How hard is Microbiology

[tompharm]

I'm taking a lot of credits this semester and I am just trying to get a gauge on how tough it's going to be. The main class I am worried about is Micro bio.

I've taken Cell biology and genetics and I was wondering how hard Micro is compared to these 2 classes.

So far it doesn't seem that hard but I think I want to hear it from students that have actually taken the class.

So if anyone can answer my question....

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[countryboy55]

Like most classes..the difficultly depends on the teacher/Ra's, school, class size, etc.

Overall Micro is not that difficult. To me Cell Bio was more difficult, but neither was that difficult. I enjoyed them both...very interesting

Just read the book and show up to class and Im sure you'll be fine.

best of luck!!

 

[UES Girl]

I'm taking a lot of credits this semester and I am just trying to get a gauge on how tough it's going to be. The main class I am worried about is Micro bio.

I've taken Cell biology and genetics and I was wondering how hard Micro is compared to these 2 classes.

So far it doesn't seem that hard but I think I want to hear it from students that have actually taken the class.

So if anyone can answer my question....

I've taken both of those classes plus a year of biochemistry and thought microbio was a very easy class. My teacher was considered very intense in the department - he was a transfer from a different school - but even with a hard teacher I thought it was a no brainer class. The majority of it is just a combination of cell + genetics+ biochem, so you actually learn very little new material. I got a B+ and I studied about 3-4 hours before each exam. ( If I had more time on my hands A would be no problem) I basicall half-assed the entire class just by taking those before. People who haven't taken genetics and cell - studied weeks in advance and struggled significantly.

 

[johnanderson]

I just took micro, cell, and molecular bio last semester. Ended up with an "A" in both cell and molecular and a high "B" in micro. Its not difficult as long as you study but it really depends on which teacher you get.

 

[cherries]

I have taken micro, biochem, cell, and molecular..i did pretty well in those classes but out of those group, i think micro is the easiest. I think it was easy because you just have to memorize those diseases with the bacterias and viruses. Hopefully that would give you an insight!

 

[azPharmD2B]

I'm not sure where all this fear of micro from some people comes from, but as others have mentioned in this thread its definitely not that bad.

 

[labrat024]

I never took micro. So when preparing for the PCAT I borrowed a friends micro book. I found that I knew most of it from other courses: gen bio, molecular bio, and biochems. So I didn't even bother to study from that book. Most of it was very simple. The only stuff I really didn't know was names of viruses and bacteria outside from what we learned from other courses. I only got hit up with a couple of those on the PCAT and one had an obvious answer that everyone should know even if you never took any biology courses.

 

[ExpressMaiL]

To me, Microbiology depends on how the professor wants to teach the subject; which, in turn depends on what specialty or type of research the professor does (within microbiology). The field is very broad and the course can only go so in depth in a semester/quarter.

 

[AngelaCL]

Depends on the professor. For example I found the class to be very interesting and the material wasn't that difficult to grasp, but the professor had very difficult exams and no curve. If there would have been a curve, I would have gotten an A for sure. So ask other students - and make sure to ask students who are about as smart as you. Of course the kids with the 2.5s are going to think the class is hard, and the kid with the 4.0 is going to think it's pretty easy!

 

[Pharmpills]

there are 2 levels of microbio at my school one at the lower and upper division. the upper division class isnt too bad. its about bacteria, alot of memorizing and knowing types of bacteria.

 

[rxgales]

Depends on the professor. For example I found the class to be very interesting and the material wasn't that difficult to grasp, but the professor had very difficult exams and no curve. If there would have been a curve, I would have gotten an A for sure. So ask other students - and make sure to ask students who are about as smart as you. Of course the kids with the 2.5s are going to think the class is hard, and the kid with the 4.0 is going to think it's pretty easy!

that's true...you can have a mad scientist who can teach in foreign language or you can have a a professor who can teach you how to stay healthy or stay away from the bad bugs

 

[veyep]

as everyone else said it depends on the professor/school/semester. But for me it was not harder than genetics. I definately enjoyed the labs more than chem labs. Overall I really like the subject.

 

[Street Spirit]

If you've taken Genetics and Cell Biology, Microbiology should be fairly easy. Microbiology relies on many principles taught from Genetics and especially Cell Biology, but with a prokaryotic slant.

My microbiology class in particular concentrated half on these principles. The remainder was spent concentrating on immunology, and key microbes involved in nosocomial and traveling infections.

 

[AbsoluteEthanol]

i thought that micro is by far the easiest upper div. bio class... now metabolic biochemistry, that's a wholeeeeeee other animal

 

[labrat024]

That's not ethanol. That's MDMA! Raver alert!

