BME3082 · Fetal and neonatal development

Overview

In BME3082, you will gain an understanding of what a scientist actually does and how medical research contributes to new knowledge and evidence-based medicine in the fields of fetal and neonatal development (perinatal medicine). You will learn about maternal adaptations to pregnancy, normal and abnormal fetal development, the physiological transition at the time of birth and the consequences of abnormal or altered development for the mother, fetus and baby. During the research activities based at the Monash Health Translation Precinct (Monash Medical Centre and Hudson Institute of Medical Research), you will experience actual medical research experiments and methodologies in perinatal medicine and evaluate their contribution to new knowledge and evidence-based medicine. You will also identify a gap in knowledge in the field of perinatal medicine and design an experiment to address that gap in knowledge. Importantly, you will also improve your key graduate employability attributes including: critical thinking, problem solving and written and verbal communication skills such as clear and concise scientific writing and organisational and meeting preparedness skills.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. Integrate and apply knowledge about the structure, development and function of body systems before and after birth as well as the physiological transition at birth.
2. Evaluate and predict the physiological consequences of altered fetal development and impaired transition at birth for fetal, neonatal, and maternal outcomes.
3. Evaluate research experiments in perinatal medicine to assess their methodological rigor, limitations, and contribution to the field.
4. Appraise and synthesise existing literature to formulate a research strategy to address a gap in knowledge in perinatal medicine.
5. Communicate scientific reasoning and evidence underpinning current knowledge and medical research studies to lay and scientific audiences.
6. Demonstrate professional workplace behaviours through effective preparation, organisation, engagement in, and reflection on, authentic research and learning processes.

Workload

12 hours per week. This comprises 2 hours of lectures, 1-3 hours of prescribed research and learning-related activities, and approximately 7-9 hours of independent work. Prescribed research and learning-related activities will be undertaken at the Monash Health Translation Precinct (MHTP) in Clayton. The dates and times of prescribed research activities will vary each week and you can select options that suit your availability. The MHTP precinct includes the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Monash Medical Centre and Monash Children’s Hospital. Non-scheduled applied and practical activities, 20 hours.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.