'What papers should I do at UoO for graduate entry' Chat, Enquiries and Help

[Mochi]

So, we got our PHAL211 drug assignments back today, And me and my partners grade was quite bad (lets just say that it's impossible for us to get A+ as our final grade now). I still want to continue pharmacology as my major, but I'm scared that the other papers are going to be equally as hard/harsh as this one. I've read on the other forums here that the other papers aren't as bad as this, but how are they 'easier'?

 

[Venronux]

PHAL211 is such a bad paper. I really don't know why they make it so hard... because half the class decides to discontinue with phal, which is a real shame because PHAL212 and onwards are such good papers. Have you read the review I wrote a few years ago for the PHAL course

 

[Mochi]

I think I have read it, but I can't seem to find it again in the forums for some reason. I'm going to take the rest of the pharmacology papers anyway and see how it goes It's way more interesting than PHSL

 

[Venronux]

https://medstudentsonline.com.au/forum/threads/advice-on-planning-biomed-degree.28664/#post-275909

Haha I agree

Keep in mind that I did 300 level PHAL in 2013... so some of the information in my review may be a little out of date now.

 

[stepbystep]

Just wondering if anyone did ANAT242 before and what they personally thought of it? I was also wondering if there are any people who got into medicine with a Bsc in Anatomy and what they thought of the degree? I saw some older posts about ANAT242 and a lot of people did not like this paper, and i would just like to see if there has been any positive changes to the paper.

 

[torilemon]

Just wondering if anyone did ANAT242 before and what they personally thought of it? I was also wondering if there are any people who got into medicine with a Bsc in Anatomy and what they thought of the degree? I saw some older posts about ANAT242 and a lot of people did not like this paper, and i would just like to see if there has been any positive changes to the paper.

I took 242 last year and I really liked it. I had heard not so great things about it too, but I talked to a lab dem beforehand and she said that a lot of people drop out in the early days because its a paper that starts at a high level... like the first module and even the first few lectures are quite content heavy and you don't really get eased into the paper with some basic revision lectures, etc, as you do with some other papers. I was pretty interested in the brain before taking the paper which probably helped me stay focused and motivated.

The labs, in my opinion, are useless. You pretty much go in and they've set out various models/plastinations and you fill in stuff from your lab book, which could be done in 30 minutes in the anatomy museum. But it's a good opportunity to ask the dems any questions you have!

I'm currently taking an Anatomy degree to (hopefully) get into med so I can't really speak for the whole course, but I've really enjoyed all the paper's I've done so far

 

[Mince]

Hello everyone!

(I am not sure if here is the right place to ask questions and let my worries out but hope this will do!)
I am 2nd year Otago uni student and currently studying BBiomedSci Functional Human Biology with the hope of getting into Dentistry via graduate entry.
Straight down to the business, I just had my last exam yesterday and now thinking about papers to take in the second semseter.
The papers I have chosen including this 1st semester are :

First semester
PHSL 231
MICR 221
MAOR 110

Second semester
PHSL 232
PHSL 233
ANAT 242
MICR 223

The first semester went fine in my opinion as I only did two 200-level papers, but the problem I've got now that really worries me is whether I should still do ANAT 242 next semester as I heard so much negative opinions and experiences on ANAT 242. I don't really regret not taking ANAT 241 in the first semester since I don't consider myself as an anatomy type of person, but if I look at the circumstance I am in right now I sometimes think that I should have done it in first semester.

However, I can't go back to the past, can I? (If I could, I would go back to my first year and do my best to get UMAT threshold for dentistry interview). So I have been contemplating the paper to replace ANAT 242, and I have to choose one from the following papers.

BIOC 223
HUNT 222
HUNT 223 (NOT HUNT 233 in SS)
PATH 201
PHAL 212

I was and am still frustrated how there is not a single paper that appeals to me, but I have no choice. So what I would like to hear and know is some information and feedback on these papers including ANAT 242, it doesn't have to be super detail and anything would be greatly appreciated. If possible, I would love to hear about HUNT papers in particular as those two sound the least bad.

