Small Questions :)

[calijello]

Hi guys

I'm entering first year at UBC this fall,

and I am hoping to get some advices on effective studying (?)

My goal is to major in pharmacology then head for med school

 

1. How did you, or do you, balance extracurriculars and studying?

 

2. Should I get a voice recorder to record lectures?

 

3. I am confused about when selecting majors happen.. is it when you're entering second year or third year?

 

4. Any suggestions on how I can do well in first year English? My essays are really weak.

 

Thank you

[future_doc]

I'm entering first year at UBC this fall.

 

1. How did you, or do you, balance extracurriculars and studying?

 

2. Should I get a voice recorder to record lectures?

 

1. I strongly advise you to completely avoid ECs at least for the first semester and until you are able to maintain top grades, which is your no.1 priority.

 

In my case, in my first year of UG, I did zero volunteering but did continue with my ECs that I had been doing for many years. Once I attained straight As in my second semester in first year, I then was able to comfortably engage in volunteering.

 

I leanred to study efficiently for me, we are each so different, I kept up to date always with the class, I did my assignments on time, I developed good time and stress management skills, I learned to multitask efficiently, I studied when on the bus so as to use my time efficiently as possible, my lap top was always near me, so for down time with an EC, I could work on an assignment, etc.

 

2. Voice recording is a double edged sword b/c there is so much duplication and inefficiencies are involved. I found that by being attentive in class, I was able to focus and take good notes. Betweenclasses, I woulkld do spell check and organize my notes. One stop shopping. My sibling was studying in French and so voice recorded everything in case of not understanding something during lectures. As self-confidence increaseed, after first year, the voice recording was terminated.

[tyw001]

You can "choose" your major at the end of your first year, and they will let you know whether you get it or not in the summer after your first year (say pharmacology if you got in). That decision is made solely based on your 1st year GPA. Then in your second year, you will continue to take most of the pre-req 2nd year courses that are required by the said major. That being said, some of the majors (like physiology, pharmacology, medical lab science, microbiology) share similar 2nd year course load. So you can actually change your mind about your major after or during your second year.

 

At UBC, you don't have a REAL major until the end of your second year. And that decision depends on if you have successfully maintained a competitive GPA in your 2nd year pre-req courses. Therefore, you actually start to specialize in your major in your 3rd year and finish either in 4th year or 5th year, depending whether you decide to do co-op in between.

 

Hope this helps!

[kylamonkey]

 

2. Should I get a voice recorder to record lectures?

 

4. Any suggestions on how I can do well in first year English? My essays are really weak.

 

 

I had a voice recorder. There were a few courses it came in REALLY handy. I had to take a 200-level BIOC at UVic, and the prof went really fast through the lecture/slides and there were no online notes provided. I came up with a method that allowed me to go through everything again (super time-intensive) but i was one of the 3 students with an A or better in a course of 200+. In the BIOC course I was able to listen for the whole lecture while the other students were frantically writing and not able to pay attention. Fortunately he used diagrams from the text so I just jotted down the diagram he was on, the time it said on the recorder, and maybe a few quick notes about what was said. But I could go back and review everything, and I sometimes could even rewrite it verbatim. it was sweet. I would up bartering copies of my notes at the end of the course becuase they were so good- one girl made me sandwiches every M and TH for a month.

 

It also came in handy in field courses where it was too cold outside to write properly, and in a few lab courses where there was LOTS of info to write down and we were only given a few minutes to do so.

Essentially, it saved me whenever I had a situation when I had too much to write and not enough time.

 

As to writing better essays- well, you need to practice, I think. There is usually a reading and writing centre on campus that will help you. Good luck with it, it can be really hard!

[future_doc]

Very cool and creative monkey

[intouch]

Hi guys

 

4. Any suggestions on how I can do well in first year English? My essays are really weak.

 

Thank you

 

IMHO, the best way to improve writing is to READ. I'm not sure about you and your past, but almost invariably, when I come across an awful writer who has english as a first language, when asked if they read much, the answer is no. I realize it is best to have grown up attached to print, and you can't help now what you didn't do before, but if you fall into this category, my advice is to start reading as much as you can. Newspapers, journal articles that interest you, magazines (I recommend the Walrus... a great Canadian independent, and it is mostly in essay format, Harpers is a good American substitute along the same lines), and good novels will all help you master the use of the english language.

 

Trying to become good at writing without being a prolific reader would be like attempting to become a master chef without ever tasting food.

