BMSC12010 - Clinical Biochemistry

General Information

Unit Synopsis

This unit provides you with an understanding of the role of the clinical biochemistry laboratory in the diagnosis and management of human diseases and disorders. The unit focuses on quality control in the pathology laboratory setting, the biochemical rationale for the diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of blood electrolyte balance, blood gases, blood acid-base balance, hormones, diabetes mellitus, jaundice, cardiac and liver disease, gout, inherited metabolic disorders, renal dysfunction and malignant diseases. You will be instructed on correct procedures for preparing blood and urine samples for analysis, and for interpreting results in a clinical biochemistry laboratory.

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 2
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 2
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Pre-requisites

BMSC11004 Introductory Biochemistry OR BMSC11005 Foundations of Biochemistry

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

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Residential School Compulsory Residential School
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Unit Availabilities from Term 3 - 2023

Term 3 - 2023 Profile
Mixed Mode

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Assessment Tasks

This information will not be available until 8 weeks before term.
To see assessment details from an earlier availability, please search via a previous term.

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).

Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 1 - 2020 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 4 (on a 5 point Likert scale), based on a 32.73% response rate.

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Source: Unit evaluation
Feedback
Assessment feedback return
Recommendation
This item is particularly focussed on the second assessment item which is directly linked to the residential school - with the residential school scheduled late in the term it puts students under pressure to then complete the linked assessment item and then it is difficult to mark all of these items and then the final end of term examination/online tests. Earlier scheduling of the residential school would assist in the sequencing of the student experience and assist in marking return.
Action Taken
This was still difficult to address with the uncertain state of residential schools due to COVID19 - postponed until other terms. Attempt to address during future offerings.
Source: Self-reflection and Unit evaluations
Feedback
Student engagement
Recommendation
An increased Moodle Engagement strategy was enacted together with a series of weekly tutorials - these improved student satisfaction but not overall performance.
Action Taken
Maintained during this offering
Source: Unit evaluation/student emails/self reflection
Feedback
Extra time and understanding provided due to COVID19 disruptions
Recommendation
Continue to monitor the impacts of COVID on student progress.
Action Taken
Nil.
Source: Unit evaluation/student emails/self reflection
Feedback
Transition to end of term online test from formal examination
Recommendation
Monitor the impact of transition of formal examination to online test in student success and grade distribution.
Action Taken
Nil.
Unit learning Outcomes
This information will not be available until 8 weeks before term.
To see Learning Outcomes from an earlier availability, please search via a previous term.