This course introduces basic medical word roots, prefixes, suffixes, and the combination of forms by using word parts to construct selected medical terms. The course will introduce the terminology used to communicate with healthcare professionals and accepted medical terminology used when documenting in the healthcare (medical) record. The student is required to utilize basic computer skills to perform simple narrative documentation. This is a two credit hour course.

This course has no guarantee of transferability to another college or university. The student should check with the institution to which they wish to transfer.
This course introduces students to medical terminology that will be used throughout a medical career.

Required:

Required Books
1. Gylys, Barbara A.; Wedding, Mary Ellen; Medical Terminology Systems, A Body Systems Approach; 6th Edition, FA Davis (with Interactive Medical Terminology 2.0 CD).

Suggested:

Suggested
1. Any medical dictionary such as Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary.
2. Or access to an online medical dictionary reference: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mplusdictionary.html

You can buy your book(s) online at the NMJC Bookstore: http://www.nmjcbookstore.com/

You can buy your books online at the NMJC Bookstore.

The following represents the grading scale used for this course:

100-90 A
89-80 B
79-70 C
69-60 D
< 60 F
1. The student must achieve a grade of “C” or better to be eligible for application to the nursing program.
2. Course grades will be based on the following weighted scoring system:
Final exam = 13%
Weekly Discussion Question = 16%
Weekly Participation = 8%
Assignments = 21%
Quizzes = 42%
a. Weekly discussion question: 2 points maximum per discussion question per week
b. Weekly participation: 1 participation point maximum per week
c. Assignments: 3 points maximum for each homework assignment per week
d. Quizzes: 6 points maximum for each quiz per week
e. Final exam: 13 points maximum for the final exam
3. All assignments should be completed and submitted on time. If an assignment is not completed and submitted to Black Board by the due date and time, 10 points will be deducted for each day the assignment is late. If an assignment is more than 5 days late, a zero will be given for that assignment. All assignments should be submitted by midnight (Mountain Time) to Black Board the day the assignment is due. *The student will receive a grade on the assignments (including discussion questions) according to the measurement standard set by the faculty.
4. Discussion Questions: Each week there will be one discussion question to enhance the student’s knowledge and comprehension of the weekly material. Each student is required to answer the discussion question, by the due date, with at least 150 words and no more than 400 words.
References and citations are not required for answering discussion questions however, if a student uses material other than his or her own work, this material must be referenced and cited otherwise the student will be plagiarizing material which is considered academic dishonesty (see academic honesty policy in NMJC student handbook). Do not use another’s work as your own.
**If you are unclear as to the definition of plagiarism, please see your student handbook which can be purchased in the bookstore or found on the NMJC website. Please ask questions if you are unsure on how to cite or reference any material (examples will be provided for you)**
5. Participation: Each student is required to “participate” in class discussions each week. Discussion questions will be counted toward part of your participation points. Each student will be required to respond to at least one of your classmate’s discussion questions. You should have a minimum of 2 weekly posts on at least 1 out of 7 days in order to receive full participation points. There will be no maximum limit on responses. Simply stating “I agree” is not considered a substantial response. Your responses should be at least 100 words or more and reflect upon what the other student has stated or bring out more information. (For example, you can reflect on your own personal experience related to what your classmate has written, or you may reflect and ask a question to draw out more information from your classmate).
6. Quizzes: There will be several quizzes for you to take. All quizzes can be taken at home at your own leisure with any computer that has an internet connection. The first quiz will cover the syllabus and course rules as well as week 1/unit 1 content. You will be required to complete each weekly quiz. The quizzes can be taken any time during the week they are assigned only, but must be completed before the due date and time. Each weekly quiz will have either 25 or 50 questions (based on weekly/unit content). I recommend you take the quizzes without your books, just so you can see what you have learned from the week. Remember, medical terminology will be used throughout your nursing or healthcare career. There will be an "end of course survey" which is not required but will help me fine tune the online course format in future classes.
