POSTGRADUATE COURSE M.D. (MICROBIOLOGY)

COURSE CONTENT (SYLLABUS)

Group teaching sessions: -
· Journal review
· Subject seminar presentation
· Group discussion
· Slides seminars
· Presentation of the findings of an exercise on any of the sub-specialities
· Participation in CME programs and conferences.
Hands on experience (practical training)
Practical training shall be imparted by posting the students in various sub-specialities (sections) as
detailed in the intrinsic and extrinsic rotation.
Student shall be actively involved in day to day working of all the sections. He/she will be trained under
the guidance of teachers in all the aspects of Clinical Microbiology and applied aspects of laboratory
medicine including collection and transport of specimens, receiving of samples, preparation of requisite
reagents, chemicals, media and glassware, processing of specimens and reporting on the specimens,
sterilization procedures, bio-safety precautions, maintenance of equipments, record keeping and quality
control in Microbiology.
Suggested schedule of rotation:
Intrinsic rotation: -
1. Bacteriology (Aerobic and anaerobic) 8 months
2. Mycobacteriology 3 months
3. Hospital infection surveillance 3 months
4. Serology/Immunology 4 months
5. Mycology 3 months
6. Virology/HIV 3 months
7. Parasitology 2 months
8. Clinical Microbiology (OPD) 3 months
9. Media preparation and Sterilization procedures 3 months
Extrinsic rotation:
Clinical Pathology / elective posting
Emergency duty:
Student shall be posted for emergency duty in Microbiology. He/she will deal with all the emergency
investigations in Microbiology.
Training in research methodology:
Training in research methodology shall be imparted by planning of a research project by the
student under the guidance of a recognized guide to be executed and submitted in the form of dissertation.
The dissertation is aimed at training is aimed at training the candidate in research methods and
techniques. It will include identification of a problem, formulation of a hypothesis, search and review of
relevant literature, getting acquainted with recent advances, designing of research study, collection of
data, critical analysis of the results and drawing conclusion.
The topic shall be communicated to the university within six months registration and at least 24
months should be spent on the research project.
The dissertation shall be completed and submitted by the student six months before appearing for
the final university examination.
Teaching experience:
Student shall be actively involved in the teaching of undergraduate students. He/she will be trained in
teaching methods and use of audiovisual aids including preparation of transparencies.
BROAD AREAS OF STUDY
General Microbiology; Systematic Bacteriology, Mycology, Virology, Parasitology; Immunology and
Applied Clinical Microbiology including recent advances in Microbiology.
GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY
1. History and pioneers in Microbiology
2. Microscopy
3. Morphology of bacteria and other micro-organisms.
4. Nomenclature and classification of microbes.
5. Growth and nutrition of bacteria.
6. Bacterial metabolism
7. Sterilization and disinfection.
8. Biomedical waste disposal
9. Bacterial toxins.
10. Bacterial antagonism: Bacteriocins.
11. Bacterial genetics, gene cloning.
12. Antibacterial substances used in treatment of infections and drug resistance in bacteria
13. Bacterial ecology-normal flora of human body, hospital environment, air, water and milk
14. Host parasite relationship
15. Quality control in Microbiology
IMMUNOLOGY AND APPLIED ASPECTS
1. The normal immune system.
2. Innate immunity.
3. Antigens
4. Immunoglobulins.
5. Complement
6. Antigen and antibody reactions
7. Hypersensitivity
8. Cell mediated immunity.
9. Immunodeficiency.
10. Autoimmunity
11. Immune tolerance.
12. Transplantation immunity.
13. Tumour immunity.
14. Prophylaxis and immunotherapy.
15. Measurement of immunity.
16. Molecular Biology techniques. For e.g. PCR, DNA probes to be included in Gen.
Microbiology
SYSTEMATIC BACTERIOLOGY
1. Isolation, description and identification of bacteria.
2. Staphylococcus and Micrococcus; Anaerobic Gram positive cocci.
3. Streptococcus and Lactobacillus.
4. Neisseria, Branhamnella and Moraxella
5. Corynebacterium and other coryneform organisms.
6. Bacillus: the aerobic spore bearing bacilli
7. Clostridium: the spore-bearing anaerobic bacilli.
68. Non-sporing anaerobes.
9. The Enteronacteriaceae.
10. Vibrios, Aeromonas, Plasiomonas, Campylobacter and Spirillum, H.Pylori
11. Erysipelothrix and Listeria
12. Pseudomonas
13. Chromobacterium, Flavobacterium, Acinetobacter and Alkaligens.
14. Pasteurella, Francisella.
15. Haemophilus and Bordetella.
16. Brucella.
17. Mycobacteria.
18. The spirochaetes.
19. Actinomyces, Nocardia and Actinobacillu.
20. Mycoplasmatales: Mycoplasma, Ureaplasma and Acholeplasma.
21. Rickettsiae
22. Chlamydiae.
23. Miscellaneous bacteria
VIROLOGY
1. The nature of viruses.
2. Classification of viruses
3. Morphology: virus structure
4. Virus replication
5. The genetics of viruses
6. The pathogenicity of viruses
7. Epidemiology of viral infections
8. Vaccines and antiviral drugs
9. Bacteriophages
10. Pox viruses
11. Herpes viruses
12. Vesicular viruses
13. Togaviridae
14. Bunyaviridae
15. Arenaviridae
16. Marburg and Ebola viruses