[calijello]

Wow, thanks so much for all your help guys!!

[Caide]

I had a voice recorder. There were a few courses it came in REALLY handy. I had to take a 200-level BIOC at UVic, and the prof went really fast through the lecture/slides and there were no online notes provided. I came up with a method that allowed me to go through everything again (super time-intensive) but i was one of the 3 students with an A or better in a course of 200+. In the BIOC course I was able to listen for the whole lecture while the other students were frantically writing and not able to pay attention. Fortunately he used diagrams from the text so I just jotted down the diagram he was on, the time it said on the recorder, and maybe a few quick notes about what was said. But I could go back and review everything, and I sometimes could even rewrite it verbatim. it was sweet. I would up bartering copies of my notes at the end of the course becuase they were so good- one girl made me sandwiches every M and TH for a month.

 

It also came in handy in field courses where it was too cold outside to write properly, and in a few lab courses where there was LOTS of info to write down and we were only given a few minutes to do so.

Essentially, it saved me whenever I had a situation when I had too much to write and not enough time.

 

As to writing better essays- well, you need to practice, I think. There is usually a reading and writing centre on campus that will help you. Good luck with it, it can be really hard!

 

what kind of voice recorder did you use? didn't you find the quality to be not so great?

[AndreaM]

As a side note, if you choose to use a voice recorder for lectures, make sure you ask your prof for permission first. Some profs are touchy about recording devices.

[Starling]

As a side note, if you choose to use a voice recorder for lectures, make sure you ask your prof for permission first. Some profs are touchy about recording devices.

 

Yeah, I remember one class where a girl walked up to the front of the lecture theater and put a recorder right in front of the prof and then went back to her seat. The prof was like .

[SpringDrive]

Hi guys

I'm entering first year at UBC this fall,

and I am hoping to get some advices on effective studying (?)

My goal is to major in pharmacology then head for med school

 

1. How did you, or do you, balance extracurriculars and studying?

 

2. Should I get a voice recorder to record lectures?

 

3. I am confused about when selecting majors happen.. is it when you're entering second year or third year?

 

4. Any suggestions on how I can do well in first year English? My essays are really weak.

 

Thank you

 

First of all, there are much easier paths than pharmacology if you want to get into med.

 

1. For me, I only studied during the weekend before exams so there was plenty of time for extracurriculars.

 

2. I don't know anyone who uses a voice recorder. Almost all classes the profs will post powerpoint notes online so it's useless. For the classes where there aren't a set of notes, just pay attention in class.

 

3. After first year, you can pick your top 3 choices of majors using an online selection system. Whether you get the major you choose depends solely on your GPA. However, this isn't an "official" declaration of your major. It just allows you to register for the required 2nd year courses. You get to pick your major officially at the end of your second year, and it doesn't have to be the one you picked at the end of your first.

Example: let's say your top 3 choices at the end of 1st year is pharmacology, microbiology, and chemistry. If you don't get your 1st choice of pharmacology, you will get your 2nd choice or 3rd choice. If you do well in your second year, you can apply for a pharmacology major can get in provided your grades are good.

 

4. Keep up with the reading material and ask your instructor lots of questions. Get someone who you know is good at English to review your essays.

[kylamonkey]

Originally Posted by AndreaM

As a side note, if you choose to use a voice recorder for lectures, make sure you ask your prof for permission first. Some profs are touchy about recording devices.

Originally Posted by Starling

Yeah, I remember one class where a girl walked up to the front of the lecture theater and put a recorder right in front of the prof and then went back to her seat. The prof was like .

 

I agree with Andrea totally- I always asked. The girl Starling is referring to was not me!!

I asked permission very politely, by meeting him in his office hours. Actually, he liked me enough that he friended me on facebook after the term was over. :blushes:

 

Regarding quality- yes, you have to sit in the front row. Sometimes it was not great. It seemed to work much better with male voices than with female. BUT you're not trying to make a professional recording here, just a functional one.

[omaha]

This may be a little digressing, but since I've seen several posts regarding pharmacology on this forum, and I'm in pharmacology, I feel I should do my part for the community and clarify some of the advantages and disadvantages of this major. But before I begin, note that you don't get into pharmacology 2nd year... you can declare it as a major but people with better stats who change their mind and want to pharmacology can take your spot easily come 3rd year (i transferred from biochem 2nd year to pharmacology 3rd year). In fact the only programs that actually start in 2nd year are biochem, chemistry, and pharmacy i think.

