ANAT SC 3109 - Applied Anatomy of the Thorax and Abdomen

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2016

The course information on this page is being finalised for 2016. Please check again before classes commence.

The Applied Anatomy of the Thorax and Abdomen course aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the anatomical aspects that form the basis of common surgical approaches and procedures in the thorax and abdomen. It employs dissection of the human body as a core activity. It involves the study of the thorax, including the thoracic wall, mediastinum, heart and coronary vessels, trachea, lungs and pleura; and the abdomen including abdominal wall, peritoneum, liver, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, urinary system, male and female reproductive organs, nerves and blood vessels. Clinical scenarios, for example, appendicitis, choloecystectomy, peptic ulcer, coronary bypass, pericardiocentesis, central venous line insertion, vagotomy, ligation of uterine tube, hysterectomy, vasectomy and inguinal herniorraphy will be used to emphasise the applied anatomy of thorax and abdomen.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code ANAT SC 3109
    Course Applied Anatomy of the Thorax and Abdomen
    Coordinating Unit Medical Sciences
    Term Semester 2
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 5 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N
    Prerequisites Level I MBBS
    Corequisites Level II MBBS
    Restrictions Available to level II MBBS students only
    Assessment Theory paper, practical spotter exam, practical spotter test, in-course assessment
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Jaliya Kumaratilake

    Course Coordinator:Dr Jaliya Kumaratilake
    Phone: +61 8313 5478
    Email: jalia.kumaratilake@adelaide.edu.au
    Location: Room N125, Medical School North

    Tutor: Dr Ian Johnson 
    Phone: +61 8 8313 5988
    Email: ian.johnson@adelaide.edu.au
    Location: Room S519b, Medical School South

    Tutor: Dr Andrew Buchanan
    Phone: +61 8 8313 3127
    Email: andrew.buchanan@adelaide.edu.au
    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    1 Understand the locations and appearances of the thoracic and abdominal viscera through dissection
    2 Understand the structural and functional relations of thoracic and abdominal organs through dissection
    3 Demonstrate the anatomy, including relations, of viscera using medical images (MRI and CT scans)
    4 Appreciate the variations of location and appearances of the same organs in different cadavers
    5 Understand the anatomical bases of common surgical approaches and procedures
    6 Develop the technical skills of dissection and selected surgical approaches and procedures
    7 Exhibit problem-solving skills in cardiovascular, respitory, and gastrointestinal presentations
    8 Demonstrate appropriate teamwork in shared dissection tasks and time management
    9 Understand the ethical issues of dissection of human cadavers and develop responsibilities in using the human body for acquisition of knowledge, including demonstration of a professional attitude in dissection classes and treatment of the dissected bodies with respect and dignity.
    University Graduate Attributes

    No information currently available.

  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources

    Dissection Kit
    Containing large and small pointed pairs of scissors, toothed and non-toothed forceps, pointer/probe, good quality scalpel handle # 4 and blades #22 or 23 (or scalpel handle number 3 and blades # 10 or 15), and an artery forceps (haemostat).

    Recommended Resources
    Gross anatomy textbook: one of the following
    1. Moore K H et al., Clinically Oriented Anatomy, 6th ed., 2010, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia.
    2. Drake, RL, Vogel W and Mitchell A W M, Gray’s Anatomy for Students, 2005, Elsevier Churchill Livingstone, Philadelphia.
    Reference Book
    1. Scott-Conner, C. & Dawson, D.L. (2009). Operative anatomy. Sydney: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins
    Anatomy atlas: one of the following:
    1. Abrahams P, Boon JM and Spratt J (2008) McMinn’s Clinical Atlas of Human Anatomy, Sixth ed., Mosby
    2. Moses KP, Banks JC, Nava PB Petersen D (2005) Atlas of Clinical Gross Anatomy, Elsevier Mosby,
    3. Agur AMR & Lee MJ (2013) Grant's Atlas of Anatomy, 13th Ed. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, Philadelphia.
    4. Clemente CD (2011) Anatomy a Regional Atlas of the Human Body, 6th ed., Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
    Dissection Manual
    1. Tank P W (2013) Grant’s Dissector, 15th edition, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, Philadelphia.
    Online Learning
    The primary communication channel is via MyUni and University e-mail. Check MyUni regularly before each class. All documentation including past exam papers, weekly dissection tasks, formative assessment questions and lecture notes will be placed on MyUni https://myuni.adelaide.edu.au/webapps/login/

    Not reading one’s University-provided e-mail or MyUni announcements will not be a valid reason for missing important deadlines etc.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes

    Lectures are supported by dissection program and formative assessments tasks/questions related to the week’s activities. Practical dissection classes are hands on experience of discovery and it is expected that everyone will contribute.

