Would you take this course?

[Picklesali]

Hello,
I'm putting together my schedule for next semester, and I was wondering what you guys think. I got an email from the medical school at my university inviting me to take a class entitled "Pathology: the study of disease." It is taught at the med school and designed to be taken by students planning (hoping) to be enrolled in med school Fall 2008. Here is the course description:

THE COURSE INTRODUCES PRE-MEDICINE STUDENTS TO THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE OF THE TERMINOLOGY OF DISEASE, WHICH REDUCES THE EXTREME BURDEN OF SIMULTANEOUSLY LEARNING THIS LANGUAGE AND USING IT TO LEARN THE DISEASES IN THE FIRST YEAR OF MEDICAL SCHOOL. THE COURSE ALSO INTRODUCES PRE-MEDICINE STUDENTS TO ALL THE MOST COMMON AND MOST IMPORTANT DISEASES OF HUMANS AS WELL AS GENERAL CONCEPTS OF DISEASE, INTEGRATING THE PATHOLOGY OF EACH DISEASE (THE WAY IT APPEARS VISUALLY, ESPECIALLY UNDER A MICROSCOPE) WITH THE EPIDEMIOLOGY, THE SYMPTOMS, THE SIGNS, THE LABORATORY TEST MANIFESTATIONS, THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, THE TREATMENT AND THE PROGNOSIS IN AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE DISEASE. TWO CHAPTERS OF THE LARGEST AND BEST COMPREHENSIVE TEXTBOOK OF PATHOLOGY WILL BE ASSIGNED READING EACH WEEK AND THE STUDENTS WILL BE EXPECTED TO HAVE USED THE INTERNET, THE LIBRARY, THE DICTIONARY AND WHATEVER TEXTBOOKS OF ANATOMY, HISTOLOGY, PHYSIOLOGY AND MEDICINE NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND IT IN PREPARATION FOR CLASS. A PRIOR COURSE IN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, BUT IS NOT AN ABSOLUTE PREREQUISITE. EACH CLASS WILL BE AN INTERACTIVE QUESTION, ANSWER AND DISCUSSION SESSION. THE STUDENTS WILL BE ENCOURAGED TO ASK THE TEACHER ABOUT ANYTHING THEY NEED HELP UNDERSTANDING, AND THE TEACHER WILL USE THE SOCRATIC METHOD, ASKING THEM QUESTIONS ON THE ASSUMPTION THEY KNOW AND UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THEY HAVE NOT ASKED HIM ABOUT. 70% OF THE GRADE WILL BE FROM A WEEKLY TEN-MINUTE IN-CLASS ESSAY TEST ON A DISEASE (OR CONCEPT OF DISEASE) AND 30% FROM THREE ONE-MINUTE DEFINITIONS OF TERMS, ALL HANDWRITTEN, ALL GRADED BY BOTH THE TEACHER AND AN INDEPENDENT GRADER (EACH COUNTING FOR HALF). THE TERMS AND DISEASES TO BE TESTED WILL BE DRAWN FROM LISTS PROVIDED TO THE STUDENTS THE PREVIOUS WEEK.

So, it sounds interesting, but also a lot of work. I was just wondering if any of you have taken or would take a course like this. Personally, I don't think I will have trouble "learning the language" of medicine, so easing my burden next year would not be my primary goal.

Anyhoo, it's either this or virology...or, you know, underwater basket weaving.

Any thoughts?

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[solitude]

Go with virology. You will probably find it more interesting (I think viruses are cooler than the description you posted), and you won't have to suffer through a pathology class in medical school that would be a lot of review. It's your last semester of college--don't waste it cramming in courses that you will take next year anyways.

Hello,
I'm putting together my schedule for next semester, and I was wondering what you guys think. I got an email from the medical school at my university inviting me to take a class entitled "Pathology: the study of disease." It is taught at the med school and designed to be taken by students planning (hoping) to be enrolled in med school Fall 2008. Here is the course description:

THE COURSE INTRODUCES PRE-MEDICINE STUDENTS TO THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE OF THE TERMINOLOGY OF DISEASE, WHICH REDUCES THE EXTREME BURDEN OF SIMULTANEOUSLY LEARNING THIS LANGUAGE AND USING IT TO LEARN THE DISEASES IN THE FIRST YEAR OF MEDICAL SCHOOL. THE COURSE ALSO INTRODUCES PRE-MEDICINE STUDENTS TO ALL THE MOST COMMON AND MOST IMPORTANT DISEASES OF HUMANS AS WELL AS GENERAL CONCEPTS OF DISEASE, INTEGRATING THE PATHOLOGY OF EACH DISEASE (THE WAY IT APPEARS VISUALLY, ESPECIALLY UNDER A MICROSCOPE) WITH THE EPIDEMIOLOGY, THE SYMPTOMS, THE SIGNS, THE LABORATORY TEST MANIFESTATIONS, THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, THE TREATMENT AND THE PROGNOSIS IN AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE DISEASE. TWO CHAPTERS OF THE LARGEST AND BEST COMPREHENSIVE TEXTBOOK OF PATHOLOGY WILL BE ASSIGNED READING EACH WEEK AND THE STUDENTS WILL BE EXPECTED TO HAVE USED THE INTERNET, THE LIBRARY, THE DICTIONARY AND WHATEVER TEXTBOOKS OF ANATOMY, HISTOLOGY, PHYSIOLOGY AND MEDICINE NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND IT IN PREPARATION FOR CLASS. A PRIOR COURSE IN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, BUT IS NOT AN ABSOLUTE PREREQUISITE. EACH CLASS WILL BE AN INTERACTIVE QUESTION, ANSWER AND DISCUSSION SESSION. THE STUDENTS WILL BE ENCOURAGED TO ASK THE TEACHER ABOUT ANYTHING THEY NEED HELP UNDERSTANDING, AND THE TEACHER WILL USE THE SOCRATIC METHOD, ASKING THEM QUESTIONS ON THE ASSUMPTION THEY KNOW AND UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THEY HAVE NOT ASKED HIM ABOUT. 70% OF THE GRADE WILL BE FROM A WEEKLY TEN-MINUTE IN-CLASS ESSAY TEST ON A DISEASE (OR CONCEPT OF DISEASE) AND 30% FROM THREE ONE-MINUTE DEFINITIONS OF TERMS, ALL HANDWRITTEN, ALL GRADED BY BOTH THE TEACHER AND AN INDEPENDENT GRADER (EACH COUNTING FOR HALF). THE TERMS AND DISEASES TO BE TESTED WILL BE DRAWN FROM LISTS PROVIDED TO THE STUDENTS THE PREVIOUS WEEK.

So, it sounds interesting, but also a lot of work. I was just wondering if any of you have taken or would take a course like this. Personally, I don't think I will have trouble "learning the language" of medicine, so easing my burden next year would not be my primary goal.

Anyhoo, it's either this or virology...or, you know, underwater basket weaving.

Any thoughts?

 

[meowkat444]

idunno... if i were you, i would take some stuff that you *won't* learn in med school, unless you have to take more bio for your major. it's your last semester, and your schedule next semester won't affect admissions...

 

[Picklesali]

Thanks for your input.
I saw after I posted this that not only do you need to get special permission to enter the class (which is not uncommon), admittance is determined by personal interview with the prof. Sounds like a hassle!

Oh, and no, I do not need any more biology classes, I just need to take a 1-credit molecular bio senior seminar. (...and finish my honors thesis)

 

[noplacelikehome]

Take something interesting. They're right, too, it's something you'll get pleanty of in med school next year. No reason to be in a hurry - enjoy your time and have fun with the honors thesis. Underwater basket weaving might not be a bad idea, virology wouldn't be a bad idea, either. unless you're just really interested in the other!

 

[meowkat444]

see my senior year, where i took classes like the metaphysics of color, intro russian for the hell of it, and one where i built and battled my own robot. and that was even before i applied to med school!

 

[Inuranic]

see my senior year, where i took classes like the metaphysics of color, intro russian for the hell of it, and one where i built and battled my own robot. and that was even before i applied to med school!

Wait...what?

 

[meowkat444]

interesting... i seem to have posted in the wrong thread. it was a relevant answer in picklesali's thread though, i promise.

anyway, i cite lack of sleep. carry on!

 

[QofQuimica]

Speaking as a second year med student who is up to my ears in pathology at the moment, I say take the underwater basket weaving. You will study so much path in med school for so long that you will *never* wish you had spent an extra semester doing it as an undergrad. Also, the pace of an UG path class is maybe going to give you an advantage in med school for a week or two tops. Seriously, now is the time to take those classes in art, literature, classics, foreign language, history, whatever else you feel like taking, because once you get here, your class choices are nil and zilch. If you feel like you must take a science class, then the virology isn't a bad choice, because a lot of med schools don't cover it very thoroughly. But it's not necessary.