 

 

Advantage:

 

1. Prepares you very well for medical school curriculum because it's an integration of pharmacy, physiology and some biochemistry. And it involves a lot of memorization so if you are that type of student (of which i'm actually not ) then you'll do fine.

2. The biggest thing that attracted me to this major is the Co-op opportunity it offers. Students in the past had had the opportunity to work for big pharma like Roche, Merck, and had gone overseas to Japan, Austria, Switzerland, and Germany to work. HOWEVER, after the economic crisis in 2009, co-op jobs offered are looking really pale compared to before. Actually it's not that much better than the other majors now. It may get better later on as our profs regain some contacts but i really don't know.

3. Many of the professors are really nice and they actually teach medical students as well. And, because it's a small program, the profs actually know you personally and may offer you summer research opportunities.

4. lol you may impress some ppl by telling them you're studying pharmacology . It used to be "prestigious" to get into pharmacology because of the high GPA and interview involved. They used to accept only 18 students per year, but i think after my year they increased the class size to more than 20 so it's somewhat easier to get in now. BUT, don't let that fool you into thinking you're any special... as i'm about to explain below.

 

Disadvantage:

 

1. They don't like you to get into med school before you graduate cuz it's a small program and they don't want to lose graduates; that means they don't like you to apply to med school during your third year (they actually ask you about it during interview). *Although there's no official or written restriction for you to do that, many of the profs are also part of the medical faculty so better not piss them off.

2. Insane lab reports in journal article format that you have to do EVERY WEEK (average length 2500 words). It will take a lot of time out of your week. Adding on to lab reports from other courses like biochem... you'll be stressed real hard. You will get used to writing long, professional-looking reports in the end but it's a strenuous process. On the other hand it also prepares you well for real research, cuz that's what you'll spend a big portion of your time on as a real scientist.

3. Don't think getting a degree in pharmacology will set you apart too much from biochem, MICB graduates. In fact few entry-level research jobs require the animal testing/drug screening techniques we learn in phmarmacology labs. When it comes to research-natured jobs, whether in industry or public sector, you need at least a Master or very rich work experience to really get ahead in your career, regardless of your specilization, except for pharmacy which is a professional degree, and which is probably the best "fall-back" plan if medicine fails for you.

4. Also don't think pharmacology students are preferred by med school. The only reason why 9 out of 11 pharmacology med applicats get accepted is because many of them are stellar students to start with.

 

Here is all i could think of so far... hope this help the numerous 1st and 2nd year science students who hadn't specilized yet.

[advair250]

@ Omaha

 

Pharmacy is a whole separate thing...

 

As for Advantages of Pharmacology:

 

-Sure it prepares you for med school, but really, it doesn't matter if you did your undergrad in something that prepares you, or if you did a philosophy major. You do the pre-reqs, and your good to go. That's why first year of med is the way it is, to put everyone back on an even field of understanding

 

-Many majors have co-op, and I'd argue that students in other majors can get those very same co-op jobs as pharmacology majors can. (In fact my best friend in biochem got one with Merck

 

-It is true that generally people who get into pharmacology are those with high GPA's and thus deservingly bring that "prestige". But for the people, not the degree.

 

As for disadvantages:

-Pretty much agree with your points. But do note that you are given alot of room for easy electives to offset your killer report work. So it's not as bad as you make it sound. (Again, 2 friends who finished their pharmacology degrees, you'd probably know them)

 

 

 

Do whatever degree you want, get your pre-reqs done, and do something you like. Get involved, experience new things, but do those things for YOU, not for a med school app.

[omaha]

@ Omaha

 

Pharmacy is a whole separate thing...

 

As for Advantages of Pharmacology:

 

-Sure it prepares you for med school, but really, it doesn't matter if you did your undergrad in something that prepares you, or if you did a philosophy major. You do the pre-reqs, and your good to go. That's why first year of med is the way it is, to put everyone back on an even field of understanding

 

-Many majors have co-op, and I'd argue that students in other majors can get those very same co-op jobs as pharmacology majors can. (In fact my best friend in biochem got one with Merck

 

-It is true that generally people who get into pharmacology are those with high GPA's and thus deservingly bring that "prestige". But for the people, not the degree.

 

As for disadvantages:

-Pretty much agree with your points. But do note that you are given alot of room for easy electives to offset your killer report work. So it's not as bad as you make it sound. (Again, 2 friends who finished their pharmacology degrees, you'd probably know them)

 

 

 

Do whatever degree you want, get your pre-reqs done, and do something you like. Get involved, experience new things, but do those things for YOU, not for a med school app.

