Performance expectations
-I'm putting this at the top because my class is very different from most.
-Students aren't expected to know anything coming in to the class, which is confusing for a student who is used to feeling successful by knowing all the answers.  
-I have some students who have been taking this class for years.  The topics are rarely repeated and I always adjust the class to the students in that session so they are also learning new material but have some understanding of related topics.
-My classes are designed to be challenging for every student but also to provide enough scaffolding that every student is able to gain knowledge and understanding of what we're discussing.  I'll sometimes ask a question that I know only one or two students will get and sometimes no one. 

Class Basics
-This is an ongoing class that meets once a week.
-We will learn about a different diagnosis or condition or body system every week.
-The classes each stand alone so you can start at any time! 
-My teaching week runs Monday to Saturday in U.S. time so on Saturday in the U.S. (which is Sunday in the Eastern hemisphere), I'm covering the same topic as I was the week previous and change to a new topic on Monday.
-In each session, we'll discuss a topic of interest to the learners. 
-You can see the schedule below for what has been covered before and what will be covered in the future.

Teaching & Learning Style
-I encourage students to ask lots of questions!   As a family physician, I'm able to answer most questions even if they weren't originally in my lesson plan.
-My teaching style involves a lot of back and forth, helping learners come up with what they already know and applying it to the topic and the new information. 
-I encourage learners to keep their cameras on and to participate but I understand that there are many reasons why that may not work for your learner and that's fine! 
-I also have a number of students with various learning needs so please message me if there's anything I can do to make it a good experience for your child.

More Class Details
-As often as possible, I will include models to help illustrate what we are learning. 
-When discussing a topic that is difficult to model (such as the peripheral nerves), I will use drawings and examples.
-I often use stories, either about patients or telling about the human body as a narrative.
-Typically I'll use 2-5 minutes of video in each class to illustrate what we're learning about, usually to show an experiment or demonstration I can't do in my office or a real life example of what we've covered or to have students apply what they've learned in a novel situation.
-Some lessons have none and very occasionally there will be more (for example, in the class on robotics, I showed clips of all different types of robots after discussing each one because what's the fun of just talking about them?)

Topics
-This schedule is based entirely on requests from students in the class.
-If you are currently in the class, just message me with any topics you want to cover and they will be added! 
-->(see bottom of description for past topics--these can be repeated but if it's been less than 6-9 months since it was covered, I'll ask questions about your interest to come up with a different angle)

2024
 
September 23: POTS (Explore what we know and don't know about postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome)
September 30: Gastroparesis (understand what's happening with a sluggish stomach and what doctors do to help)
October 7: Kidney stones and more (How are kidney stones and gallbladder stones different? How are kidneys stones diagnosed and treated? What are lasers and shockwaves?)
October 14: Amazing blood type discoveries (the incredible story of one of the most successful treatments invented that's saved millions of babies!)
October 21: Types of bones and what they do (there's a lot to understand about our skeletal system!) (note: there's a special request to talk more about ribs!)
October 28: Covid including how it impacts different organs and long covid (updated information with the latest research!)
November 4: EDS (Connective tissues, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and how we know that something is "underdiagnosed")
November 11: MS (relapsing remitting and more)
November 18: Alzheimers, Frontotemporal dementia, and more
November 25: How we digest our food and get nutrition from it (all the details of what happens in your stomach and intestines)
December 2: Celiac disease, Lactose intolerance, Peanut allergy, and other reasons people can't eat something
December 9: Space Medicine (astronauts!!!)
December 16: Strep throat, colds, and flu (how do doctors know which you have and what to do?)
December 23: Stuttering (what it is, what it's caused by, how it's treated, and more)
December 30: Things that go wrong with the immune system (differences between allergies, autoimmune diseases, and an immune system that doesn't work well)
Sickle cell disease and sickle cell trait
Jan 6: TB (tuberculosis)
Jan 13: 


-->Don't worry, it keeps going!  Let me know what else you want to learn. :-)