    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    As a 3-unit course, Applied Anatomy of Surgical Procedures: Thorax, Abdomen requires approximately 12 h of work per week, including 2 lecture and 3 hours of practical dissections attendance.
    Learning Activities Summary

    Week

    Topic

    Lecture

    Week 1

    Thorax and abdomen introduction

    Thoracic wall

    Anterior abdominal wall

    Week 2

    Chest and groin

    Mediastinum

    Inguinal canal and hernia

    Week 3

    Heart and upper GIT

    External heart morphology and imaging

    Pertinoneum, greater and lesser sacs

    Feedback formative test 1

    Week 4

    Heart and upper GIT

    Internal anatomy of the heart Upper GIT
    blood supply

     

    Week 5

    Heart

    Small bowel

    Great vessels, autonomic plexuses

    Duodenum and pancreas. Heart

    Feedback formative test 2

    Week 6

    Mid course spotter assessment

    Feedback/revision/ Q&A

    Week 7

    Liver

    Posterior mediastinum

    Portal circulation

    Oesophagus. Azygos sytem

     

    Week 8

     

    Posterior abdominal wall

     

     

    Inferior vena cava, aorta, biliary system

    Week 9

    Thorax and abdomen overview

    Thorax and abdomen overview
    Feedback formative test 3

    Week 10

    Revision

    Students will create their own spotter questions and answers that will contribute to the formative assessment next week

    Week 11

    Revision/formative assessment

    Revision.Formative assessment

    Week 12

    No teaching

    No teaching

    Week 13

    No teaching

    No teaching

    Specific Course Requirements
    Attendance in lectures and dissections is compulsory to pass the course. In order to pass Applied Anatomy of the Thorax and Abdomen, students are required to achieve a grade of at least 50% for the course. If you are unable to attend any of the lectures or practical classes you are required to provide a valid reason.

    Policy on return of examination papers
    The Discipline of Anatomy and Pathology does not return examination papers to students. However, students who fail the examination may have an opportunity to review their paper with a member of the academic staff at the beginning of the following semester.
    Small Group Discovery Experience
    As no two human cadaver dissections will be the same or fit exactly with text book descriptions, anatomical variations, the effects of prior surgery and various pathologies will be discovered by each group of 4 students that dissect a cadaver.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Task Assessment Type Weighting Learning Outcome(s) being addressed
    Assessment 1--Written Examination (individual assessment) Summative 50% 1-3, 5, 7
    Assessment 2— Practical examination (individual assessment) Summative 20% 1-4
    Assessment 3—Practical test end of semester (individual assessment) Summative 20% 1-4
    Assessment 4— continuous assessment during the practical classes to determine knowledge of the current
    topic, preparation for the task, participation in the dissection, engagement and attendance (individual
    assessment), and the ability to work as a team (team assessment).
    Summative 10% 6-9
    Assessment Related Requirements
    Attendance in lectures and dissections is compulsory to pass the course. In order to pass Applied Anatomy of Surgical Procedures: thorax and Abdomen, students are required to achieve a grade of at least 50% for the course. If you are unable to attend any of the lectures or practical classes you are required to provide a valid reason.
    Assessment Detail
    Assessment comprises several parts:

    Formative assessments
    Formative assessments e-Learning will be provided weekly online in the form of clinical scenarios, quizzes, images, diagrams etc. All students should attempt the formative assessment, time will be allocated in lectures for questions/
    answers. There will be 3 formative assessments conducted during dissection classess using electronic voting systems and designed to give feedback. There will be 2 formative practical assessments followed by feedback sessions. Practical tutors will test students' knowledge informally and will provide feedback and answers to questions.

