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 Microbiology Courses for Medical, Dental, Nursing and Life Science Students
The Department teaches medical microbiology and immunology to second year medical undergraduates, The course provides the principles of general microbiology, immunology, virology, bacteriology, mycology and parasitology, which are integrated to facilitate understanding of the infectious diseases of the various body systems. The Second Professional (Part I) M.B.B.S. examination in Microbiology is taken at the end of this course.
The Department takes part in the teaching of microbiology to second year Bachelor of Dental Surgery students. The 2-term course covers basic aspects of bacteriology, mycology, virology and immunology relevant to the practice of dentistry.
In 2007, the Department undertakes the teaching of microbiology and immunology to second year Bachelor of Science (Nursing) Programme. This course provides a broad foundation in nursing, humanities, biological and social sciences, which are essential for preparing professional nurses who are capable of practicing in a competent and responsible manner. In addition, the programme is designed to provide a foundation for graduate education in nursing.
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 Microbiology and immunology are taught as a component to Life Science undergraduate (BSc) programme. At the 3000 level, students taking the Microbiology Module are introduced to the major groups of organisms: algae, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses. The course covers environmental, food and medical microbiology. The basic techniques required for experiments with microorganisms, for example, aseptic techniques, cultivation of microbes and tissue culture techniques are taught. Experiments specially designed for students form the backbone of the course. Students taking the Infectious Disease module will be taught the basic properties of microbes of medical importance, how they cause disease, how infections are diagnosed and treated, and how they may be prevented. The immunology module provides the central concepts of immunology and the foundation for understanding how immunity functions.
Students who attain good grades are eligible for a place on the Life Science Honours programme. The course comprises of a research project and taught modules. Students are expected to present the results of their research projects as well as writing it up as a dissertation, which is graded as part of the examination.
 Our Department offers a Medical Microbiology module at level 4000, which is an integrated course comprising of lectures, laboratory sessions and student presentations. The Advanced Immunology module provides students with current trends in immunology such as innate immunity, dendritic cell biology, antigen processing and presentation, lymphocyte development, induction of tolerance, mechanism of autoimmunity and vaccine development.
Lectures by Microbiology academic staff are conducted didactically, complemented by creative methods to enhance the learning experience. These include self-directed learning, small group tutorials, student presentations and the use of multimedia. In 2005, the department launched a CD-ROM teaching aid entitled “Medical Bacteriology: an Interactive Guide to Laboratory Tests and Media”, which will be used to supplement Microbiology teaching modules. This teaching aid was jointly developed by teaching staff of the Department in collaboration with Centre for development of Teaching and Learning, and Centre for Instructional Technology.
Visit http://www.lifesciences.nus.edu.sg/about.htm for more information.
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