Past topics:
2020
week of Dec 1: Gastroenterology (poop, gas, reflux, and vomit)
week of Dec 8: Neurology (the peripheral nerves--this is different from the one-time neurology brain class)
week of Dec 15: Pulmonology (the lungs and airways, asthma)
week of Dec 22: Otolaryngology/Audiology (the ears and hearing, hearing aids, cochlear implants)
week of Dec 29: Medical Equipment (stethoscope, heart murmurs)
2021
week of Jan 5: Vaccines and How They Work
week of Jan 12: Infectious disease/Pulmonology (pneumonia)
week of Jan 19: Genetics (ear wax, blood types)
week of Jan 26: Hepatology (hepatitis)
week of Feb 2: Orthopedics (broken bones and how they heal, how to take good care of your bones)
week of Feb 9: Dermatology (cuts and bruises)
week of Feb 16:  Dermatology (Preventing sun damage to the skin)
Week of Feb 23: Nutrition (Vitamin deficiencies)
week of March 2: Immunology and Viruses (Cold sores and shingles)
week of March 9: Epidemiology (Pandemics, Epidemics, and Outbreaks)
week of March 16: Otolaryngology (Ear infections and ear tubes)
week of March 23: Neonatology (Circulation before you're born and after you're born)
week of March 30: Gastroenterology (Stomach acid, ulcers, h pylori, viral gastroenteritis, vomiting, and reflux)
week of April 6: Hematology (why blood isn't scary and what's actually in it)
week of April 13: Spinal Cord (how messages get through our body)
week of April 20: Orthopedics (bones, how many bones, longest bone, smallest bone, etc)
week of April 27: Rheumatology 
week of May 4: ENT (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo/Motion Sickness)
week of May 11: Epilepsy
Week if May 18: Dental Care (cavities, losing teeth, braces)
Week of May 25: Neurodiversity
Week of June 1: Working for the Health Department--Salmonella and Food Borne Illnesses
Week of June 8: When Doctors and Veterinarians Work Together
Week of June 15: Prosthetics
Week of June 21: Why People Need Glasses
Week of June 28: Viruses
Week of July 5: Grey Matter in the Brain
Week of July 12: Lots of Whys! Why do ears pop? Why do we sneeze? Why do we cough? Why do we hiccup? 
Week of July 19: Sleep and Sleep disorders
Week of July 26: COPD and Inhalers
Week of August 2: Liver
Week of August 9: Lice and Other Parasites
Week of August 16: Celiac Disease
Week of August 23: Video Game Addiction
Week of August 30: Blood and Blood Disorders 
Week of September 6: Food problems, peanut allergy, lactose intolerance vs milk allergy
Week of September 13: How We Make Speech
Week of September 20: Neonatology (baby physiology and development)
Week of September 27: Migraines and Other Headaches
Week of October 4: How do we grow?
Week of October 11: Frontal Lobe of the Brain
Week of October 18: Down Syndrome
Week of October 25: Embryology (Cleft Lip/Cleft Palate, Omphalocele, Limb differences, VACTERL)
Week of November 1: Hypothermia and Other Winter Problems
Week of November 8: Malaria and Dengue
Week of November 15: Robots in Medicine
Week of November 22: Polio
Week of November 29: The Feet: fallen arches, hammer toes, bunions, corns and callouses, etc
Week of December 6: The Gut/Brain Connection (Enteric nervous system, vagus nerve)
Week of December 13: Scarlet Fever
Week of December 20: Surgery using example of Appendicitis: Anatomy, Anesthesia, Surgery
Week of December 27: Anaphylaxis
2022
Week of January 3: Inside the Mouth
Week of January 10: Healing Cuts, Wounds, Scars, Stitches, Wound Vacs
Week of January 17: Eating Plants (how we digest them and what nutrients we get from them)
Week of January 24: Bites & Stings (bees, mosquitos, stinging nettles, and others) 
Week of January 31: Physiological Responses to Emotions and Vice Versa
Week of February 7: Dyslexia (and How We Read) and ADHD (Percy Jackson)
Week of February 14: Eating Protein (how we digest it and what nutrients we get from it) 
Week of February 21: What makes you look like you (face, posture, gait, spy disguises)
Week of February 28: Hypothalamic Pituitary Axis
Week of March 7: Space Medicine (Astronauts)
Week of March 14: How the Immune System Works 
Week of March 21:  Cardiovascular health problems (including heart attacks and arrhythmia)
Week of March 28: Superantigens (kawasaki disease and others)
Week of April 4: Eyebrows and their surroundings (eyelashes, eyelids, skin, muscles, bone, etc) 
Week of April 11: Swallowing pills (pharmacology, how does the medicine get in us and work, how does it clear out)
Week of April 18: Diabetes 
Week of April 25: Plague (Black Death)--then and now
Week of May 2: Kidneys, Dialysis, and Transplants (and Human Leukocyte Antigen, Blood Type)
Week of May 9: Different types of cells
Week of May 16: Vaccines
Week of May 23: Asthma 
Week of May 30: Dangerous toys (strong magnets, fingerprint powder, radioactive ore) 
Week of June 6: Antibiotic Resistance
Week of June 13: Diseases that used to be and what it means to eradicate a disease: English sweats vs. Guinea worm (<20 cases annually) and the future of disease eradication
Week of June 20: Interstitium and lymphatic system
Week of June 27: The longest medical words, how to say them, how to figure out what they mean, and complicated names for common things
