Objectives of the course: To understand the mechanisms of interaction of ionizing radiation with biologic material and the biologic consequences of that interaction. The application of radiation therapy with the appropriate way to eradicate the tumor without destruction of normal tissues is also the subject of this course.

Contents of the course: 1. Basic Principles of Radiobiology: Stages of radiation action, Linear Energy Transfer (LET), Relative Biologic Effectiveness (RBE), cell survival curves, cell life cycle and irradiation, oxygen effect, DNA repair processes, chemical radiation sensitizers, dose rate, tissue effects, radiation protection. 2. Basic concepts of radiation physics: Production of clinical radiation (particulate, electromagnetic), radiation beams of clinical value, radiation treatment planning. 3. Principles of Cancer Radiotherapy: Therapeutic ratio, tumor control dose in clinical setting, various aims of radiation therapy, tumor radiosensitivity and radioresistance, normal tissue tolerance dose, modifiers of radiation response, dose fractionation effects, modern radiation therapy techniques (IMRT, IGRT), brachytherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, radiotherapy combined with other therapeutic modalities (chemotherapy, surgery)

Mode and outcomes of teaching: The course is taught initially with oral presentations. Then, groups of 4-5 students come at the Radiation Therapy Department of the University Hospital for their clinical practice. They attend the activities of the Department: Follow-up of patients, the contouring of tumor and organs at risk at the CT simulator and the arrangement of the treatment fields, the treatment planning, the patient positioning at the CT simulator and linear accelerator, at the treatment room. They also attend the brachytherapy process. At the end of the course the students should know the basic principles of radiation Oncology.

Hours of training per student: 26

From the 6th Semester:

ECTS: 2

Object: The course of «Topics in Clinical Pharmacology» refers to the practical use of medicinal products in the treatment of various diseases. Instead of describing the properties of pharmaceutical substances, as is the case in the courses of Pharmacology I and II, the starting point of Clinical Pharmacology is the pathophysiology of a disease and the strategies of therapy through the combination of various medicines. Thus, «Topics in Clinical Pharmacology» include lessons, which can be considered as an introduction to therapeutics.

Content: Clinical Pharmacology has as a prerequisite the understanding of the official protocols applied in the therapy of certain diseases and the rational of the selection of the medicines included and combined in these protocols. Thus, this new approach to the medicinal products has as a starting point the pathophysiology of a disease, as opposed to the conventional lectures of Pharmacology where emphasis is given to the description of the properties of various medicinal products. It may suffice to refer to certain representative topics, such as «Combination of anaesthetics», «Drugs used to treat acute myocardial infarction», «Treatment of hypertension», «Treatment of peptic ulcer », «Treatment of degenerative diseases of the CNS», «Drug abuse in sports and anti-doping policy» etc.

Teaching Methods and Outcomes: The course «Topics in Clinical Pharmacology» aims to the better understanding of the criteria applied in the combination of different medicinal products in treating a disease. Combining different medicines has to take into consideration any possible interaction among them, which may result either to increased efficacy (synergy) or to amplification of side effects (toxicity). The students have the opportunity to work on a certain topic, which they present as a short lecture to their fellow-students. This is accompanied by a written paper on the same topic, on the basis of which they get their final evaluation score.

Hours of training per student: 26

From the 6th Semester

ECTS: 2

Course objectives: Familiarization with the dynamic use of cardiac ultrasound and development of the relative diagnostic competency.

Course contents: Principles of echocardiography, "ultrasound anatomy" of the heart, How to evaluate a patient for non-cardiac surgery (guidelines), Perioperative evaluation and configuration of pacemakers, defibrillators, cardiac evaluation (TTE), evaluation of: LV, ΑοV, MV, thoracic aorta aneurysms, Echo calculations, volume status and adverse events (TEE).

Course structure and teaching outcomes: The course consists of: formal class teaching with emphasis on case discussions, hands on experience in the OR and the Postoperative Unit.

Students will learn: to interpret cardiac echo studies, to follow its use as an intra-operative monitoring and to evaluate adverse events. Course objectives accomplishment will be evaluated in verbal case discussions.

Hours of training per student: 26

From the 10th Semester

ECTS: 2