physiology major in UBC

[Guest smooth operater]

Hello Guys! I am a first year science who is interested in getting in UBC's Physiology. I heard this program is the

"highway" to enter med school since the department only accept 20 ppl (i think) to 3rd year and the program is very intensive. Is it true?

 

How's the course-load for this program? Would it spare me some time to do clinical volunteers?

[Guest physiology]

Hi there Smooth Operator (Do yo like Sade by the way?)

 

My name is somewhat counter intuitive as I'm NOT in physiology. However, I was planning to enter it.

 

Physiology is strictly an honours program. There are no options to do a major or do coop. Typically they accept between 9-15 students a year. However, this does not mean that the admission average is sky high. As long as you have all of the pre-reqs (math 200...oh god...) and a consistent 80% average (ie. you don't have loads of grades in the 50s balanced out by grades in the high 90s) you'd get in.

 

It's a close, tight-knit environment. They offer you wine-and-cheeses and lots of opportunities to socialize with your fellow students. The small class size helps too.

 

No program is the "highway" to get into medical school. However, it will prepare you very well. Once you do 3rd and 4th year physiology courses, you will know more physiology than medical students in their 1st/2nd year.

 

In physiology, you are required to take 33-36 credits in 2nd year, which is tough. This will prepare you for the third year lab courses (biochem and physiology) which are a lot of work.

 

I come from a similar major (pharmacology).

 

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask or private message me on this board.

[Guest mitchie41]

Hey there,

 

I was once considering a major in pharmacology\physiology as well, but I switched to Math('cause it rocks).

 

Pharm and Physiology are rumoured to be highways to med school, but I don't think it has anything to do with the program itself. Since the entrance requirements are quite high(physiology requires 80% if you take 33 credits in first and second year, or higher if you take less and pharmacology required 87% this year), the 12-18 students entering these programs are more academically-focused than in other programs. From that, all of the students have a good GPA base to apply to professional schools from, which often helps them out in getting into professional school.

 

I believe there was a big posting about this a while back in the UBC archives if you look through.

 

 

And in reply to physiology's post: Yeah, math 200 is tough during the regular year(66% class avg when I took it in sept-dec 2003), although I hear the class avg are MUCH higher during the summer.

[Guest physiology]

Hey Mitchie41,

 

Thanks for the encouragement in the other post. R u writing the MCAT this year?

 

I couldn't agree with Mitchie41 more on his post above. However, pharmacology does take into consideration non-academic factors during the interview.

 

Physiology has no interivew.

[Guest Biochem3010]

Eh... Math 200 should be a piece of cake if you think math rocks like i do. Wait til you get to the more complex theories & math logics in 3rd year when it can become really perplexing. 66% average is pretty high for math 200. I recalled my math 101 class average was 51. :lol

 

But again, why not consider biochem?? It's either pharmaco or physio for most ppl. It pretty much has everything combined or integrated onto your plate in the program. You have your math, chem, bio, biochem & a side dish of microbi & lots of lab experience.

 

Anywayz, i told you physiology that you will get in & that fate can't turn you down. A lot of 3rd years are somehow getting interviewed this year. I wonder if you know how many of those got accepted?

 

[Guest mitchie41]

Hey physiology...YES, i'm taking the MCAT this summer!!!

 

hahahaha....and hopefully, i'll get a 3rd year acceptance too!

 

 

Hey BIOCHEM3010. Yer right, Math 200 is a piece of cake compared to OTHER math courses. My math 220 course, which is basically an intro to proof for all stat and math majors had a 54% average in the end.

 

You guys been on the SSC lately? You can check for "Statement of Grades" section there, and it looks just like the official transcripts you order from Brock Hall. It has all class averages and sizes.

 

I never realized how crummy some class averages were:

Chem 233 with lermer last summer: 56%.

Biol 121 with Oliviera: 59%.

 

And some REALLY high class averages:

Stat 200: 86%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest smooth operater]

thanx physiology for the reply! my overall average in 1st year is 77.84%. However, my overall average for 1st year biology and chemistry is only 74.47%. Although I really enjoy 1st biology courses, I only acheived 68% in bio 121 and 69% in bio 121. It was my high GPA in math and physic that help pulling up my overall average, however, I didn't enjoy taking those courses.

 

I am afraid maybe physiology program is just too far fetch for me since it's competitive to get in. And, I expect my overall average to drop a bit in 2nd since 2nd yr courses are harder in general. I really want to join enroll in small knit program in 3rd year. If physiology is too far fetch, I will go for either Microbio and Intergrated Science. (maybe biochem. I heard the profs for biochem in UBC are not great)

 

Do many ppl actually apply to major in physiology? It seems not many 1 st yr science know about this program.

