BSHS Selectives 2023-2024
Selectives Type:  Basic Science

Selective Title
Orthopaedic Research (BSHS Credit)
Course Number
ORSU-4020
Prerequisites: Successful completion of all Year 3 requirements; must obtain course director's approval of their proposed research and submit signed C Form at least one month prior to enrollment
Responsible Faculty Director:
Zbigniew Gugala, MD PhD
Other Faculty:
Contact Information
zgugala@utmb.edu 409-747-5760 Coordinator: Bryanna Branch (blbranch@utmb.edu)
Periods Offered
1-7, 9, 10, 12
excluding holiday period 8
Maximum Enrollment
4

Learning Objectives
At the completion of the elective, the student should be familiar with the current literature in some particular area related to orthopaedics, become familiar with some particular lab testing methodology, and be able to generate a research protocol and/or research report which includes a hypothesis, methodology, results and tests of the hypothesis.

Describe the qualifications background and career goals or interests of students who would benefit from the course:
Successful completion of Year 3 is necessary prior to enrollment in this course. Students should be interested in orthopaedic surgery or in obtaining knowledge on how laboratory research expands the knowledge base.

Description of course activities
The student may become involved in any of the following activities: bone physiology lab (eg, animal surgery, bone grafting, fluorescent labeling, and radioisotopic measurements of collagen and bone mineral formation, preparation of tissues for light microscopy and electron microscopy, microradiography, microCT imaging, and histomorphometry; cell culture). Biomechanical laboratory activities can include mechanical testing of bone joints or soft tissues, joint contact pressure measurements, histomorphometric analysis, digital video scanning of images, mechanical instrumentation, computer-aided stress analysis, and computer simulation of the musculoskeletal system. The student will work under the supervision of the director of the orthopaedic laboratories and other collaborating clinical faculty member.

Proposed time requirement (%) for the student activities per 40-hour week:
Activity Percent of Activity
Faculty contact time

20%

Self-directed study

20%

Data collection/analysis

30%

Other

30%


Method of student evaluation

Check all that apply - complete appropriate section(s) only:
1.  Grading
   
A. Please specify your grading criteria for outstanding performance:
  Weekly oral presentation to research staff and mentor in an informal research environment; faculty will assess student's presentation performance; student may present either student-selected or faculty assigned topics; a written assignment of 10 pages will need to be turned in at the end of the rotation, assessed by the faculty.

2.  Written Assignment (Homework, projects, notes, papers, abstracts, etc.)
A. Frequency of written assignment(s)
  Weekly.
B. Type and format of written assignment
  Standard research report guidelines and editorial rules of individual journals. The final written product should be at least 10 pages in length, not including references or figures.
C. Method of content selection (student-selected, assigned, relate to cases, etc.)
  Either student selected OR assigned may suffice.

3.  Oral Presentation
  A. Frequency / duration of presentation(s)?
    Weekly.
  B. Type and format of presentation
    Informal research environment.
  D. Assessment - Who assesses the student's presentation performance?
    Self-assessment   Peer assessment   Faculty assessment
  E. Method of content selection
    Student-selected topic   Assigned topic

4.  Professionalism
  What expectations do you have for the student to demonstrate participation in the elective (e.g. small group activities, seminars, thoughtful questions, providing resources, journal club, resident lecture attendance)?

The instructor will discuss principles of appropriate attribution and the referencing of literature with the student. The student is expected to understand and to adhere to the principle that all presented work must be solely the student’s own.

    Method of assessment for professionalism will be by the faculty member in consultation with laboratory staff.

5.  Other Modes of Evaluation
  Please explain below.
    The laboratory director supervises the student's work and assigns a grade at the end of the selective period. The student is evaluated on experimental participation, teamwork, oral and written reports.