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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Medical Neuroscience by Duke University

4.9
stars
2,693 ratings

About the Course

Medical Neuroscience explores the functional organization and neurophysiology of the human central nervous system, while providing a neurobiological framework for understanding human behavior. In this course, you will discover the organization of the neural systems in the brain and spinal cord that mediate sensation, motivate bodily action, and integrate sensorimotor signals with memory, emotion and related faculties of cognition. The overall goal of this course is to provide the foundation for understanding the impairments of sensation, action and cognition that accompany injury, disease or dysfunction in the central nervous system. The course will build upon knowledge acquired through prior studies of cell and molecular biology, general physiology and human anatomy, as we focus primarily on the central nervous system. This online course is designed to include all of the core concepts in neurophysiology and clinical neuroanatomy that would be presented in most first-year neuroscience courses in schools of medicine. However, there are some topics (e.g., biological psychiatry) and several learning experiences (e.g., hands-on brain dissection) that we provide in the corresponding course offered in the Duke University School of Medicine on campus that we are not attempting to reproduce in Medical Neuroscience online. Nevertheless, our aim is to faithfully present in scope and rigor a medical school caliber course experience. This course comprises six units of content organized into 12 weeks, with an additional week for a comprehensive final exam: - Unit 1 Neuroanatomy (weeks 1-2). This unit covers the surface anatomy of the human brain, its internal structure, and the overall organization of sensory and motor systems in the brainstem and spinal cord. - Unit 2 Neural signaling (weeks 3-4). This unit addresses the fundamental mechanisms of neuronal excitability, signal generation and propagation, synaptic transmission, post synaptic mechanisms of signal integration, and neural plasticity. - Unit 3 Sensory systems (weeks 5-7). Here, you will learn the overall organization and function of the sensory systems that contribute to our sense of self relative to the world around us: somatic sensory systems, proprioception, vision, audition, and balance senses. - Unit 4 Motor systems (weeks 8-9). In this unit, we will examine the organization and function of the brain and spinal mechanisms that govern bodily movement. - Unit 5 Brain Development (week 10). Next, we turn our attention to the neurobiological mechanisms for building the nervous system in embryonic development and in early postnatal life; we will also consider how the brain changes across the lifespan. - Unit 6 Cognition (weeks 11-12). The course concludes with a survey of the association systems of the cerebral hemispheres, with an emphasis on cortical networks that integrate perception, memory and emotion in organizing behavior and planning for the future; we will also consider brain systems for maintaining homeostasis and regulating brain state....

Top reviews

MG

Jan 14, 2021

This course was a great opportunity for me to understand the world of neurology and helped me to clear all the ambiguities regarding the complex mechanisms that are happening in our beautiful brains.

KT

Nov 21, 2018

I leant so much without even realising it until I got to the final exams and all this knowledge was making sense. Amazing lecturer with so much wisdom in the area. The course is very well delivered.

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76 - 100 of 802 Reviews for Medical Neuroscience

By Mohamed M

Sep 5, 2016

Admittedly, some topics (especially neural signaling) could be explained so much more simply. Professor White sometimes picks the most random starting points to explain a new topic rather than explaining the subject matter in a Point A-Point B manner. Other times, there are other topics where information is omitted in an attempt to not overcomplicate the subject, although sometimes that omitted information could have easily helped to explain what the professor was talking about.

That said, this is an incredibly thorough, clear, yet manageable course. This course has the hands-down best resources (lecture notes, clinical case studies, interactive anatomy program, and a separate website) of any Coursera class I've taken. I've learned more from this class than any single class I've taken on Coursera or in college. Hats off and big thanks to Professor White, Ellen Vos, and everyone involved in this course.

By Abdinasir M A

Jul 16, 2020

I thank Duke University as an Institution, and particularly anyone who directly contributes to organize so competently this highly instructional course, "Medical Neuroscience", Prof Leonard E. White, and Coursera Team. It is huge appreciable and measurable effort.

I am celebrating my completion of Medical Neuroscience, I am glad and proud of what I have learned during the course, My knowledge regarding the field has been considerably enhanced. It is valid course for health care practitioners of all levels.

I am willing to keep learning specialized course of Medical Neuroscience, (Perception, Action and Brain).

I purchased text book, Neuroscience 6 edition. that has been helpful throughout the course with its Sylvius 4 online.