Thank you very much,

Best regards

 

[BlahBlahTheHutt]

I did ANAT242 last year, which was 3rd year for me. The paper was, as torilemon says, very content heavy (despite my learning some of it from PHSL231 the previous year). But then again, anatomy and I don't get along very well and I find i'm not very good at memorization. For someone anatomy-inclined, I'd say the paper is hard but still very doable. For someone like me, I'd give it a pass. (PS- i got a B+, one of my worst other than PHSI191 )
I should mention that I was also doing ANAT332 during the same semester, and i struggled with internals because there was some overlap (since they only try to organize assessments around papers of the same level, and not across different levels).
Mince, since you're doing PHSL232, which many find to be a challenging paper, I would reconsider ANAT242 if you find anatomy challenging.

Also, maybe if you have the space for it next year at 300 level, consider taking ANAT241. It is much easier than ANAT242. (I didnt get an A+, but i DID get an A and at 300 level that was a god-send for me).

Only other thing to comment on is PATH201. But I did the paper two years ago, so my information may not be representative of the current organisation of the paper. I found PATH201 super helpful for once I got into med, but it was a challenging paper at the time because the content was so widespread across so many organ systems. Without prior knowledge, the paper is challenging because they focus on the pathology (duh...) but not the normal physiology/anatomy (if they do it is quite rushed or brief). They say if you're taking ANAT papers alongside it, it is a good paper to take because you're covering the normal before looking at the diseased. But physiology covers some of the basics too, so you won't be completely clueless. The paper was quite new when i did it, so it was a lot less organised and there weren't as many past year papers for reference. (PS- i got an A- in PATH201)

Remember you can always flick the course conveners an e-mail and ask them what pre-req's and prior knowledge they're expecting students to have.

 

[Mince]

Wow thank you so much BlahBlahTheHutt for your super details and honesty! Yeah I don't think I would get along with anatomy well but I have never done it before so I don't actually know whether I would or not to be honest One of my mates suggested me to change my course to another one like Infection and Immunity or BSc physiology, but I just want to stick to this degree.

After I read your reply, PATH 201 has become one of my potential options for the next semester by the way. I once considered it but myself also heard this paper would be challenging and even worse with no prior knowledge which had put me off. It sounds quite interesting and helpful for med but not sure if it will be for dent hahaha Can you remember how PATH 201 was constructed in terms of lectures and tests etc? I just looked at its past year papers and they looked intriguing unlike that of ANAT 242 lol So would you recommend PATH 201 over ANAT 242, or do you have any knowledge on other papers like HUNT?

Oh my god, I have so many questions in my head right now that would inundate you if I let out you have no clue... And I can't even dare to fathom how much effort and emotions you must have put and gone through last 2 years or so. So much respect to you and I am so glad that you finally reached your goal which does give me hope. Thank you very much for you reply again, and I will be looking forward to get some more advice from you xx

(P.S I will definitely think about taking ANAT 241 in my third year!)

Best regards

 

[stepbystep]

I took 242 last year and I really liked it. I had heard not so great things about it too, but I talked to a lab dem beforehand and she said that a lot of people drop out in the early days because its a paper that starts at a high level... like the first module and even the first few lectures are quite content heavy and you don't really get eased into the paper with some basic revision lectures, etc, as you do with some other papers. I was pretty interested in the brain before taking the paper which probably helped me stay focused and motivated.

The labs, in my opinion, are useless. You pretty much go in and they've set out various models/plastinations and you fill in stuff from your lab book, which could be done in 30 minutes in the anatomy museum. But it's a good opportunity to ask the dems any questions you have!

I'm currently taking an Anatomy degree to (hopefully) get into med so I can't really speak for the whole course, but I've really enjoyed all the paper's I've done so far

AWESOME! Thank You for your review!!!!

How were you tested for ANAT242? And what other papers did you take along with ANAT242?

I'm currently doing Biomed majoring in Functional Human Biology, and I took ANAT241 in the first sem. I surprisingly really enjoyed it and hated MICR221 and now I'm considering on changing my degree to Bsc in Anatomy. My only problem is that if I don't get into med, what possible careers can I do after an ANAT degree...... hmmmmmm.....

