Skip to main content
Indiana University School of Medicine
Indiana University School of Medicine
MD Education Program

Renal and Respiratory (6 weeks)

The Renal and Respiratory course advances students’ knowledge of the physiology, pharmacology and pathophysiology of the respiratory and renal systems to enable them to describe the major diseases of these systems, including their signs and symptoms, histopathologic and clinical laboratory characteristics, and rationale for current therapeutic interventions.

Course Objectives

The following course objectives align with the IU School of Medicine MD Curriculum Competencies and Institutional Learning Objectives. This alignment enables faculty and students to understand how current student learning prepares them for the next stage in training and for their ongoing practice and maintenance of certification.

Establish and maintain respectful relationships with peers, faculty, and staff to foster an effective learning environment.

Describe the purpose, function, and regulation of the respiratory and renal systems using relevant anatomical and biochemical parameters.

Explain the pathophysiological basis of respiratory, renal, and urinary diseases through analysis of anatomic, histological and biochemical alterations of system function.

Evaluate clinical presentations and formulate appropriate respiratory, renal, and urinary disease differentials through assessment of patient history, physical exam and diagnostic testing.

Apply pharmacologic, mechanistic, and behavioral therapies to counteract or prevent pathophysiologic mechanisms causing respiratory, renal, and urinary diseases.

Employ the principles of evidence-based medicine to evaluate the efficacy of diagnostic and therapeutic options in patients with respiratory, renal, and urinary disorders.

Describe the epidemiology of common respiratory, renal, and urinary diseases, the methods for prevention and early detection of these diseases, and systematic, population-based approaches for reducing the incidence and prevalence of disease.

Demonstrate self-directed and life-long learning skills through identification of learning needs, gathering relevant information from multiple sources, analyzing the quality and relevance of this information, and synthesizing the information to apply and communicate to colleagues.

Recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in caring for patients with respiratory or renal system failure and critically examine the implications of physician bias and self-awareness.

Explain how behavioral, cultural, economic, educational, environmental, lifestyle, and psychosocial factors impact the renal and respiratory health of patients and the effect of care seeking, care compliance, barriers to care, and attitudes towards care.