25
| 1 | 2011
Klinisk Biokemi i Norden
(
Fortsætter side 26)
The Department of Biomedical Science at the
Faculty of Medicine
The Department of Biomedical Science, was previ-
ously located at the Technical University of Iceland,
and offered from 1982, a four-year BS programme
of 240 ECTS-credits. The Department of Biomedical
Science at the University of Iceland was established
January 1
st
2005,
and teaching in biomedical science
commenced the following autumn.
The undergraduate studies at the Department
of Biomedical Science at the University of Iceland
was organized, in accordance with the Bologna
agreement, into 180 ECTS-credits BS programme,
followed by a diploma programme of 60 ECTS-
credits.
At the beginning of the undergraduate pro-
gramme in biomedical science the main courses are
fundamental subjects like chemistry, physiology
and physics, instrumentation, statistics, anatomy,
biochemistry and cell biology. In the second and
third year of the undergraduate programme stu-
dents are introduced to basic laboratory principles
and techniques and pathophysiology in the main
disciplines of biomedical science such as blood
bank, clinical chemistry, clinical physiology, genet-
ics, haematology, histopathology, immunology, and
microbiology.
The postgraduate programmes in biomedical sci-
ence comprise a diploma programme of 60 ECTS-
credits on a master level and a master programme of
120
ECTS-credits. The diploma programme includes,
for examples, teaching of general research methods
and statistics, and a 24 ECTS-credits research project
under supervision of a tutor in one of the main dis-
ciplines of biomedical science. The diploma degree
is mandatory to be licensed by the Health Ministry
of Iceland to become a legal professional biomedical
scientist. The degree also gives students access to the
master’s programme at the Department of Biomedi-
cal Science.
The master’s programme, a one-year study after
the diploma programme, where 60 ECTS-credits are
evaluated from the diploma studies, is based to a large
extent on a research project of 30 ECTS-credits. All
research projects in the master’s programme at the
Department of Biomedical Science must be approved
by a special committee of research studies in the Fac-
ulty of Medicine.
The discipline of Clinical chemistry at the
Department of Biomedical Science
The discipline of clinical chemistry is organized in
the fourth semester and is divided into the courses of
methodology and pathophysiology. The credit values
of the courses are 14 ECTS and 8 ECTS, respectively.
The aim of the courses in clinical chemistry is
that students will develop an understanding of vari-
ous methodology used in clinical chemistry, develop
skills in the performance of laboratories tests, acquire
basic knowledge of specific diseases and organ sys-
tems, and be able to connect results of laboratory
tests to symptoms of clinical diseases. The teaching
method in the course of pathophysiology is entirely
in lecture form, but it is more diverse in the course
of methodology were the teaching takes the form of
lectures, practical assignments, individual tasks and
group works.
The course of pathophysiology
The course of pathophysiology consists of 58 lectures.
The course explores the relationship between the
structure and function of the various body systems
and the biochemistry of the human body. The course
curriculum consists of the fundamental factors in
clinical chemistry–pathophysiology. Topics include,
for example, of proteins, enzymes, carbohydrates,
blood gases, lipid metabolism, hormones, and func-
tions of various organs and diseases with regards to
clinical chemistry tests on body fluids.
The course of pathophysiology is taught by phy-
sicians, who work at the Department of clinical
Figure 2. Stapi. (Foto: The University of Iceland).