Week of July 3: Color Blindness
Week of July 10: Rheumatology
Week of July 17: Hypertension, High cholesterol, and how they work together against us
Week of July 24: Hypothyroidism (in context of pituitary hormones)
Week of July 31: Common Eye Problems
Week of August 7: Neurodiversity: ADHD and Autism
Week of August 14: G-tubes and other ways people get nutrition
Week of August 21: Neurotransmitters, hormones, and mood
Week of August 28: Minor injuries (paper cuts, foreign body in ear/nose, 
Week of September 4: Sports injuries (fractures, dislocations, concussion) 
Week of September 11: Genetics (blood type, ear wax)
Week of September 18: Crying, laughing, yawning, and other physical aspects of feelings
Week of September 25: Ear problems (ear infections, swimmers ear, impacted cerumen, ear tubes)
Week of October 3: Common illnesses kids and babies get (colds, ear infections, strep, gastroenteritis)
Week of October 10: Waste from body (pee, poop, carbon dioxide)
Week of October 17: Hair, nails, sebum, sweat
Week of October 24: The nutrition we get from different food groups and why we need it (and what are vegetarians, vegans, pescatarians, omnivores, locavores, etc?)
Week of October 31: Baby illnesses and problems
Week of November 6: Brain science
Week of November 13: Cool stuff with the immune system (knows you from not-you, B and T cell mutations, immunotherapy)
Week of November 20: What causes and treats breathing problems?
Week of November 27: Pain
Week of December 4: Broken bones and how they heal
Week of December 11: Vitamin deficiencies
Week of December 18: Neonatology
Week of December 25: Otolaryngology/Audiology (the ears and hearing, hearing aids, cochlear implants)
2023
Week of Jan 1: Newborn screenings
Week of Jan 8: Heart Attacks, Heart Murmurs, and Heart Failure
Week of Jan 15: Swallowing pills (pharmacology, how does the medicine get in us and work, how does it clear out)
Week of Jan 22: Vitamin and mineral toxicity
Week of Jan 29: What is a screening test?
Week of Feb 5: Types of bacteria, antibiotics, bacterial resistance and why some diseases aren't a problem anymore
Week of Feb 12: Types of viruses, antivirals, mutations, and how vaccines work
Week of Feb 19: Parasites
Week of Feb 26: How Blood Clots and Doesn't Clot
Week of March 5: Cold sores and shingles
Week of March 12: Vertigo
Week of March 19: Hypothermia and frostbite
Week of March 26: Headaches
Week of April 2: Strep throat, colds, and flu (how do doctors know which you have and what to do?)
Week of April 9: Health in Zero Gravity and Microgravity (ASTRONAUTS!!!!)
Week of April 16: Grey Matter and White Matter and the Medulla Oblongata (how your smart brain got so smart and how it all works together!)
Week of April 23: Neonatal Circulation (how babies in their mom's bellies live without breathing air or eating food!)
Week of April 30: Sleep (the coolest, weirdest thing we do)
Week of May 7: How Your Brain Gets Hijacked! (by games, candy, and more)
Week of May 14: How we grow (bones, hormones, and more)
Week of May 21: Epilepsy (how the brain works, what happens when someone has a seizure)
Week of May 28: Embryology (what is cleft lip/cleft palate? what is a "lucky fin"?)
Week of June 4: Cerebral Palsy (difficulty with movement)
Week of June 11: Autoimmune diseases (how the body attacks itself!)
Week of June 18: Polio (a great success story for vaccines and many say the beginning of disability rights)
Week of June 25: Dog bites, cat bites, human bites, snake bites (which is the worst? what do we do?)
Week of July 2: Different kinds of poo (diarrhea, constipation, and more)
Week of July 9: Diabetes (what is it, what are the types)
Week of July 16: Stem cells, Yamanaka factors and the iPS cells (what happens when cells haven't decided what they'll be when they grow up)
Week of July 23: Fevers vs Hyperthermia (when you're hot and when you're not...)
Week of July 31 : Anaphylaxis (when the body overreacts and what happens next)
Week of August 7:  Enteric Nervous System (how our digestive system is WAY smarter than anyone imagined)
Week of August 14: Tuberculosis (a sneaky infection that can hide out for years)
Week of August 21: Taking care of our heart
Week of August 28: Genetics: Dominant and Recessive Genes vs Other Methods of Inheritance (ear wax, sickle cell, hemophilia)
Week of Sept 4: Type 2 Diabetes (how the system spirals out of control and what makes it better)
Week of Sept 11: Tummy aches (what causes them, how doctors diagnose and treat them)
Week of Sept 18: Hearing aids and cochlear implants
Week of Sept 25: Color Blindness
Week of October 2: Food safety
Week of October 9: Malaria and dengue
Week of October 16: Sickle cell 
Week of October 23: Protein in the body
Week of October 30: Sleep apnea, what it is, how it works, how it's diagnosed and treated, and what it can cause if not treated
Week of November 6: How we speak, read, and understand language
Week of November 13: Places we grow bacteria in our bodies
Week of November 20: Flu shots and covid shots (how they work, why we need new ones every year)
Weeks missing here, they were taught but accidentally deleted in the schedule