    Summative assessments
    All tests and exams will be conducted by full-time academic staff
    Assessment 1--Written Examination (individual assessment)
    Supervised
    Weighting: 50%
    Type/duration Theory paper, a mix of clinical scenarios, short answers and MCQs, 2 hours.
    Date: Exam period end of semester 2

    Assessment 2— Practical examination (individual assessment)
    Weighting 20%
    Type/duration Practical Anatomy spotter exam – 30 min
    Date: Examination period end of semester 2

    Assessment 3—Practical test Mid-semester (individual assessment)
    Supervised
    Weighting 20%
    Type/duration Practical anatomy spotter test – 30 min
    Date: first week after mid-semester break

    Assessment 4— continuous assessment during the practical classes to determine knowledge of the current
    topic, preparation for the task, participation in the dissection, engagement and attendance (individual
    assessment), and the ability to work as a team (team assessment),
    Supervised
    Weighting 10%
    Submission

    No information currently available.

    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

    Replacement/Additional Assessment:

    On Medical or Compassionate Grounds

    To request a replacement/additional examination on Medical or Compassionate grounds, appropriate forms should be obtained from the appropriate web site, completed and submitted in the appropriate time frame. Students are advised
    to refer to the university’s website and policy on replacement/additional examinations. The academic staff will make the final decision regarding the offer of a supplementary examination. Sitting a replacement/additional examination offered on this basis will result in a formal mark being awarded, i.e. pass, credit or distinction.

    On Academic Grounds

    Students cannot request a replacement/additional examination on academic grounds. Replacement/additional examinations will be offered to students on academic grounds (normally a final grade of between 45% and 49%).
    Those sitting supplementary examinations on academic grounds will be required to achieve a grade of at least 50% in the replacement/additional examination to pass the course. Successful completion of replacement/additional examination offered on this basis can only result in a final mark for the course of 50%.

    Replacement/additional examinations are only held during the official university supplementary examination period and students are expected to be available to sit replacement/additional examinations at this time.

    Students who are offered a replacement/additional examination, but who fail to sit on the set date and time will be deemed to have failed AATA. Pre-booked vacation, overseas travel or family celebrations are unacceptable reasons to be unavailable for the replacement/additional examination. Those who cannot sit the replacement/additional (supplementary) examination on the basis of extraordinary medical or compassionate grounds may be offered the opportunity to sit another examination at the time of the next available examination of AATA (usually Semester II of the following year). A withheld result will be entered on the student academic record until such examination is sat.
    Failure to sit the next available exam will result in a grade of fail being awarded.
  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

    We were pleased that there was 92% broad agreement from students that they were satisfied with the quality of this new course. In response to this first course SELT we have improved the clarity of the practical notes and lecture objectives, added more feedback sessions, placed last year’s assessment online as an example and altered the sequence of delivery of course content.
  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines

    This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.

    On Medical or Compassionate Grounds
    To request a replacement/additional examination on Medical or Compassionate grounds, appropriate forms should be obtained from the appropriate web site, completed and submitted in the appropriate time frame. Students are advised to refer to the university’s website and policy on replacement/additional examinations. The academic staff will make the final decision regarding the offer of a supplementary examination. Sitting a replacement/additional examination offered on this basis will result in a formal mark being awarded, i.e. pass, credit or distinction.

    On Academic Grounds
    Students cannot request a replacement/additional examination on academic grounds. Replacement/additional examinations will be offered to students on academic grounds (normally a final grade of between 45% and 49%). Those sitting supplementary examinations on academic grounds will be required to achieve a grade of at least 50% in the replacement/additional examination to pass the course. Successful completion of replacement/additional examination offered on this basis can only result in a final mark for the course of 50%.

    Replacement/additional examinations are only held during the official university supplementary examination period and students are expected to be available to sit replacement/additional examinations at this time.
    Students who are offered a replacement/additional examination, but who fail to sit on the set date and time will be deemed to have failed AATA. Pre-booked vacation, overseas travel or family celebrations are unacceptable reasons to be unavailable for the replacement/additional examination. Those who cannot sit the replacement/additional (supplementary) examination on the basis of extraordinary medical or compassionate grounds may be offered the opportunity to sit another examination at the time of the next available examination of AATA (usually Semester II of the following year). A withheld result will be entered on the student academic record until such examination is sat. Failure to sit the next available exam will result in a grade of fail being awarded.
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.