory OSHA Blood Borne Pathogens Course during this module.

Digestive, Endocrine, and Reproductive Systems: In this module, students learn about the Digestive System, including gastrointestinal diseases, infections, and the drugs used to treat some gastrointestinal diseases. Students also learn about a hypothesis-driven approach for a patient presenting with an abdominal complaint and performing a comprehensive physical examination of this system. The Endocrine block covers Endocrine Pathology, including the disorders affecting endocrine glands; this block also incorporates the teaching of pharmacotherapy of endocrinological conditions. The module concludes with diseases of the male and female reproductive systems, sexually transmitted infections, and the drugs acting on the uterus and contraceptives. Students also learn to incorporate focused history and examination of patients with complaints about the endocrinological and reproductive system pathologies.