 

[AbsoluteEthanol]

That's not ethanol. That's MDMA! Raver alert!

hahahaha, guilty as charged... very impressive lab rat, glad to see a fellow chem nerd on this site baby

99th percentile on PCAT chemistry!!! woo hoo

 

[labrat024]

hahahaha, guilty as charged... very impressive lab rat, glad to see a fellow chem nerd on this site baby

99th percentile on PCAT chemistry!!! woo hoo

I was a close 98th percentile on chemistry myself. I love being a geek!

 

[labrat024]

This would be more accurate:

 

[labrat024]

or better yet:

 

[labrat024]

Just in case you were into candy flippin' you should know this one too:

 

[ExpressMaiL]

This is far from "microbiology" but that is lysergic acid diethylamide. The indole ring is very intriguing.

 

[labrat024]

This is far from "microbiology" but that is lysergic acid diethylamide. The indole ring is very intriguing.

Yep. It is a very common characteristic of many hallucinogens. These hallucinogens mimic serotonin's structure thereby leading to over-stimulation of their receptors and blah, blah, blah.

 

[OKgirl]

This is far from "microbiology" but that is lysergic acid diethylamide. The indole ring is very intriguing.

WOW. You guys are really smart. I don't think I'll ever be able to name a compund like that.

 

[AbsoluteEthanol]

WOW. You guys are really smart. I don't think I'll ever be able to name a compund like that.

some call it smart, others call it being a druggy ahahhaha!


i candy flipped once... worst experience of my life! I think it was LSA, not LSD though!

 

[ExpressMaiL]

Yep. It is a very common characteristic of many hallucinogens. These hallucinogens mimic serotonin's structure thereby leading to over-stimulation of their receptors and blah, blah, blah.

Ah, the good old chemistry days. There's nothing quite like using a blast shield and double nitriles to handle 5.5 mmol of O\/O\/\O/ derivatives. Or washing a sep funnel with 12 M HCl and finding out the stopcock has leaks.

We should start a thread, "I almost died in my research lab when..." Sounds too morbid, no?

 

[labrat024]

some call it smart, others call it being a druggy ahahhaha!
i candy flipped once... worst experience of my life! I think it was LSA, not LSD though!

Lets make it clear that just because I know about some of this stuff doesn't mean that I use them. I did however have friends in high school that were rave goers that participated in typical rave things. I did my own research on some of the stuff that went around because I wanted to clear up their deluded beliefs that MDMA wasn't bad for you. They ate them like candy. I witnessed people first hand while on this stuff and it was often not very pretty. Maybe they felt good, but they looked like frickin' zombies and they made out with some of the ugliest chicks. I was also pretty sure that some of these drugs induced gayness due to the high numbers of gays and bisexuals on the scene (I had a dude ask me for a back massage and I almost cracked his skull open). I have also been asked "hey dude need any meth?" and my favorite line was "try putting that on raw steak, it will sizzle, just image what it does to your nose!" I got some of the funniest facial reactions ever. Thank God all of my friends turned out straight and were able to have normal kids. Although I tagged along for a few parties and picked up on some lingo, the only thing that I got high on was the drum n' bass music (okay fine I smoked a dube or two) This was also over ten years ago, I can hardly listen to that stuff now.

Oh, and back to microbiology.....These places are not very sanitary and you will have a good chance of picking up viruses and bacteria from others. I've even heard rumors of "THE virus" getting passed around rave parties. So if you feel a pin prick be afraid, be very afraid!

 

[labrat024]

Ah, the good old chemistry days. There's nothing quite like using a blast shield and double nitriles to handle 5.5 mmol of O\/O\/\O/ derivatives. Or washing a sep funnel with 12 M HCl and finding out the stopcock has leaks.

We should start a thread, "I almost died in my research lab when..." Sounds too morbid, no?

Is that supposed to be an ether

 

[ExpressMaiL]

Yes, OMEM derivative(s).

 

[labrat024]

they looked like frickin' zombies

Speaking of zombies:

 

[Nerdgirl]

Microbiology is about germs and the class is like general biology, much easier compared to the human anatomy and physiology sequence.

It's an easy class. Don't let other people psych you out.

 

[AbsoluteEthanol]

Lets make it clear that just because I know about some of this stuff doesn't mean that I use them. I did however have friends in high school that were rave goers that participated in typical rave things. I did my own research on some of the stuff that went around because I wanted to clear up their deluded beliefs that MDMA wasn't bad for you. They ate them like candy. I witnessed people first hand while on this stuff and it was often not very pretty. Maybe they felt good, but they looked like frickin' zombies and they made out with some of the ugliest chicks. I was also pretty sure that some of these drugs induced gayness due to the high numbers of gays and bisexuals on the scene (I had a dude ask me for a back massage and I almost cracked his skull open). I have also been asked "hey dude need any meth?" and my favorite line was "try putting that on raw steak, it will sizzle, just image what it does to your nose!" I got some of the funniest facial reactions ever. Thank God all of my friends turned out straight and were able to have normal kids. Although I tagged along for a few parties and picked up on some lingo, the only thing that I got high on was the drum n' bass music (okay fine I smoked a dube or two) This was also over ten years ago, I can hardly listen to that stuff now.

