HISTOLOGY COURSE

Information and rules of the course

for students of the 6-year program
1. The histology course consists of lectures (Thursdays) and laboratories (Fridays) covering the
topics presented in the preceding lecture.

2. Participation in laboratories is obligatory. Maximum three absences per semester are allowed.
Attention: students who exceed the allowed number of three absences per semester fail to
get the credit and must repeat the course.

3. Participation in lectures is highly recommended, since they help the students understand
complex problems presented in the textbook and provide up-to-date and/or accessory
information which cannot be found in the textbook.

4. Three mid-semester MCQ tests with 60% pass level:

• The cell (40 questions)
• The tissues (60 questions)
• Histology of the alimentary system (40 questions)
will be held according to the syllabus. A student who fails the test will be allowed to retake the test
in about two weeks time.
In order to get the credit and to be allowed to take the final exam, student has to achieve a
total score in all three tests no lower than 60% of the maximal total score 140, i.e. 84. Students with
lower total scores will have to take “the last chance test” in June, before the final exam. The test
(40 questions, pass level 60%) will cover the material of all three mid-semester tests. Students who
fail will not be allowed to take the final exam in June and, according to the general rules of studies
at the Jagiellonian University, they will take the final exam only once, in September, under the
condition that they repeat and pass the retake of “last chance test”. Students who fail this test do
not get the credit and, if allowed (Dean’s decision), must repeat the course.

5. The final exam, held in June, is the ultimate basis for the completion of the course. Only
students who have not exceeded the allowed number of absences and collected the required
number of points in the mid-semester tests will get the credit and will be allowed to take
the final exam.
The final exam, covering the whole material of the course consists of two parts:
(a) the practical (laboratory) part: identification of tissues/organs and their specific structures in
13 microscopic slides and 2 electron micrographs. This part is evaluated on the pass/fail basis.
(b) the theoretical part (MCQ, 100 questions, 60% pass level). Grades obtained will count as the
exam grades.
• Students who passed a mid-semester test with the score >90% will have 2 bonus points
added to the exam score.
• Students who showed excellent performance at the laboratory part (result 14-15) and passed
the theoretical part with the score 1 or 2 points short of the higher grade, will have their
grades elevated by 0.5. Elevation of the grade will also be awarded for excellent results of
the weekly mini-tests (see next section). Elevations can not be summed up.

Students who fail any part of the exam will be allowed to retake it in September. The above bonus
points and grade elevations can be applied only in case of passed theoretical exam and are not
valid for the retake exam.

6. All decisions concerning the course are in the competence of the Course Coordinator.

The teaching staff:

Prof. J.A. Litwin (Course Coordinator)
Prof. T. Cichocki
Prof. J. Mirecka
Dr. G. Lis
Dr. M. Gajda
B. Wójcik, M.Sc.

HOW TO STUDY HISTOLOGY

Histology requires continuous learning. Participation in a lab (analysis of microscopical slides

and electron micrographs) without at least basic knowledge of its subject makes no sense, since you
will not know what you are looking at and nothing will remain in your memory. An attempt to
learn a large material in a short time (a common “stop and go” way of learning – lazy weeks
followed by hectic work just before mid-semester test or exam) usually leads to disastrous results.
Moreover, knowledge gained in such a way is very unreliable - you forget almost all in a short time
(some students call it "LPF-type learning": Learn-Pass-Forget).

This is the recommended practice:

1. Attend the lectures, collect the lecture presentation printouts which will be available in
advance on the School website and make additional notes during the lecture
2. On Thursday afternoon (after the lecture), first review your lecture printouts/notes. This will
facilitate the basic understanding of the material presented in the lecture.
3. Next, read the appropriate chapter in your textbook in order to enrich your knowledge and
to memorize all the topics. It will take no more than 1-2 hours and it is really worth that
time. On Friday lab you will fully understand the content of the examined slides/electron
micrographs and memorize them. Moreover, the reviewing of the material before mid-
semester test or exam will be much easier and a good result will be highly probable.

To provide motivation for such practice, starting from the lab devoted to epithelial tissue, each lab
will begin with a short MCQ type quiz (10 questions, 5 minutes) covering the basic problems of
the subject. An average of >85% during the year will result in elevation of the grade by 0.5 at the
final exam (if passed).

PLEASE RESPECT CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

(this short and friendly advice has been based on our past experience with some students from
abroad)

In the Polish academic life, the following behavior during lectures/seminars/laboratories is regarded
as impolite:
• Being late
• Loud conversations
• Whistling, singing, etc.
• Demonstrative yawning
• Eating
• Using mobile phones (they should be switched off)
• Wearing caps (unless your religion tells otherwise or there are medical indications)