Circulation & Breathing

8 units

In this module, the relationships between principles of anatomy, histology, and physiology with clinical disease, diagnostic tests, and management will become immediately apparent. In addition, these modules will introduce much more “medical vocabulary” related to organ-specific signs, symptoms, and diseases to further prepare you to think like a clinician. Circulation and breathing were combined in the first organ-specific module based on the integrated way in which these systems maintain life by providing oxygen and nutrients to and removing carbon dioxide and waste from tissues. This module will also discuss common diagnostic tests and their applications to clinical medicine. Content on Patients, Providers, Systems, and Societies is integrated across the module, including in dedicated sessions on medication adherence, environmental contributions to disease, and clinical epidemiology. These topics are placed in the context of specific cardiovascular and respiratory disorders but highlight broadly generalizable principles that are relevant across all organ systems. In this module, students will also start utilizing the stethoscope to understand how basic cardiovascular and respiratory functions result in normal and abnormal physical exam findings that have specific descriptions and that provide clues to guide diagnosis and management.