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Medical School
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| Our classes: |
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• Theology
• Divinity
• Anthropology
• Pedagogy
• Education
• Sociology
• Design
• Physics
• Law
• Engeneering
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• Philosophy
• Psychology
• Psychoanalysis
• Economy
• Administration
• Public Health
• Medical
• Homeopathy
• Dental
• Physiotherapy
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Medical School . Admissions Information
The
University has a continuous program with three entering classes per
year; January, May and September. The American Pontifical Catholic
University has rolling admissions and applications are processed as
they arrive. You will be notified if you are accepted within a few
weeks after you apply. Students are encouraged to submit applications
as soon as possible; before the beginning of each term.
An
appointed admissions committee reviews all applications. Applicants are
not evaluated solely on academic merit. The standards for acceptance
are defined by: undergraduate studies, academic records, demonstration
of a high commitment to the medical field, as well as the originality
and motivation of the student.
The
American Pontifical Catholic University welcomes male and female
applicants of ethnic diversity. The American Pontifical Catholic
University encourages individuals from groups under-represented in the
medical profession to apply. The American Pontifical Catholic
University does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, creed,
national origin, veteran status or physical disability.
Undergraduate Course Requirements
To be considered for admission, an applicant must have satisfactorily
completed not less than 90 undergraduate semester hours (or equivalent
number of quarter hours). Applicants are not required to have earned a
bachelor's degree, but an undergraduate degree from an American,
Canadian or internationally accredited college or university is
recommended.
The following courses must have been completed satisfactorily:
| Course |
Years |
| Biology (including lab) |
1 |
| General Chemistry (including lab) |
1 |
| Organic Chemistry (including lab) |
1 |
| Physics (including lab) |
1 |
| Math |
1 |
| English |
1 |
Pre-medical Program
Applicants who do not meet the pre-medical requirements may be placed
in The American Pontifical Catholic University's pre-medical program
until the pre-medical requirements have been completed. Upon completion
of the pre-medical requirements, the student will be admitted into the
medical program.
- A complete application form.
- A $40.00 US application processing fee.
- A personal statement detailing your reasons for pursuing a career in medicine.
- Two (2) letters of recommendation, preferably from college professors of physicians.
- Official transcripts from high school and each college, university or professional school attended.
- Copy of passport.
- Four (4) color photos (passport size).
Medical College Admissions Test
Candidates for admission are not required to take the Medical College
Admission Test (MCAT). Applicants who have taken this exam may choose
to send their MCAT scores for evaluation to the Admissions Committee.
This option is left at the student's discretion. However, we encourage
students to take this examination.
Letters of Recommendation
Applicants enrolled in colleges with a pre-medical advisory system
should request that the Chair of the Pre-medical Advisory Committee,
pre-medical advisor, coordinator, or person in charge of advising send
a letter of evaluation to The American Pontifical Catholic University's
Admissions Office.
Advanced Standing
Students enrolled in approved medical programs may apply for advanced
standing admissions. The applicant must have all transcripts sent
directly from the current program to the Admissions Office. Transfer
credit is accepted only from students attending schools listed by the
World Health Organization and who are in good academic standing.
Admission is on a competitive basis. No specific number of spaces are
set aside for advanced standing candidates. The University does not
grant any advanced standing credit for course work completed in related
fields of Allied Health or from Chiropractic Studies. Applicants from
fields such as dentistry or those who have completed the basic science
courses as a graduate student, are considered for admission only to the
first-year medical class, regardless of the degree held.
Acceptance of Applicants
The Admissions Office will contact the applicant approximately two
weeks after receiving the application package. At this time, the
applicant will also be informed of any supporting documents missing
from the applicant's file. A personal interview may be requested at the
discretion of the Dean or Admissions Committee.
Within four weeks of receiving the complete application file, the
applicant will be mailed a decision notification. All applicants who
have been accepted into the program will receive a letter of acceptance
and an acknowledgement of admission. Students must submit a signed
acknowledgement of admission within two weeks of acceptance. A $40.00
US one time matriculation fee must also be submitted along with the
acknowledgement of admission. Tuition fees are due prior to the
beginning of classes.
A limited number of scholarships and financial aid are given to those eligible.
COURSES DESCRIPTIONS:
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| ANESTHESIOLOGY |
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Students
will learn and observe the procedure of how to give an anesthetic and
be introduced to anesthetic equipment. They will be trained to monitor
patients both during and immediately after anesthesia. In the
classroom, emphasis will be placed on contraindications to anesthetics,
the choice of anesthetic agent, and the decision as to which type of
anesthetic should be given in which situations.