Congratulations and best wishes to Medical Neuroscience team for the skillful preparation and delivery of this instructional endeavor.

Dr Abdinasir Abukar

By Jonas W

Jun 17, 2023

Fantastic Course. I did it in my own tempo, taking over 2 years, and not being very active with exercises. Although I bought teh book I could not access Sylvus so i never benefited from that (might be linked to that I bought European export edition or something. I didn't pursue it fully). Taking this long time, mixing it with other courses I also forgot and re-learned a lot :) I also more or less completed teh entire online course, THEN bought the book and read and THEN did exams so I didn't ollow the curriculum My only "complaint" is that I felt that several of the questions didn't experience that the answer was readily available in the course material so I had to go to other sources and then re-take the exam. Not neccessarily a bad thing since I believe learning the same topic from different angles is beneficial. Thanks again for a GREAT course.

By florencia

Dec 19, 2020

The best course I have ever taken. It was really challenging. The content is incredible. There are so many resources to enhance your learning. Most of all, WHITE'S EFFORT IS SOMETHING I HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE. He delivered every topic in a really interesting, enjoyable, and exciting manner. You can see his compromise and passion for the subject in every video, resource, tutorial notes, or examples he uses. Even in the way in which he designed the exams; they really test your knowledge. Even after completing this course, I will definitely go back to all the resources he provided. I am sure I will make good use of all the information I learned here in my future career as a health practitioner. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMPROMISE! TO YOU AND EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE MAKING OF THIS COURSE

By Lindsay G

Mar 10, 2022

This was a great course. The professor was engaging, and I loved the way he related things we learned to real works examples and provided his own commentary throughout. Even though it was pre-recorded video and I wasn't in a classroom in front of him, I still felt like he was speaking to me personally and I developed a sense of connection to him. His style of teaching via a video format is really impressive. The changes of scenery and cuts between slides, to him in the lab, to images of the brain, to him in various locations also helped hold my interest. The quizes were challenging, enough to really test your understanding rather than just rote memorization, but they were not impossible. I learned a lot from this course and I would recommend it very highly.

By Doctora L

Dec 15, 2020

I feel extremely thankful to the whole team of Medical Neuroscience course, specially Dr White and I've learnt a lot. Coming from a medical background I thought this was going to be no much learning, and this course has opened in me the appetite for more knowledge and to study neuroscience in deeper. I have improved my understanding of the conditions of the patients I treat with chronic pain and chronic diseases and I want to go in a deeper journey towards the learning of the brain and its functions and interactions with health and diseases. Thanks doctor White for your passion and generosity sharing your knowledge, time and skills in the brain education to make that other people around the world improve and grow in abilities to help many patients.

By Xuanwei L 黎

Sep 7, 2022

It changes my life forever. Now I am a master student specialising in Medical Neuroscience. Can never thank you enough, to Duck U, Dr. White and Coursera.

It is made nicely and logically. At the same time it is challenging. The quiz is extremely helpful because it reqiures full understanding of the knowledge introduced and it teaches me to utilize it well. The practical video is helpful for interpretation and memorization. It is a six star course indeed!

I spent six month to study it. I remember every night especially sunday, I would look up busily in the dictionary and draw illustrations to help me memorise terms. I really appreciate my own effort at that time also the opportunity and platform coursera and Duke University provided.

By Janice L J Y

Jul 21, 2023

The team went the extra mile to compile a whole website of resources (e.g., videos, notes, links). Coming from a psychology background, the bio bits at the start were challenging and painful, but after you get past that section and learn about the different structures and functions of the brain, that's where the fun kicks in. The quizzes are unlike any other I've taken on Coursera. I needed to apply the knowledge and not just copy-paste reading comprehension my way through... Although I'd appreciate it if there were some explanations for the answers to the quizzes. Very eye-opening and mind-boggling. The brain is the body's most complex organ and I thank GOD for making me so wonderfully complex (Psalms 139:14)! Awesome adventure.

By Ken W

Apr 30, 2020

Dr White is outstanding in his delivery of this course material. His tone, composure and endurance is admirable. The course content is challenging but Dr. White seamlessly and very humbly at times expresses and reinforces its values in a highly encouraging and inspiring manner.

