Course Director: Dennis M. DePace, PhD

• Introduction
• Goals
• Eligibility
• Medical Embryology Course Description
• Syllabus

Introduction

We have developed a web-based summer remediation course for medical students who have received a failing grade during their initial course in Medical Embryology.

Students take the course online while remaining at their own institution.

The course consists of materials from the Embryology content of the Gross Anatomy course at Drexel University College of Medicine (see syllabus below), and is presented in a fashion that allows the students to progress at their own rate within established limits.

Some modular options will be available for remediation involving multidisciplinary integrated courses. Please contact us for pricing and availability.

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Goals

• To review the basics of gametogenesis and the function of male and female gametes.
• To provide insight into the processes of early development and the formation of the embryonic germ layers and their subsequent development into the various organ systems.
• To provide an understanding of the complexities involved in the normal development of the organ systems.
• To certify by means of a written examination that, upon successful completion of this course, the student has demonstrated an acceptable level of competency in the subject matter.

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Eligibility

• The course is open only to medical students who have completed a medical school course that included embryology but who require a remediation of the conceptual principles of the discipline.
• Students must be registered in an accredited U.S. medical school, or equivalent.
• Students must provide written approval from their administrator (usually the dean of students) in order to take the course.
• Students must also supply written assurance from their administrator that a proctor will be supplied to administer the final exam.
• Prerequisite: Completion of a first-year medical school curriculum that included embryology.
• Students must have a computer equipped with a web browser and access to a reliable high-speed internet connection.

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Medical Embryology Course Description

• Course name: Summer Remediation Course in Medical Embryology.
• Offered by the Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy at Drexel University College of Medicine.
• Tuition fee: $3,000 (please contact us for pricing and availability for remediation involving integrated multidisciplinary modules).
• The course material is available from June 8 until June 22, 2026.

The course includes:

• Lectures presented as streaming video.
• Lecture notes that can be downloaded for editing or viewed simultaneously with the streaming video.
• Four online assignments to be turned in by the student for grading by the instructor.
• Section exams that will not count per se toward the final grade but will provide formative feedback to the students as they progress through the course, and also serve as practice for the final exams.
• A medical school faculty member who is available for questions and answers via telephone or email.

The course is divided into 10 sections (see detailed syllabus below):

1. Early Development (Gametogenesis to Implantation)
2. Bilaminar and Trilaminar Embryo
3. Fetal Membranes and Placenta
4. Development of the Body Cavities
5. Development of the Musculoskeletal System
6. Development of the GI Tract and Related Structures
7. Development of the Cardiovascular System
8. Development of the Genitourinary System
9. Branchial Arches and Face
10. Eye and Ear

Final Exam:

• There will be a single final exam, which will determine the student's grade for the course.
• All questions are in a multiple choice format.
• The final will be administered online using the Respondus Lockdown browser and must be take at the student's home institution under proctored conditions. If travel back to the home institution presents an economic hardship, the student may elect to take the exam using a professional proctoring service pending prior approval by the course directors of this course and the students' dean of student affairs.

Grade Summary:

• Final exam (100%)

Section Exams:

• At the end of each section there will be a section exam. These will help students assess their understanding of the material from that one section, but WILL NOT count toward the final grade.
• Each section exam is taken through Blackboard Learn and requires a computer and use of the Respondus Lockdown browser.
• Passing a section exam will allow the student to start the next section.
• Bonus points will be awarded for each section exam that a student gets 70% or better on the first attempt prior to the deadline for completion. These will be factored into the student's final grade.

Evaluation:

• A feedback questionnaire will be requested from each enrolled student to evaluate the course resources (lecture notes, streaming video lectures, lecturers, help provided by the course director, overall quality of the course, areas for improvement, etc.)
• Success on the final exam will indicate that the student has reached a level of proficiency in Medical Embryology, similar to that of other medical students in this institution.
• Since the material taught and the tests used in this course are equivalent to those used in the embryology component of our regular Gross Anatomy course, we expect that students passing this Summer Remediation Course in Medical Embryology will be well prepared to continue their medical education.

Administration:

• The course is packaged and administered through Blackboard Learn.
• The course is offered through the Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, and all administrative tasks related to the course will be handled by the course directors.
• Final grades will be sent to the student's dean for confirmation of course completion as well as to the student. Since the course is administered through the Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, an official transcript from Drexel University College of Medicine will not be issued.

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Syllabus

 
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