Department of Para-Clinical Sciences

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https://uwispace.sta.uwi.edu/handle/2139/49407

In the Faculty of Medical Sciences, St Augustine, the Department of Para-Clinical Sciences bridges the Pre-Clinical and Clinical Sciences. The Department has three (3) Units comprising: Pathology/Microbiology, Pharmacology, and Public Health & Primary Care (PHPC). Pathology/Microbiology and Pharmacology are taught in Years 1 and 3 and the PHPC department provides teaching from Year 1 to Year 5 of the undergraduate medical curriculum. The department also coordinates the skills laboratory. All units are involved in postgraduate medical programmes.

The Unit of Public Health and Primary Care delivers the Diploma in Family Medicine, the Doctor of Medicine (DM) in Family Medicine, the Master of Public Health and hosts the year 2 medical student research programme. The Unit of Pathology delivers Master, MPhil/PhD degrees in Medical Microbiology, MPhil/PhD in Pathology and DM in Haematology and Blood Banking, and DM in Anatomical Pathology. The Unit of Pharmacology delivers MPhil/PhD in Pharmacology. Research is a mandatory requirement of all MPhil/PhD and DM programmes.

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Browsing Department of Para-Clinical Sciences by Author "Gopie, Priya"

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    Investigation of the Risk Factors and Associated Co-Morbid Conditions among Patients with Colorectal Cancer in Trinidad
    (Gastrointestinal Disorders, 2020) Chattu, Vijay Kumar; Gopie, Priya; Singh, Rajiv K.; Singh, Kimberly; Singh, Sachin; Singh, Sarah; Smith, Javanna; Sookram, Vitra; Saunders, DeAngello; Thomas, Krissi
    Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer, and the fourth most common cause of cancer mortality worldwide. In Trinidad and Tobago, it is the third most common type of cancer in both sexes. Since there is scanty research on the risk factors associated with CRC, this study was conducted to determine the correlation between risk factors, including associated comorbid conditions, and CRC in Trinidad. A cross-sectional study was conducted amongst diagnosed CRC patients (>18 years) using a pre-tested questionnaire consisting of sections on demographic data, lifestyle before diagnosis, quality of life, and depression status. Additional information such as recurrence of cancer, Body Mass Index (BMI), Hypertension (HT), blood glucose levels and family history of cancer were collected from the medical records. Of the total participants, the majority were males (58%), and the mean age of diagnosis in both sexes was 65 years. The retrospective chart review showed that 68% were found to have a comorbid condition (Diabetes or HT). Upon review of the medical records, 93.2% of the subjects did not have a familial history. However, the questionnaire data showed that 73% of subjects had a family history. Around 50% of CRC patients were alcohol consumers and 30% were cigarette smokers prior to their cancer diagnosis. Interestingly, a majority of patients (91%) had never been screened for CRC prior to their diagnosis. Subjects with CRC displayed minimal depression, indicating that being diagnosed with CRC did not have a grave impact on their state of mind or quality of life. Our findings showed that prevalence of CRC was higher in males and amongst individuals of African descent. However, larger prospective studies may be warranted to fully demonstrate this effect