Thank you for sharing your awesome experience! I am bit worried about anatomy and physiology. My biology grades were not the best in my undergraduate hence why I applied to ABS program... and have a history of dropping anatomy class since I was overwhelmed about the course load (The class pace was extremely fast and I felt falling behind every time I attended lecture so I decided to drop the course so I don't fail..), and I'm sure the graduate level biology classes are much harder than undergraduate.. Do you have any advice how to approach on those courses?
Also, how often did you have to travel to Georgetown University for labs or classes? How was the environment between peers (collaborative/competitive) and between faculties (approachable, etc.)?
Thank you!
Hi! Thank you for reaching out! Let me do my best to answer your questions.
1) Do you have any advice how to approach on those courses [Anatomy and physiology]?
Well, by the time you make it to spring semester which is when you will have these two courses, it will already be an accomplishment because you're halfway done with the certificate! By this point, I would hope that you wouldn't want to drop out, so use the momentum of being halfway done to carry you forward.
Physiology was challenging because different instructors led different modules. One instructor led fluid dynamics, another one led cardio, another one led GI, another one led endocrine, ect. Not only was it challenging at first for me to adjust to their different teaching styles, but it was also a challenge to anticipate how the exams would be because the exam writer was not one sole instructor. This style of having multiple instructors is the reality of professional schools, so I knew that I would have to get comfortable with it eventually, and I am happy that I got to learn how to approach it in ABS. The instructors incorporate clinical cases and practice problem workshops into their modules, which are very, very helpful! I recommend going to class, reading the textbook (our instructors, Dr. Myers and Dr. Mulroney
wrote the textbook, so why wouldn't you read it?), and re-do all of the problem solving workshops.
Anatomy is still very fast-paced here in ABS! Lectures are twice a week for two hours and yes, these lectures are dense. Truthfully, I did not have the time to filter through the textbook, but I did make sure that I knew everything on the lecture slides. The cadaver labs at Georgetown are absolutely spectacular (my favorite part about ABS), but you get the most out of them when you are actually prepared. This meant that I would need to have done a few passes at the material before heading out to the cadaver lab. For unit 2 (abdominal cavity), I felt best prepared for the cadaver lab and this is what made it so enjoyable. When you know the blood vessels, nerves, bones, and organs, you can actually follow along with your cadaver instructor.
Big picture: You have to be diligent about staying on top of you material. On weekends, I made sure that I was caught up on rewatching all the lecture captures. Space out your studying. For anatomy and physiology here, you legitimately cannot cram it in a weekend. It took me about a week of solid, hardcore studying to feel ready for the exams.
2) How often did you have to travel to Georgetown University for labs or classes?
Classes are regularly held in Manassas, VA. We traveled to Georgetown a total of three times in the 15-week semester: February, March, and May. Classes at Georgetown began at 11:30am and lab sessions were one hour between the time frame of 1pm - 4pm. Thus, the latest you could possibly be there is 5pm.
3) How was the environment between peers (collaborative/competitive) and between faculties (approachable, etc.)?
Between peers: Great! I had no issues. I thought my peers were very sweet, collaborative, and brilliant. I tend to study alone, but when I did need to reach out for help, there was no shortage of classmates who would help me. With the faculty, again, I had no issues. I spoke to the director and assistant director frequently and the instructors were very responsive to emails (responded within 48 hours) and were available to meet in person if needed. The supplemental faculty (teaching assistants) were my most valuable resource. There are four of them and I mostly ran to them when I needed help with the material.
I hope this helps! Please feel welcome to share any more questions!