Hope you the best on your studies so you get into med next year

 

[johnwinchester228]

I was wondering if anyone had taken PHSE 204 or PHSE 206, wanted to know how the paper is like and if its worth taking thanks, also if there are any easy 200 level paper recommendations for second semester

 

[torilemon]

AWESOME! Thank You for your review!!!!

How were you tested for ANAT242? And what other papers did you take along with ANAT242?

I'm currently doing Biomed majoring in Functional Human Biology, and I took ANAT241 in the first sem. I surprisingly really enjoyed it and hated MICR221 and now I'm considering on changing my degree to Bsc in Anatomy. My only problem is that if I don't get into med, what possible careers can I do after an ANAT degree...... hmmmmmm.....

Hope you the best on your studies so you get into med next year

The first module (gross anatomy) is assessed by rat race, which you may or may not have done before - basically you have physical items in front of you (e.g. model from the anatomy museum, plastinated brain, etc) and you answer a few short questions about something that is pointed out by an arrow e.g. what is the structure marked by the arrow, what is it's function..... etc. You have about 1.5 minutes at each station before you move to the next. The second module is assessed as a rat race also, but it is more focused on cellular structures so we are sat in a lecture theatre and magnified images come up on the screen which we answer the same sort of questions about.

The third internal assessment is lab based, and it's quite simple. One week you do the experiment with the help of the dems and the next week you do the exact same experiment by yourself and answer some short questions about why you did particular steps, etc. It's hard to do wrong if you take advantage of the first week's lab to ask any questions and make sure you're doing it right. These two labs are pretty much the only exception to the "labs are useless" comment I made earlier

I am doing a double major in Anatomy and Genetics, so I also took GENE222 and GENE223, and HUBS192 (as I never took it in first year before I decided to take anatomy). As for jobs if med doesn't work out, I'm hoping to get into the fertility field - IVF, PGD, etc, hence the genetics too. It's definitely a field which I feel like will only grow in the future as more technology is developed.

Hope that helps

 

[stepbystep]

The first module (gross anatomy) is assessed by rat race, which you may or may not have done before - basically you have physical items in front of you (e.g. model from the anatomy museum, plastinated brain, etc) and you answer a few short questions about something that is pointed out by an arrow e.g. what is the structure marked by the arrow, what is it's function..... etc. You have about 1.5 minutes at each station before you move to the next. The second module is assessed as a rat race also, but it is more focused on cellular structures so we are sat in a lecture theatre and magnified images come up on the screen which we answer the same sort of questions about.

The third internal assessment is lab based, and it's quite simple. One week you do the experiment with the help of the dems and the next week you do the exact same experiment by yourself and answer some short questions about why you did particular steps, etc. It's hard to do wrong if you take advantage of the first week's lab to ask any questions and make sure you're doing it right. These two labs are pretty much the only exception to the "labs are useless" comment I made earlier

I am doing a double major in Anatomy and Genetics, so I also took GENE222 and GENE223, and HUBS192 (as I never took it in first year before I decided to take anatomy). As for jobs if med doesn't work out, I'm hoping to get into the fertility field - IVF, PGD, etc, hence the genetics too. It's definitely a field which I feel like will only grow in the future as more technology is developed.

Hope that helps

Thank you so much torilemon! How many papers are you taking in your third year? I heard that you can take a minimum of 5? is this true?

 

[torilemon]

Thank you so much torilemon! How many papers are you taking in your third year? I heard that you can take a minimum of 5? is this true?

I'm taking 7! I'm not sure about the 5 paper minimum... as I understand a semester with only 2 papers is not considered full time? Not 100% sure though, get in touch with the uni

 

[Lucca]

@torilemon What would you say about your experience with GENE222/223? Thinking of doing one of these papers this semester!

 

[torilemon]

@torilemon What would you say about your experience with GENE222/223? Thinking of doing one of these papers this semester!

Hey

In the beginning I really really really hated 223. It started off so slowly and I honestly don't really like Clive Ronson's teaching style. But as it went on it got far better, the content was more interesting/organised, and I ended up enjoying it much more than 222 (and I got a waaaay better grade!). Assessments were lab reports and a group oral presentation/debate. I also found these labs much more interesting and engaging.