You will not be allowed to review exams as exam questions will be reused for the final exam. However, if you have a question about what you missed on the exam, email the instructor and the areas of needed improvement will be sent to you for study for the final exam.
7. The final exam will be comprehensive, covering material for the semester. Multiple questions will be taken from the semester's quizzes and used for the final exam plus scenario type questions and following directions in writing medical terminology based on the body systems. The final exam will be based on the theoretical content. The final exam will be “open book” and you will be allowed to take the exam at home.
8. Final Grade: The student must receive a passing final grade average of a “C” to be successful in the course and to be eligible for application to the nursing program (provided all other pre-requisites have been met. Being eligible to apply to the nursing program does not automatically enroll you into the nursing program). All discussion questions, participation, assignments, and the final exam will be on computer via Black Board.
9. Power or internet failure: If you suffer a power outage and/or internet failure, you must submit proof in writing to the instructor in order to retake the final exam or be given an extension on a due date (or the instructor must be able to verify the failure). However, always think ahead! If you believe a power outage is possible (signs of bad weather, etc.), submit homework and/or discussion questions early to ensure you do not miss the due date. There are also other options available for internet access (such as local libraries and the NMJC campus library and/or nursing computer lab).
10. Classroom Absences and Attendance: Since this is an online course, you have the ability to go to class “when you want to”. However, some rules are still in place to ensure "attendance". You will not receive participation points for the week if you do not log on and post a discussion question or participation responses at least 1 time during the 7 day week. If a discussion question is not answered, no points will be given for that question; if you do not respond to at least one classmate's discussion question or response, you will not receive participation points for the week. If you are late with discussion questions you will only receive a maximum of half of your discussion question points which will also affect your participation points. You must log into your Black Board medical terminology class and post at least 1 post per week in order to be considered in attendance. Attendance and participation are two different things. Attendance would be like you coming to class every day. If you do not log in at least once per week in the discussion board and post a note (does not have to be substantial for attendance), discussion question, or question to the instructor, you will be considered "not in attendance" that week. If you fail to be in attendance for two consecutive weeks you may be withdrawn from the course, or asked to withdraw as this will adversely affect your grade.
When unavoidable circumstances make attendance impossible, students must provide a written and verbal explanation of their absence(s) to the instructor. Unavoidable circumstances are considered but not limited to: accidents, deaths and hospitalizations of self and/or immediate family members and court ordered subpoenas. If the student has excessive absenteeism and is unable, in the estimation of the instructor and the Director of the Nursing Program, to meet the objectives of the course the student will be advised to withdraw from the course (if time permits) or will receive a failing grade for the course (two weeks of no participation). The student not meeting participation requirements (which is tied to attendance) will also be reported to the financial aid office (this is a requirement for all students whether you receive financial aid or not).
11. All coursework: All coursework, including but not limited to homework assignments, quizzes, discussion questions, participation, and/or exams/quizzes must be submitted to the instructor electronically. All coursework must be submitted electronically in the correct places (for example: discussion questions should be answered in the discussion board under the correct thread and your homework assignments should be submitted electronically under the assignment/homework icon/page. No Written work or hard copies will be accepted, all assignments MUST be turned in electronically through Black Board. This course is fast paced so if you do not know how to work Black Board or are not internet/computer inclined you may want to take a course or take a training session before enrolling in this course as there is no time for training related to internet/black board.