I was especially impressed with Dr. White's humble introduction to self organization and dynamical systems with how he expressed how initially challenged he was with the concept of these forces and the challenging shift he chose to make away from what he had upheld to embrace these intrinsic values.

Thank you Dr. White and team for making this a highly stimulating and educational experience.

With gratitude,

Ken Ware

By Caleb S

Feb 19, 2023

Let me start off by saying this is THE definitive neuroscience course--not just on Coursera, but possibly anywhere. Dr. White does a phenomenal job teaching you neuroscience from every aspect, microscopic to macroscopic. However, this class is also very advanced. I already had a very good background in neuroscience before taking this class, and I still struggled. I'd recommend learning as much as you can elsewhere before starting this course just so you have a good foundation, otherwise this class will eat you alive. I can very confidently say, though, that you will learn more about neuroscience from Dr. White than you'd learn anywhere else in the world, and you can do it for free!!

By Gabrielle A

Aug 18, 2017

This course is, without a doubt, the best! And the instructor is a real master. You see many people teaching out there, but few with the enthusiasm and pedagogic skills of Ph.Dr. Leonard E. White (sorry if I used it wrong). He explains everything into detail and very clear. He know how to approach the subjects without overwhelming his expectators. The only bad thing about all this, is that there no other courses on coursera with Leonard E. White! I don't know if you will actually read the reviews, but if you do: please keep teaching like this, with so much care and love. You're the best! If you ever have the opportunity, please teach again on coursera.

Greetings,

Gabrielle A.

By Doris A D

Aug 12, 2019

While I found the course extremely challenging because of the tight schedule, the content was absorbing and exquisite. When I began nursing, we were told the brain was largely an uncharted mystery---and it was. But science has since discovered and uncovered so many facts and nuances about brain functions! Dr. White was careful to introduce basic concepts and then build on them to bring students to great depths about the different systems that comprise the brain and CNS. He made the course interesting and comprehendible, as well as a pleasant experience. Thank you, sir, for giving much of yourself as you organized and produced the videos, tutorials and other resources.

By Christina F

Oct 31, 2016

I found the material well-organized and explained throughout the course. Lots of learning options (video, textbook, on-line labs, and Sylvius) made it possible for me to adapt my learning style as needed to complete each of the 13 weeks. I really appreciate Dr. Len's enthusiasm for his subject, and the great support of his teaching assistants. It is a challenging course, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you will be amazed at what you have learned by the time you take your finals. I found the Neuroanatomy Through Clinical Cases textbook valuable for learning how medical observations are integrated to make a diagnosis and form a treatment plan.

By Theodore B

Jun 28, 2020

Truly an amazing course. It meant for motivated people, as it isn’t for the lazy. I must admit to its difficult. At times it feels like the amount of information is comparable to drinking water out of a water hydrant. Especially if you haven’t studied at a university level previously (like me). Anyways, don’t let my description fool you. This course WILL make you question not only the biological basis to you existence, it will also make you question the highly subjective aspect of the experience of your consciousness. You will need to apply yourself and be very hardworking. I believe you will make it (like I did) and evolve in almost all aspects as a person.

By Dr U B

Apr 11, 2020

This is a beautiful course.It seems long and daunting at first sight,but each step of learning is made enjoyable by Dr White.The course supplementary materials and resources are beautifully designed too.I especially like his passion for teaching which is evident in the way he talks and does acts like wearing shirt on one side to give us a perspective into the life of patients suffering from Neurological problems.While i was sad to hear of this accident,I wish him the speediest of recoveries.I absolutely loved the videos inside his house too(in one episode he mentions that a deer may have passed by-lovely to have a house as this in the midst of nature)!

By Leah S

May 15, 2022

This is hands down one of the best courses I have taken, not only online, but also throughout my in-person educational journey. The course used many different presentation methods and environments, which added so much richness to the content delivery. Prof White has an overflowing and infectious passion for his subject matter, opening my mind to so many new concepts! It has been an absolute privilage to gain a deeper understanding (although only really scratching the surface I think) and an appreciation for the complex, intricate functioning of the brain! Thank you SO much to Prof White, and the whole team involved in the creation of this course!