I found 222 pretty boring in general but I'm not big on statistics, and that's a large part of the paper. It wasn't particularly difficult maths but I still didn't enjoy it. A large portion of the course is also revision (at least it was for me), e.g. Mendelian inheritance, phylogenetics etc, which made it hard to stay motivated. Assessments we're only lab reports, if I remember correctly. You might get a more raving review of this paper from somebody else haha I really didn't like it much at all.

If you have any specific questions feel free to ask, it's hard to differentiate the two papers in my memory though to describe them here

Hope this helps a little!

 

[Lucca]

Hey

In the beginning I really really really hated 223. It started off so slowly and I honestly don't really like Clive Ronson's teaching style. But as it went on it got far better, the content was more interesting/organised, and I ended up enjoying it much more than 222 (and I got a waaaay better grade!). Assessments were lab reports and a group oral presentation/debate. I also found these labs much more interesting and engaging.

I found 222 pretty boring in general but I'm not big on statistics, and that's a large part of the paper. It wasn't particularly difficult maths but I still didn't enjoy it. A large portion of the course is also revision (at least it was for me), e.g. Mendelian inheritance, phylogenetics etc, which made it hard to stay motivated. Assessments we're only lab reports, if I remember correctly. You might get a more raving review of this paper from somebody else haha I really didn't like it much at all.

If you have any specific questions feel free to ask, it's hard to differentiate the two papers in my memory though to describe them here

Hope this helps a little!

Thanks Torilemon! I ended up deciding to drop my microbiology major instead and so will be doing both of these papers as part of my Genetics major instead! MICR221 ended up being a not so great paper for me- mark wise at least. I felt like it wasn't how I wanted to be assessed on my knowledge (MCQ's aren't really too much my thing ) Getting an opinion on the papers definitely is a help! Thanks again!

Any tips on how to study for these though? I'm pretty daunted by the group oral presentation in GENE223... It was partly why I wanted to stick with Microbiology instead of Genetics as a major

 

[Lucca]

On a completely different note, does anyone have any suggestions for GPA boosters for second semester?

I've already done MAOR102 and 110 and am planning on STAT115 but was wondering if there was anything else? I know it's an unlikely thing, but thought I'd ask anyways.

 

[brendas]

I'm not sure if this is the right board to post in but I'm doing HSFY. I'm not sure if I passed my exam today (I'm not one to freak out so no exaggeration when I say this- it's actually due to a family circumstance). Anyway, it was HUBS192 and I from what I've been looking at it's a prerequisite for most Anatomy and Physiology majors which I was hoping to take next year. Any suggestions on other majors that will be helpful for post grad entry? Or anyone know of someone who failed HUBS192 and was able to take restricted courses? I did get an A+ in HUBS191 - do you think they'll factor that in? Thanks

 

[torilemon]

I'm not sure if this is the right board to post in but I'm doing HSFY. I'm not sure if I passed my exam today (I'm not one to freak out so no exaggeration when I say this- it's actually due to a family circumstance). Anyway, it was HUBS192 and I from what I've been looking at it's a prerequisite for most Anatomy and Physiology majors which I was hoping to take next year. Any suggestions on other majors that will be helpful for post grad entry? Or anyone know of someone who failed HUBS192 and was able to take restricted courses? I did get an A+ in HUBS191 - do you think they'll factor that in? Thanks

It is definitely worth getting in touch with Anatomy or Physiology departments if that is the course you want to do (can you imagine doing a whole degree in a subject you're not interested in? I would think it would be hard to keep up the motivation, but that's just me). I can't tell you if they will consider your A+ in 191 but I think it shows your capabilities!

Alternatively, you could just take 192 again next year. It would push back your degree by a year, but honestly - a year is nothing. I did 192 in my second year and I've just done my exam for ANAT243 (in my third year) because I couldn't take it until I did HUBS192. If you were planning on majoring in both Anatomy and Physiology, your degree would take 4 years regardless, so this wouldn't make a difference at all.