2024
Week of Jan 1: Surgery for broken bones vs letting them heal with just a cast 
Week of Jan 8: CPR (what is it, how does it work, why is it done)
Week of Jan 15: The Interstitium (the system Dr. Robin didn't realize hadn't been discovered yet, lol) and how fluids move through different spaces in the body (interstitial fluid, cerebral spinal fluid, lymphatic fluid, blood)
Week of Jan 22: Alpha-Gal Syndrome (a strange medical mystery!)
Week of Jan 29: Asthma, how medications work, and how it's related to eczema and allergies 
Week of Feb 5: How the pleasure centers of our brain keep us alive and trick us into bad decisions 
Week of Feb 12: How the Heart Beats: EKGs, Arrhythmias (the electricity of abnormal heart beats and how we can see them on an EKG)
Week of Feb 19: Hypermobility and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome
Week of Feb 26: Vitiligo and similar conditions
Week of March 4: Cuts, scrapes, stitches, infections (what can go wrong with skin injuries)
Week of March 11: Nails, ingrown nails, fungal nails, changes in nails because of other problems, and more
Week of March 18: Kidney transplants 
Week of March 25: Parkinson's Disease (and brain implants!)
Week of April 1: Common health scams (like April Fools but really serious!)
Week of April 8: Heart Attacks 
Week of April 15: How we don't hurt (how lidocaine, acetominophen, and ibuprofen work)
Week of April 22: Sepsis (infection in your blood)
Week of April 29: Cystic Fibrosis (a genetic disease that shows us how important every gene is and also how important medical research is for improving lives) 
Week of May 6: Sunburns, skin cancer, and the immune system
Week of May 13:  How doctors discovered vitamins (thinking scientifically about a problem)
Week of May 20: Tooth decay and more!
Week of May 27: Anemia
June 3: Brain surgery
June 10: Headaches
June 17: High Blood Pressure
June 24: Appendicitis
July 1: Vertigo
July 8: Diabetes type 1 vs Diabetes type 2 
July 15: Neurodiversity (ADHD, autism, OCD)
July 22: Rashes
July 29: bronchiectasis
August 5: The Thymus
August 12: Hashimoto's Thyroiditis
August 19: Seizures
August 26: Dehydration 
September 2: Congenital heart disease (transposition of the great vessels and the LeCompte maneuver)
September 9: Prosthetics
September 16: Down Syndrome