Guest Brutus Posted July 2, 2004 Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 Hello, I'm going to the University of Alberta this fall for my undergraduate studies and I was wondering if anyone here has taken or is currently taking the neuroscience honors program. (Assuming I ever get into med. school; I think specializing in neuropathology would be really interesting.) I'm taking the first year recommended courses and would appreciate any info./suggestions/comments about the program. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lactic Folly Posted July 2, 2004 Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 Ehh.. you're in luck (although enrollment is growing, we still have a lot less students than Biological Sciences) First two years of the program are similar to what all the other biomedically inclined Science students take.. it's the third and fourth years where you really get into the neuroscience material. I will write a more informative post this weekend, but if there are any particular aspects of the program that you are wanting to know more about, just say so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Brutus Posted July 3, 2004 Report Share Posted July 3, 2004 Thanks Lactic. I'm just interested in what you thought of the program. Did you enjoy it? Any general pointers? Are you glad you took it? Why did you decide to take it? Did you take it for any particular reasons in regards to a future in medicine? All that good stuff. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lactic Folly Posted July 3, 2004 Report Share Posted July 3, 2004 If I were just starting university, I would take the program again.. for me, it was an ideal mix of psychology (which fascinates me) with more medically relevant material (workings of the nervous system, neurological and psychological disorders). The program will also serve you well if you have interests in physiology and pharmacology. It's a truly interdisciplinary program - if you check out http://www.neuroscience.ualberta.ca and click on faculty members, you'll get a sense of the diversity of research at the UofA. Although not all of these people will be involved in teaching your classes, you have the opportunity to work with them for the summer or the honors project, and many offer lab tours during the annual open house. Despite being an honors program, you do have a decent amount of options which will allow you to tailor your program to your interests. Since I wanted to learn more about (quoting from the calendar description) 'sensation and perception, learning and behaviour,... cognitive psychology' than was briefly covered in our required courses, I took many psych options. Likewise, people who liked the molecular stuff (ion channels in nerve cells) could pick more pharmacology courses, while people who were more into biology in general could take more zoology and physiology. Recommended courses: I didn't take the 1st/2nd year courses in the order that they are listed in the calendar, as I had some course credits from high school. However, the recommended sequence always looked a little odd to me, since it splits up CHEM 161/163 (wouldn't it be easier to take them both at once?). If you're planning to take BIOCH 203 (offered in first term only) instead of 220, you need CHEM 163 as a prerequisite. Another thing is that CHEM 102 isn't listed, but it's a prerequisite for PHYSL 210/1 and for medicine. Often people end up taking physics in second year to fit everything in. These are just a few things I noticed - double check the calendar and admission requirements for medicine to be sure you have everything covered. Obviously, you must fulfill the degree requirements, but you have some latitude with the 'recommended' courses (I didn't take PHYSL 401/402, and was able to get approval for Science options not on the official list). Neuropathology: many of our courses do touch on the pathological changes associated with various conditions, but you won't see a lot of brain sections unless you take PSYCO 475. The course fills up fast, so I suggest trying to register first thing in the morning on the day that registration becomes open to non-psych majors. As for general pointers: the main thing is to keep up with the lecture material and get started on assignments early. There is plenty of help available from profs and TAs, but you can't take advantage of it if you come up with questions during your studying the night before the exam! As I said before, first and second year didn't really feel like being a neuroscience student for me.. there's only a bit of brain stuff in PSYCO 104 (like Biology 30) and an intro to the nervous system in PHYSL/ZOOL, leading up to the one neuro-focused course (PSYCO 275, Brain and Behaviour). It's in third year that the four required courses really immerse you in the neurosciences (and they start talking about original research versus just learning and regurgitating the course material). If you are interested in this area, I think you would enjoy the program.. relevant material, and many discoveries regarding the workings of the brain and nervous system. Hope this helps, and let me know if you have any further questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Brutus Posted July 5, 2004 Report Share Posted July 5, 2004 Thanks for the info Lactic. Really appreciate it. That about covers it. Glad to hear you enjoyed it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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