Course information

Course Description:

This course provides a basic knowledge of the structure and mechanisms of the immune system, immunological responses in health and disease.
In accordance with the Study and Examination Regulations (SER) and in order to successfully complete the course, we provide the most important informations below.

Prerequisite subject: 
Molecular Cell Biology I, Medical Biochemistry II

Course Instructors and Contact Information:

Course instructor: Dr. Marianna Csilla Holub, PhD
Office: NET 618
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
Emails must include your full name and student number, faculty, and have a descriptive subject line.
Expect an average response time of 2 business days. Email will not be checked on weekends or holidays.
Office hours: Educational administration is managed electronically. In case of questions and/or concerns better addressed in person, ask about the possibility of personal administration at the education administrator's phone number or e-mail address.

Education administrator: Némethné, Molnár Mária; office: NET 623, Phone: 210-2950, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Lecturer and Chairman of the Department: Prof. Dr Edit Buzas, MD, DSc
Office: NET 717 - If you wish to discuss something with her, please email to set up an appointment.
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Evaluation:

Attendance of a minimum of 75% of the practices is necessary for the end-term signature. The presence at the practices are registered weekly, more than three absences (of any reason) from the seminars invalidate the semester. It is your task to keep track of your absences, they will only be summarized at the last week of the semester. It is YOUR responsibility to get to class on time – more than 10 minutes delay means an absence. In the case of a foreseeable or an unforeseen reason, students may attend other group for practice in the given week with the permission of the tutor. 

The semifinal exam is successful if the total score of the exam reaches 50%.

Resources:

Lecture ppt presentations http://gsi.semmelweis.hu/ and on Moodle system. (If you are not able to see the subject in Moodle, please contact the Education Administrator of the Department.)

Required Textbook:            

• Abbas, Lichtmann, Pillai, Basic Immunology 6th Edition,Elsevier, 2019
• Immunology seminars (e-book): http://gsi.semmelweis.hu/ (The user name and password is on the course datasheet of the Neptun.)

Bonus point system:

A total of 60 bonus points can be collected during the semester as follows:

• A maximum of 20 points in lectures (three points Moodle test per each lecture),
• 20 points in the first demonstration,
• 20 points in the second demonstration.

A student who achieves 45 points out of 60 will be invited to the competition and may take a simplified exam.

Midterm expected through the Moodle system:

The attendance and the success of the midterm is not a requirement to validate the semester, but based on their total scores, bonus points can be collected.

There are two written tests on the 7^th and 13^th weeks of the semester, in the practice: 20 points, 15 minutes Moodle test. If the practice is held in a seminar room, students will change the genetics class with immunology class on the 7th and 13th week in order to write the test in our laboratory room computers (L13-16). Friday group students write the first midterm test on another day along the 7th week. The exact dates will be published latest till the 5th week.

The written Moodle test consists of tasks related to the material of the previous lectures and practices and to the textbook material designated in the topic list (see in Moodle under the Exams tab). Midterm tests include the topics of the lectures, the textbook (text + figures), the topics of the practice, the e-book (pdf), and the presentations [text + figures].

There is no opportunity to postpone the time of the midterm neither to improve the midterm result. Recording of the midterm tasks is NOT permitted. Students in violation of these policy may have legal action taken against them.

All test scores will be seen on Moodle platform and posted to Neptun when available. Do not email asking when grades will be posted or for your scores; these emails will not receive a response.

If you have a valid reason for missing the original midterm, make up dates will be scheduled. We announce its date and place via a Neptun message.

Competition

Every students achieved minimum 45 bonus points (calculated from the midterms and  lecture points) are invited. Participation in the competition is not compulsory. The competition written moodle test includes tasks equivalent to the simplified exam test. (see below).

According to the current “Study and Examination Rules” students, who achieve the best results will be offered an exam grade by the next:

a) top 10%: excellent (5)

b) top 10.1-20%: good (4)

Competition will be organized on Thursday of the 14th academic week, there is no substitute.

Semi-final exam:

The semester ends up with a colloquium (semi-final exam; exam period: May 20, 2024 – July 5, 2024, date and time set by Neptun).

The semifinal exam is a Moodle exam with personal attendance.

The test includes tasks for 60 points. The topics are based on the textbooks, practices and the lectures. At the exam, it is not sufficient to repeat memorized topics from the textbook and presentations, but you have to be able to synthesize and integrate your knowledge from different parts. Students will be responsible for material presented in class and associated textbook sections. The textbook is your resource and will help you understand this material. It contains many of the visuals presented in the lectures. Pay careful attention to the Figures and to the questions and guidelines for study at the end of each chapter.

Students collected 45 bonus points during the semester, will get simplified exam with tasks for 45 points. The simplified exam doesn’t include the practice topics of the first and second midterms, except for the biological therapies and vaccination.

The exam dates will be published one month before the beginning of the exam period.

Registration for the exam dates (or modifying the registration) can be arranged exclusively online by the students’ registration system (NEPTUN). If you want to change your exam day, first you have to cancel your earlier sign up. Since we have to book the exam rooms and Moodle virtual rooms in advance, we cannot change (increase) the maximum number of examinees.

Plan to be on campus early on test days; transit and/or traffic issues happen but you cannot be given extra time to write.

For taking the exam, students have to prove their identity by an official formal personal document with a photo (i.e. passport, student card). According to the Study and examination rules: "Students are not allowed to take an examination without identifying themselves. Students may identify themselves at the examination by any suitable document, which contains both a signature and a picture. If the student is unable to verify his/her identity, a “did not appear” note has to be recorded on the examination sheet and in NEPTUN, which does not reduce the number of exam opportunities, yet the student is obliged to pay an exam administration fee, which is specified in the Regulations of Refunds and Allowances."

According to this, the photo of any ID, presented on a phone is not suitable for proving identity.

The announcement of the results takes one workday, depending on the number of examinees.

If you miss an exam, the second retake exam (and all others thereafter) can be taken upon payment of a retake fee. If you miss the exam for a valid reason you must request deferred standing. To request deferred standing you must submit a supporting documentation to the Students Administration Office of the Department (not to the Secretary) (NET 623) within 3 business days of the missed exam. Doctor’s notes are NOT sufficient for missed exams; you MUST have your doctor fill out the Attending Physician’s Statement (please make sure you are using the current version of the Attending Physician’s statement form – no other versions will be accepted).

Missed Exam – General Policies:

Students must have an urgent reason for missing a course test, such as illness, compassionate grounds, etc., If you miss the exam for a valid reason you must request deferred standing. To request deferred standing you must submit a supporting documentation to the Students Administration Office of the Department (not to the Secretary) (NET 623) within 3 business days of the missed exam. Valid documentation for medical situations consists of a current “Attending Physician’s Statement” (please make sure you are using the current version of the Attending Physician’s statement form – no other versions will be accepted). Only the current form will be accepted. If you do not use the current form you will be asked to return to your physician to have the correct form filled in. A note that simply says you were seen in the clinic will not be accepted. Any documentation should cover the date of the missed test. Exam missed without certification means the loss of one exam possibility.

Consultation in the exam period:

In the exam period the Department keeps an official 45 min consultation, once per week. The exact dates will be published on the website prior to the exam period.