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| BIOCHEMISTRY |
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What
for many is a dry subject is here brought to life. Students will gain a
comprehensive understanding of biochemical activities within the body
with special emphasis on metabolic cycles. They will learn to grasp how
a small and seemingly academic disruption of biochemical function can
lead to a variety of diseases. Issues of biochemistry, molecular
biology and cellular structure are considered together so as to give
the student a good understanding of how genetic information is
transferred and how cell proliferation and differentiation is
controlled.
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| BIOSTATISTICS |
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Students
are given lectures and exercises in biostatistics and taught how to
apply these statistical methods in epidemiology and in public health.
Applications of these statistics in the financing and delivery of
medical care are also discussed. Frequency distributions, measures of
central tendency, measures of dispersion, probability, probability
distributions, sampling concepts, estimating means and percentages,
testing hypotheses, decisions based on one sample procedures, two
sample procedures as well as analysis of variance, chi square, index
numbers, time series, simple linear regression and correlation are all
taught through a series of exercises.
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| CARDIOLOGY |
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Students
are trained to evaluate, diagnose and treat common cardiovascular
complications. The course is practical in orientation with emphasis
being placed on teaching students how to evaluate an ECG and how to
interpret blood tests for cardiac enzymes. Much practice is also given
in auscultation and how to recognize and interpret the various heart
sounds. In the classroom, congenital and acquired conditions,
myopathies, angina, infarction, primary and secondary arrythmias will
all be explored. Both surgical and medical treatment options will be
discussed.
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| GENERAL PATHOLOGY |
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This
course emphasizes the mechanisms of human disease and their various
morphological characteristics. Students are taught about the mechanisms
of disease, which lead to the clinical signs and symptoms. General
pathology includes the study of the principles of injury and the body's
reaction - such as inflammation and repair. The course provides a good
basis for the student to continue the study of pathology on a system by
system basis.
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| GENERAL & SYSTEMIC PATHOLOGY |
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This
course examines each of the organ systems in terms of the disease
process and the clinical manifestations of the various pathologies in
different systems. The cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, renal,
gastrointestinal, nervous and reproductive systems are all examined in
considerable detail. Emphasis is placed on case histories, mechanisms
of disease, causes and the morphological characteristics induced by the
pathological entities.
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| GENETICS |
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Students
are lectured on the structure of genetic material, its reproduction,
and its role in health and disease. The hereditary basis of disease is
also explored and students are encouraged and guided on discussions on
the role of research in future treatment of the disease.
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| GERIATRIC MEDICINE |
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Students
are encouraged to consider the increasing importance of geriatric
medicine and to appreciate that by 2004, one in five Americans will be
geriatric. The processes of aging, accompanying physiological changes
and behavioral changes are all considered through reading, class
discussion and videos. Topics of discussion include the status of the
geriatric in society as well as aspects of medical care in nursing
homes for the elderly. Emphasis is also placed on students being alert
to how the aging process may affect the body's reactions to various
drug regimes.
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| HEMATOLOGY |
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All
diseases of the blood are discussed and students are trained to
recognize the most common hematological conditions, diagnose related
conditions and treat them. Discussions will focus on red blood cell
disorders, acute leukemia, disorders of coagulation and homeostasis, as
well as abnormalities related to hypo-coagulation and hemophilia.
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| HISTOLOGY |
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Microscopic
anatomy will be presented through lectures, videos and slides, allowing
the student to understand the structure and function of cells, tissues
and organs. Once the basic concepts of histology have been explained,
the microscopic structure of specialized cells, tissues and organs will
be discussed. The epithelium, connective tissue, muscle, nervous
tissue, the circulatory system, lymphatic system and the skin will all
be taught in detail.
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| IMMUNOLOGY |
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Students
are provided with an extensive study of the body's defenses and will
gain a comprehensive understanding of immunology, normal immune
responses as well as hypersensitive and immunological diseases.
Discussions will be held on the nature of allergies and the role of the
immune system in the body's allergic reactions. Auto-immune diseases,
immunization, transplantation and cancer immunology will all be
considered in detail. Much of the course will be presented through case
histories.
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| INFECTIOUS DISEASE |
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Students
will learn the mechanism of infectious diseases, their nature, routes
of transmission, geographic distribution, preventative measures,
treatment modalities, pharmacological treatment and the increasing
problem of drug resistance.
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| LEGAL MEDICINE AND ETHICS |
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Students
are guided on the fundamental concepts of law in relation to the
medical profession. Current judicial trends are discussed as are topics
such as informed consent, guardianship, being a surrogate for
unconscious patients, parents' rights, privacy of medical information
and the rights of the mentally and physically disabled.
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| MICROBIOLOGY |
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Upon
completion of this course, students will be able to recognize the
characteristics of infectious organisms, viruses, bacteria, fungi,
ricketsia, and animal parasites. The genetics of these organisms will
be discussed as will the body's non-pathological defense systems.