By Pham Q T

Dec 25, 2016

This advanced-level course was designed carefully and clearly, so i think it's the best choice for those who's interested in medical neuroscience. However, learning through 13 weeks could dampen anyone who's just a beginner in this field, especially who is not native english speaker like me. Because there are many terms and knowledge to remember, then to coordinate and to express them again so that everybody could get the points. Even sometimes i found myself unable to extract my ideas in spite of understanding what's going on in discussions. At last, I wish prof. White and his partners a healthy and happy life :). It's really a nice work!

By Keely N L

Mar 16, 2020

This course wasn't easy but I was so happy to be challenged intellectually. I majored in psychological science for my undergrad degree and I found this course exceedingly helpful as I'm in a public health field combatting addiction through a SAMHSA grant program. The other topics reinforced what I learned so much about my major for undergrad and why I love studying the brain. I found the lessons around neuronal development and transmission to be more helpful than what I learned in school. This is a great course for those who like to be challenged and are very curious in brain science.

By Inés K

May 25, 2020

Great course that helped me to gain more in-depth knowledge on brain structures and made me review a lot of what I had already read about this subject. I especially enjoyed the parts about neuroanatomy and would have appreciated even more detailed presentation and more revision.

The Purves 6th edition is very helpful (actually, it's a must), and the Sinauer website (which I had no access to) is also to be recommended.

Len White explains things very well and makes the course come alive. I was looking forward to listening to him every morning. I might 'revisit' to enhance my LTP :-)

By Eric P

Feb 12, 2020

The content was very interesting and I would like to thank Professor Leonard E. White for his valuable time and clear explaining of the functional organisation and neurophysiology of the human central nervous system. In the early stages I wasn't so passionated about some topics (because I did not know about them), but overall it is a very complete course which will definitely help you for your professional career but also personal development and help your relatives on all sorts of topics ranging from neurological diseases to prevention and drug use/addiction. Thank you again.

By Daviid K

Sep 1, 2016

Thank you very much Mr. White and team. The course is a really jewel. Mr White broadly shows different pathways and amplitudes about our brain and it composition in many aspects: biologic, anatomic, physiologic, cognitive. Indeed it is a complete and unique class. Also Mr White teach all this complex stuff with extraordinary quality in different scenarios: lab, room, his house, in a forest, unfolding new approaches. However the quizzes are very very hard and detailed but they inspire our study. Best regards from Brasil, and thank you again, Mr White, his team and Coursera.

By fardad f

Jul 7, 2022

I am so happy and excited to finish this amazing course. First of all, i want to thank Prof. Dr. white because he gives lots of useful anD meaningful information about neuroscience despite the online education that's the best course i have ever experienced. I also thank to Coursera family because of giving me the scholarship and opportunity to take part in this course. this will be the first but not the last course so i will keep on following other courses too.

Best Regards,

Fardad Farzinmoghaddam. Master student of Neurological Physiotherapy from Hacettepe University, Turkey

By Valdor K

Jan 5, 2019

Doctor White and his team are a bunch of heroes, giving people like me a chance to learn they would never have in their lifetime. I want to send all of them my thanks and ensure them of my heartfelt gratitude. I for one will not allow such a magestic effort go to waste and I am certain that the knowledge that doctor White has imparted me will aid me in diagnosing and alleviating the pain of future patients I will have (lest some tragic incident might find me, God forbid). I swear to remember the kindness of my teacher so I might repay the world in kind one day. Thank You.

By Bapi N

Apr 7, 2021

It is very very important and wonderful course.when study I think what know? Nothing.but it's very Verse. This type of course need 1-2 years minimum,and I think need reverse option, because medical science unlimited and particularly neuroscience is big ship. It's unbelievable Prof White explain this (every chapter) like drinking water.he isa best Captain of this Ship,in individual I salute and respect him.i salute to Coursera for giving us a easy chance to learn ABCD about Medical Neuroscience.before this I know something.

With thanks and regards. Bapi Nath.

By Addisu A Z

Aug 8, 2021

first of all, i wouid like to thank you professor Leonard E.White for teaching me medical neuroscience. the way of teaching is so brilliant. After i start learning by professor LeonardE.White, i get good knowledge about medical neuroscience. since the lecturing is support with both practical lab and theoretical explanation. once you start learning medical neuroscience, you will be motivated to know more about the complex structure brain. thank you coursera for offering such amazing lecture through online . i have great appreciation to professor White.