Lectures
The primary instructional responsibility of the department is teaching microbiology, immunology and pathology courses in the doctor of osteopathic medicine, doctor of podiatric medicine and physician assistant programs at Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences. These courses are taught using a systems-based approach, in which lectures are grouped based on disease symptoms, rather than taxonomical properties as is the traditional method of presentation.
Faculty members also provide lectures in their areas of expertise to various other DMU programs. The department’s faculty help train students in the master of science in biomedical sciences program and the interdisciplinary Ph.D. in biomedical sciences.
Mentoring
Department faculty actively mentor students in research projects in their laboratories. Students pursuing research in department laboratories include those enrolled in the M.S.B.S. program and Ph.D. program, as well as D.O. and D.P.M. students participating in DMU’s summer research program and elective coursework.