The goal of this course is to provide second year students with the scientific basis for understanding basic principles of immunology and infectious diseases as they currently impact human medicine.

Listed below are the major course objectives:

1. To appreciate the relationship between microbes, the immune system, and disease outcomes.

2. To understand how the immune system functions in a specific and non-specific way, to defend the host against infections by bacteria, fungi and viruses.

3. To recognize the structural components of microbes (bacteria, fungi and viruses) and how these impact the pathogenesis of disease.

4. To know the common microorganisms associated with specific clinical diseases and what factors are involved in pathogenesis.

5. To appreciate the role of vaccines in disease prevention.

6. To appreciate the role of the clinical laboratory in diagnosis and management of infectious diseases.

7. To develop the ability to correlate the clinical picture with laboratory information to establish a diagnosis.

8. To enhance critical thinking and problem-solving skills and the ability to effectively communicate with and work with peers and teachers.