Retrieving Grades from Banner System
Go to the New Mexico Junior College Banner login page. Please enter your User Identification Number (ID), which is your Banner ID or your Social Security Number without hyphens, and your Personal Identification Number (PIN). When finished, click Login.

Tips for Success in Online Courses:
1. Log in to class regularly.
2. Pay attention.
3. Take notes.
4. Keep up with readings and assignments.
5. Ask questions when you do not understand something.
6. Utilize your professor’s office hours and e-mail.
7. Read the text.
8. Adhere to the deadlines posted in the course outline.

In order to successfully complete this course, the student will demonstrate ability to:
1. Explain the techniques of medical word building using basic word elements.
2. Categorize major surgical, diagnostic, symptomatic and grammatical suffixes.
3. Know major prefixes and suffixes used in medical terminology.
4. Identify anatomical, physiological and pathological terms. Combining word forms used in cellular and body structure, body position and directions, regions of the body and diagnostic methods.
5. Know general diagnostic and therapeutic terms used to describe the body systems.

1. Build medical words using the basic elements of prefixes, suffixes, and root words.
2. Understand elements of suffixes and what meaning suffixes determine in medical words.
3. Understand elements of prefixes and what meaning prefixes determine in medical words.
4. Differentiate between single root words and compound words to interpret meaning of words.
5. Identify and define common medical words used to identify anatomical, physiological, and pathological medical words.
6. Identify and define common medical words used to identify body structures.
7. Identify and define common medical words used to identify body position.
8. Identify and define common medical words used to identify regions of the body.
9. Identify and define common medical words used to identify diagnostic methods.
10. Build common medical words used to identify anatomical, physiological, and pathological medical words.
11. Build common medical words used to identify body structures, body position, regions of the body, and diagnostic methods.

Student Requirements
If you have not already received login information for Blackboard/Banner/E-mail, you will need to contact the Enrollment Management office at (575) 492-2546.

Check first-time login page for instructions at www.nmjc.edu/distancelearning/coursescourseschedules/blackboardinstructions.aspx.

Blackboard Assistance

• Call the Blackboard helpdesk at (575) 399-2199 to gain an understanding of the software environment for your class.

You must have access, on a regular basis, to a computer that supports the Blackboard minimum specifications and has an active connection to the Internet. See the minimum computer specification requirements at www.nmjc.edu/distancelearning/coursescourseschedules/blackboardinstructions.aspx.

Students will be held responsible for the information on these pages.

Attendance Policy and Participation Expectations
It is expected that you regularly log into class at least three times weekly and check your Blackboard mail to ensure you have not missed any changes/updates. Students are expected to complete discussions/quizzes/tests/ assignments before deadlines expire.

Online Learning Environment
By participating in an online class, you undertake responsibility for your own progress and time management.

• Pay attention to deadlines and do not forget them (keep a calendar if it helps).
• Carefully read and understand all assignments.
• Complete assignments according to posted instructions and notes. Do not just glance at an assignment before attempting to complete it (this is likely to result in a poor grade).
• Questions may be posed for clarification in the class discussion area or by sending an e-mail to your instructor.

Academic Honesty
Each student is expected to maintain the highest standards of honesty and integrity in online academic and professional matters. The College reserves the right to take disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal, against any student who is found guilty of academic dishonesty or otherwise fails to meet these standards. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, dishonesty in quizzes, tests, or assignments; claiming credit for work not done or done by others; and nondisclosure or misrepresentation in filling out applications or other College records. Cheating or gaining illegal information for any type of graded work is considered dishonest and will be dealt with accordingly.

Plagiarism
Offering the work of another as one’s own, without proper acknowledgment, is plagiarism; therefore, any student who fails to give credit for quotations or essentially identical expression of material taken from books, encyclopedias, magazines and other reference works, or from the themes, reports, or other writings of a fellow student, is guilty of plagiarism. Plagiarism violates the academic honesty policy and is considered cheating.

Withdrawal Policy
The instructor has the right to drop any student who has failed to log on to Blackboard for two weeks or more, but it is not guaranteed that the instructor will drop you. If you choose to stop participating in an online class, you should withdraw yourself from the class by contacting the Enrollment Management Office (575-492-2546 or 800-657-6260), completing the proper paperwork by 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 8, 2010, and notifying your instructor. Failure to withdraw yourself from a course by this date may result in your receiving an “F” in the course.

Late Assignments
Assignments must be submitted by the date and time listed. It is not possible to make-up any assignments without prior approval from the professor.

Blackboard Help
If you experience difficulty with Blackboard you may reach the Blackboard Helpdesk at Bbhelpdesk@nmjc.edu, or by calling the 24 hour helpdesk phone at (575) 399-2199.

Online Tutoring Assistance
Free online tutoring services are available to all NMJC students (after the third week of class) through Smarthinking.com. If you experience difficulty utilizing Smarthinking, please contact the Blackboard Helpdesk at Bbhelpdesk@nmjc.edu, or by calling the 24 hour helpdesk phone at (575) 399-2199.

ADA Information
Any student requiring special accommodations should contact the Special Needs Student Services Coordinator at (575) 492-2576 or by e-mail at specialneeds@nmjc.edu.

Netiquette
The professor is responsible for monitoring and evaluating student conduct and student behavior within the Blackboard course. By registering for this class, the student is assumed to have entered into an agreement with New Mexico Junior College and the professor to log into the class regularly and to behave in an appropriate manner at all times. Disruptive behavior may result in the student being removed from the class and dropped for the semester. For comprehensive information on the common rules of netiquette and other online issues, please review the NMJC Online Student Handbook.