 

[meowkat444]

hey, i'm an idiot and answered this question in the christmas/new years interview thread. but you should still ready my reply (which basically seconds q's)

 

[QofQuimica]

hey, i'm an idiot and answered this question in the christmas/new years interview thread. but you should still ready my reply (which basically seconds q's)

I can move it for you.

Edit: Done.

 

[matricASAP]

Hello,
I'm putting together my schedule for next semester, and I was wondering what you guys think. I got an email from the medical school at my university inviting me to take a class entitled "Pathology: the study of disease." It is taught at the med school and designed to be taken by students planning (hoping) to be enrolled in med school Fall 2008. Here is the course description:

THE COURSE INTRODUCES PRE-MEDICINE STUDENTS TO THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE OF THE TERMINOLOGY OF DISEASE, WHICH REDUCES THE EXTREME BURDEN OF SIMULTANEOUSLY LEARNING THIS LANGUAGE AND USING IT TO LEARN THE DISEASES IN THE FIRST YEAR OF MEDICAL SCHOOL. THE COURSE ALSO INTRODUCES PRE-MEDICINE STUDENTS TO ALL THE MOST COMMON AND MOST IMPORTANT DISEASES OF HUMANS AS WELL AS GENERAL CONCEPTS OF DISEASE, INTEGRATING THE PATHOLOGY OF EACH DISEASE (THE WAY IT APPEARS VISUALLY, ESPECIALLY UNDER A MICROSCOPE) WITH THE EPIDEMIOLOGY, THE SYMPTOMS, THE SIGNS, THE LABORATORY TEST MANIFESTATIONS, THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, THE TREATMENT AND THE PROGNOSIS IN AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE DISEASE. TWO CHAPTERS OF THE LARGEST AND BEST COMPREHENSIVE TEXTBOOK OF PATHOLOGY WILL BE ASSIGNED READING EACH WEEK AND THE STUDENTS WILL BE EXPECTED TO HAVE USED THE INTERNET, THE LIBRARY, THE DICTIONARY AND WHATEVER TEXTBOOKS OF ANATOMY, HISTOLOGY, PHYSIOLOGY AND MEDICINE NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND IT IN PREPARATION FOR CLASS. A PRIOR COURSE IN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, BUT IS NOT AN ABSOLUTE PREREQUISITE. EACH CLASS WILL BE AN INTERACTIVE QUESTION, ANSWER AND DISCUSSION SESSION. THE STUDENTS WILL BE ENCOURAGED TO ASK THE TEACHER ABOUT ANYTHING THEY NEED HELP UNDERSTANDING, AND THE TEACHER WILL USE THE SOCRATIC METHOD, ASKING THEM QUESTIONS ON THE ASSUMPTION THEY KNOW AND UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THEY HAVE NOT ASKED HIM ABOUT. 70% OF THE GRADE WILL BE FROM A WEEKLY TEN-MINUTE IN-CLASS ESSAY TEST ON A DISEASE (OR CONCEPT OF DISEASE) AND 30% FROM THREE ONE-MINUTE DEFINITIONS OF TERMS, ALL HANDWRITTEN, ALL GRADED BY BOTH THE TEACHER AND AN INDEPENDENT GRADER (EACH COUNTING FOR HALF). THE TERMS AND DISEASES TO BE TESTED WILL BE DRAWN FROM LISTS PROVIDED TO THE STUDENTS THE PREVIOUS WEEK.

So, it sounds interesting, but also a lot of work. I was just wondering if any of you have taken or would take a course like this. Personally, I don't think I will have trouble "learning the language" of medicine, so easing my burden next year would not be my primary goal.

Anyhoo, it's either this or virology...or, you know, underwater basket weaving.

Any thoughts?

Take both. Your only at school once, there's really no reason not to, and you'll already be into an MD program, so hit this one up pass-fail and the other for credit. Overload if you have to, I think it'd be worth it. By the way, the prof for that Path class seems like a real DB, how is this not understood already.... "STUDENTS WILL BE EXPECTED TO HAVE USED THE INTERNET, THE LIBRARY, THE DICTIONARY AND WHATEVER TEXTBOOKS OF ANATOMY, HISTOLOGY, PHYSIOLOGY AND MEDICINE NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND IT IN PREPARATION FOR CLASS" AND, what kind of class for premeds wants A&P as a pre-req?