Online Medical Physiology

This course is designed to meet the physiology prerequisite for students who are applying for admission to health profession programs. Most students taking this course will have an undergraduate degree and will be in the process of a career change. Online Distance Physiology is a one-semester course with a virtual laboratory.  It will emphasize the concepts that are necessary groundwork for courses the student will take in his/her professional studies.

Online Distance Medical Physiology contains the same major subject and content areas as traditional physiology courses taught on campus. This course differs from most traditional physiology courses in several ways. The focus is human medical physiology as it pertains to human health. A virtual laboratory, highly focused on health problems, accompanies the course. This course is team-taught by three professors who have extensive experience teaching graduate health science students and are experts in their teaching areas. Most students, especially those who work in clinical settings, will find this course challenging but rewarding.

All course material, for both lecture and laboratory, is on the web or sent through the mail.  The course is delivered using online streaming audio of lectures and power point slides; virtual labs will be completed using a Physiology Interactive Lab Simulations (Ph.I.L.S.) CD. Assigned questions (at the discretion of the instructor) and on-line support are delivered using Blackboard.  Examinations are offered at a distance under the guidance of a proctor or may be taken on the UNE campus.

Working at the pace typical for a four semester hour course, the average student will complete the online course in approximately 16 weeks.  Students may enroll at any time. Many students are nontraditional students who have elected an on-line course for it's flexibility. Therefore, students may complete the course in less than 16 weeks.  Extensions beyond 16 weeks (not to exceed 35 weeks) may be granted by the course instructor.  Prerequisite(s): College level Biology (must have been successfully completed within the past 7 years).

Textbook Author Eric Widmaier

I am delighted that Drs. Wold, Nordlie and Johnson are using McGraw-Hill’s textbook, Vander’s Human Physiology, in their unique and cutting-edge distance course on Medical Physiology. I know that many physiologists would agree that this textbook, formerly authored by Drs. Arthur Vander, James Sherman, and Dorothy Luciano, has been the gold standard by which Human Physiology has been taught for more than a generation. When I and my coauthors assumed authorship of the book upon the retirement of Dr. Vander and his colleagues, we made a special point of demonstrating the practical relevance of the text material for students interested in careers in medicine or medically-related fields. As one example, users of the book will find a concluding chapter devoted to case studies that integrate material from throughout the text into real-life medical situations. As students read through the cases, they are repeatedly asked to “reflect and review” about topics that are cross-referenced to earlier chapters. This involvement of the student in his or her own learning process is emphasized in all chapters.

It is a pleasure to be associated with this course. Dr. Wold and colleagues have established a unique, up-to-date, practical, and thorough online course that will benefit anyone interested in Human Physiology, particularly those planning a career in medically-related fields.