[Guest mitchie41]

By the way, MICB typically requires an 80%+ average to get in. You either have to have a reserved seat(which means you have to fill-in an application early), or have grades high enough to register on the first day to get into the core micb courses.

 

I would really recommend doing an ISCI degree.

You get to pick your own courses for your own degree. THat's so awesome.

So you get the courses you want and are interested in, and typically, the courses that you're interested in are the ones you get the best grades in.

 

With that, you've pretty much won half the battle of getting into med school.

[Guest physiology]

Hey Smooth Operator - I private messaged you.

 

Mitchie41,

 

Yah! Apply outta third year - then you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Good luck with the MCAT this summer.

 

Actually regarding microbiology, this year, the average wasn't that high. It was around 77-80% I think.

 

This year, the MICB labs were already full before anyone could even register online. The reason? PRE-REGISTRATION with the MICB office. This screwed a lot of people over because some assumed (including me) that would register for them online. Some people with 80% averages were denied admission simply because the labs were already full.

 

However, this problem was rectified because MICB apparently had more funding and could take on more students (unlike PHYL and PCTH).

 

My friend who had 80% eventually got forced in by the MICB advisor. Initially, he was told that it was unlikely he'd get off the waitlist.

 

Integrated sciences are cool too

[Guest Laadi]

Hey Physiology,

 

Have you graduated or did you just finish your third year? My major is pharmacology too! I was kind of surprised that you mentioned pharmacology interviews people and takes non academic factors into account. That was not the case when I started pharm. No interviews!!

[Guest smooth operater]

hey Mitchie, I guess u took stat 200 in UBC already, that's why u can see the class average. Is that course that ez to get such a high mark?

 

should I take it if I plan to get health-related professional school? Will it be helpful? I don't want to take it just soley cuz it's GPA booster course.

 

 

thanx!

[Guest i could do nothing else]

hi there,

i did my degree in physiology, and i think it's a great program, both in terms of quality of education (thanks to the superb profs and TAs) and applicability to a career in medicine...

it is not as competitive a program to enter as most may think....i would say an average of 80% is high enough to gain entry into the program...not many apply because there is a certain intimidation factor that is unwarrented! exceptions can be made, and if you have a lower average but you are really keen about the program, you will most likely be admitted. It just happens to be that most of those people that apply to the program already have high averages, but it does not necessarily mean that one requires such high averages to get into the program.

this year, i believe 4 out of 8 applicants in the phyl program were accepted into medicine...if that means anything good luck!

[Guest mitchie41]

Hey.

 

Stats 200 is just a useful course to have because it's really applicable to everyday life.

 

Will the course help you get into med school? Probably not. But if you ever do any kind of research, it's SUPER useful. I acctually took the course because i'm a math major and I plan on taking lots of stats courses in the future.

 

And the course is really easy so that's big bonus too.

 

Many med schools recommend that you take some sort of stats, so they wont think you took it just BECAUSE it's a GPA booster or anything. Intro stats at MOST schools will have high averages, since it's one of the few courses at university where you can acctually get 100%.

 

 

If you're into biosciences I would take BIOL 300. You get 3rd year credit(as opposed to second year). That's sweet.

[Guest Biochem3010]

Stats 200 i would say depends on the prof from my experience. Our class average was like a bitter 58% when usually the norm is like 80 something for other profs. Tricky midterms & finals. If you have the

Chinese Undergrad Adviser for stats as your prof, then good luck. Supposedly a course you could get away without studying, but not for this guy.

[Guest smooth operater]

Since you guys say it's applicable and useful, I guess I will take it. There are two stat 200 offered in 1st term, and I can register either of it, too bad the course list for stat200 doesn't show the prof for each section, so I can't check their rating.

[Guest McCarey007]

For Bio 300, there was one REALLY bad prof. She just doesn't know how to teach. Her last name starts with an S. I would avoid her if possible.

[Guest physiology]

Hey Smooth Operator,

 

Take stats 200 - it's a way better course. In general, I prefer to take classes in 2nd term if I can help it.

 

It's weird. The weather's the better and I think the prof's are nicer

[Guest Zen]

I second McCarry's opinion, Dr.S definitely ruins any merit BIOL300 has to offer. I've heard better things about STAT 200

[Guest smooth operater]

lol, u mean the profs for stat 200 are nicer in term 2, or is that just generalization of other profs too ?

[Guest Biochem3010]

Hah.. for me, 1st term profs are usu. hard. 1st term is like a curse casted up you. 2nd term is the complete opposite. Seems like that for every year in my program whatever course it is.