Emphasis is on the mechanism, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and
control of disease. Much of the material will be learned through case
presentations and problem solving.
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| NEUROANATOMY & NEUROSCIENCE |
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The
anatomy and the basic function of central and peripheral nervous
systems are presented with emphasis on helping the student understand
the various nervous tracts. Considerable time will be spent on teaching
the student how to locate lesions of the nervous system as indicated by
clinical symptoms. The autonomic nervous system and neurophysiology
will also be studied.
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| NUTRITION |
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This
course is designed to familiarize students with nutrition and its
relationship to human health and disease. The course includes the roles
of proteins, carbohydrate and fats in growth and energy production,
absorption of nutrients, management of diabetes mellitus, hypertension
anemias, ostheosclerosis and renal disease. Nutritional issues related
to anorexia, osteoporosis, severe trauma and obesity are also covered.
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| OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY |
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The
obstetrics and gynecology course will provide students with a sound
understanding of the theory of labor and the pharmacology and pain
management of labor and premature labors. Guidance will be given as to
when a mother should attempt a vaginal delivery and when a C-section
should be advised. Students will learn all aspects of prenatal and
postnatal care ranging from good nutrition to which tests to employ for
the various possible fetal anomalies. The microbiology relating to
gynecological infections will be reviewed and their management and
prevention explained.
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| ONCOLOGY |
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Students
will be able to recognize and diagnose oncological conditions and
become familiar with the treatment modalities available. This course
includes a study of tumor growth, cancer staging and treatment
modalities for gynecologic malignancies, sarcomas, melanomas,
carcinomas of the lung, leukemia, bladder, prostate and testicular
cancers, as well as cancers of the head and neck and Hodgkin's and
non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Paraneoplastic syndromes and care of the
terminally ill cancer patient are considered.
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| ORTHOPEDICS |
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Students
will gain a comprehensive understanding of orthopedic concepts and
become familiar with the latest technological advances in treatment.
Information is provided through a series of lectures, seminars and
visual presentations as well as clinical observations. Skeletal
malformation, diseases affecting bones, fractures, foot anomalies and
their treatment modalities are all covered.
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| ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY |
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The
student is introduced to orthopedic surgical techniques and theories;
the methods used to repair fractures, joint complications, special
procedures; treatment of displaced joints; and orthoscopic surgical
techniques. The course is conducted through lectures, demonstrations,
patient case histories and X-rays. The recovery process after surgery,
including physical therapy is reviewed.
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| PEDIATRICS |
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This
class is conducted through a series of lectures, case presentations and
visual aids. The topics covered will include child health supervision,
injuries, poisoning, developmental disabilities, behavioral disorders,
neo-natology, critical care, birth defects and genetic disorders.
Cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, hematological, endocrine, metabolic
and neurological diseases will all be discussed as they manifest
themselves in pediatric patients.
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| PHARMACOLOGY |
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Lectures
and discussions are held on the principles of drug metabolism,
toxicology, pharmokinetics and pharmocodynamics. The structure of drugs
and how this is related to the activity of drugs is explained.
Antibiotics, autonomic, renal and cardiac drugs are all taught in
considerable detail as well as drugs used in chemotherapy and
anesthesia. Mood altering drugs, medications for gastrointestinal
disorders and drugs that may cross the placenta into the fetus are also
considered. Emphasis is placed on helping the student understand the
mechanism of action of each drug group, their side effects and drug
resistance.
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| PHYSIOLOGY |
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Physiology
texts are brought to life by models, lectures, classroom discussions
and exercises. Initially the studies will focus on the physiology of
the separate systems with emphasis on how physiologic disorders may
manifest themselves in the clinical setting. As the course progresses,
students will learn to make the connections between the physiologies of
the body's different systems and how they impact on each other.
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| RADIOLOGY |
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The
course is entirely practical with the student being guided through a
series of examples and taught how to distinguish abnormal from normal
findings on X-rays, CT scans and angiograms. The correlation between
gross anatomy and radiological findings is explained and students are
encouraged to interpret what they see in the light of the patient's
clinical condition.
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| RESPIRATORY MEDICINE |
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The
physiology, function, pathology and mechanical representations of the
lungs are studied as an integrated whole to give the student an overall
picture of lung dysfunction. Emphasis is placed on how to recognize
clinical symptoms of various lung dysfunctions, their treatment and
causes.
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| UROLOGY |
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Students
will review normal function and will be taught how to diagnose
pathological conditions of the urogenital system. Topics presented will
include renal disease and complications due to diseases or
malformations of the urethras, bladder and prostrate. Testing
procedures will include blood and urine analysis and culture and
sensitivity procedures will be discussed as aids to diagnosis.
Pharmacological and surgical treatment modalities will be discussed.
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