 

As i said before pharmacy is a professional degree (kinda like easy version of medicine, where you get licensed and can have a pretty stable job right after) so yes it is a separate thing in that sense. But its curriculum starts second year like biochem/chemistry, so ideally you'd want to start applying sometime in first year.

 

And yes med school doesn't care which program/faculty you're from as long as you have the pre-reqs, MCAT and NAQ stuff. But the knowledge you gained in pharmacology will likely make your life easier in 1st/2nd year med courses.

 

I don't know which Merck job your biochem friend got but the ones offered to pharmacology students are in the US and pay somethin' like $1300 USD/WEEK. This Merck job was offered to two people in pharmacology almost every year and it still is. And Roche US used to just hire 7~8 pharmacology students every year for co-op without much questions asked. So the program definitely gives you better co-op jobs, at least it used to before 2009 (hopefully it'll pick up again). Many of these jobs given to pharmacology student came directly from prof contacts, not the co-op office and so they're not posted on PlacePro for other co-op students.

 

I don't think we get that much room for easy electives compared to other majors. I mean most of the courses are mandatory and there is at most 1 elective/term you can have, especially if you are taking honor pharmacology.

 

Totally agree with your conclusion there. Don't go for pharmacology because it's "prestigious". The requirements for medical schools are actually there to make you discover yourself and prepare yourself for the reality and mentality of a medical profession. Even if you make it through everything, but if you still have no genuine care for people, in the end you'll just be one of those much-despised bad family practitioner who are just in it for the easy money.

[SamH8]

This discussion is of 2010 so I want to know wether there have been any updates in the process and content. I am a bit confused wether I should go for microbiology or pharmacology major. Could anyone who studied Pharmacology tell me briefly about the contents. For example what kind of memorization is involved: basic science of body process of names of medicine/drugs?  Does these memorization or content put you ahead in medical school?

For those who studies microbiology can you please give me idea of the content and difficulty? Books or links  would be helpful.

 I saw in academic calendar that pharmacology major involves a lot of organic chemistry course and I am not really sure wether I lIke organic chemistry more than microbiology or biochem. So could anyone suggest me books or links I could look up to see content these organic chemistry course. 

As for the difficulty of the course, will taking pharmacology harm my GPA?

Is the process of selecting major still the same? Can we switch to a different major in third year?

[SamH8]

This discussion is of 2010 so I want to know wether there have been any updates in the process and content. I am a bit confused wether I should go for microbiology or pharmacology major. Could anyone who studied Pharmacology tell me briefly about the contents. For example what kind of memorization is involved: basic science of body process of names of medicine/drugs?  Does these memorization or content put you ahead in medical school?

For those who studies microbiology can you please give me idea of the content and difficulty of labs and everything else? Books or links  would be helpful.

 I saw in academic calendar that pharmacology major involves a lot of organic chemistry course and I am not really sure wether I lIke organic chemistry more than microbiology or biochem. So could anyone suggest me books or links I could look up to see content these organic chemistry course. 

As for the difficulty of the course, will taking pharmacology harm my GPA?

Is the process of selecting major still the same? Can we switch to a different major in third year?

[Excel-erate Your Breath]

On 8/30/2020 at 7:02 PM, SamH8 said:

This discussion is of 2010 so I want to know wether there have been any updates in the process and content. I am a bit confused wether I should go for microbiology or pharmacology major. Could anyone who studied Pharmacology tell me briefly about the contents. For example what kind of memorization is involved: basic science of body process of names of medicine/drugs?  Does these memorization or content put you ahead in medical school?

For those who studies microbiology can you please give me idea of the content and difficulty of labs and everything else? Books or links  would be helpful.

 I saw in academic calendar that pharmacology major involves a lot of organic chemistry course and I am not really sure wether I lIke organic chemistry more than microbiology or biochem. So could anyone suggest me books or links I could look up to see content these organic chemistry course. 

As for the difficulty of the course, will taking pharmacology harm my GPA?

Is the process of selecting major still the same? Can we switch to a different major in third year?

Word for the wise - I can't help with some of your questions since idk about those majors, but I will say that make sure you select a major that leads to some sort of other employment and that you also enjoy. Getting into med isn't guaranteed (but hopefully we all do!).

Don't pick a major with the only thing in mind being med.