Oh, and back to microbiology.....These places are not very sanitary and you will have a good chance of picking up viruses and bacteria from others. I've even heard rumors of "THE virus" getting passed around rave parties. So if you feel a pin prick be afraid, be very afraid!

well i'm not going to say whether i've done illegal drugs, but i will say that my first two years of college were hardly spent sober (unfortunately). anyone who thinks that MDMA is not harmful is either: A) Delusional B) Has absolutely no understanding of the human body 3) Brain fried.

oh and for your information Meth is not snorted, it is smoked

p.s. I spilled 2 liters of phenol chloroform on my lap last year... had to get naked and take a shower RIGHT THERE, in a huge lab. I must say though, the ladies LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUVED it ahhahaha

 

[sdogg04]

dude, its all about norepinephrine releasers like dextroamphetamine. j/k, never went past pot.
Microbio was easy for me until we had to start memorizing microorganisms, i.e. gram positive and negative bacteria, what each one causes, and what shape they are. Was pretty pointless. It felt like medchem, with all the structures we have to memorize.
The only thing you need to get out of it is the drugs, because it'll help with your future therapeutics classes.

 

[mattc_85]

Micro was one of the easier pre-reqs, I thought. The labs were some of the most interesting which really helped things. Like was said earlier, however, it likely depends on school/professor.
I do know that micro helped me tremendously in my antibiotics class in my first year of pharm school.

 

[labrat024]

well i'm not going to say whether i've done illegal drugs, but i will say that my first two years of college were hardly spent sober (unfortunately). anyone who thinks that MDMA is not harmful is either: A) Delusional B) Has absolutely no understanding of the human body 3) Brain fried.

oh and for your information Meth is not snorted, it is smoked

p.s. I spilled 2 liters of phenol chloroform on my lap last year... had to get naked and take a shower RIGHT THERE, in a huge lab. I must say though, the ladies LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUVED it ahhahaha

Like many drugs, meth can be used through different forms (smoke, ingest, snort, inject, topping for an ice cream sundae, you name it). So yes, it can and is snorted too.

 

[AbsoluteEthanol]

Like many drugs, meth can be used through different forms (smoke, ingest, snort, inject, topping for an ice cream sundae, you name it). So yes, it can and is snorted too.

yukh, that's dirty!

 

[labrat024]

yukh, that's dirty!

Any way you do meth is dirty, period.

 

[sle3pyguii]

I got a C in that class. It wasn't because the class was hard, but rather the lack of motivation I had for school last semester. It's a fun and interesting class.

 

[OChemist]

Doesnt it involve biochemistry?

 

[tomk]

thought it was one of the easier bio classes. of course, i thought it was also one of the more interesting. other people in the class thought it was hard, so i guess it just matters on how interested you are inthe subject, and of course how hard you study.

if you got A's in molecular, genetics, cell bio etc, you'll most likely get an A in this class, if you got b's, you'll probably get a b, and so on and so on.

if you are an A student, you aren't magically gonna get a c in this class. If you are a C student, your chances of getting an A is unlikely (statistically).

 

[Cangri One]

really depends on the teachers...thats why I feel its unfair to categorize people by just GPA...because for instance in my microbiology class the highest grade was an 83% (B-) I got a 78% (C+) and the class average was a 72%. The class was impossible. I took cell & mol which has way harder material and the teacher was nicer and even gave us a take home test and I got an A-. It always just depends on the teacher. Of course study habits makes a huge difference too but having understanding teachers definitely helps.

 

[OChemist]

is medical microbiology the same thing as microbiology?
I heard from one of my science professor said that this was a hard class.
My bio professor who is has a biochem degree said that biochem will help you understand micro a lot better.

 

[tahi193]

At my uni, medical microbiology and microbiology are in two different departments. Medical micro is taught through the medical school and regular microbiology is in the biology department. I took medical micro because it is the one required for the pharmacy school for me. It focuses only on the microbes that cause disease in humans and we spent a lot of time learning immunology. I thought the class was somewhere between the level of Intro Biology and a class like Molecular Biology. I took Biochem while taking Micro and I have to agree that a Biochem or Molecular Biology class will be helpful for Micro.

 

[AKN16]

Micro is not hard, just requires some work that needs to be put in...Like any class you'll ever take in your life, you have to STUDY STUDY STUDY... enough said.

 

[wes011]

I was a close 98th percentile on chemistry myself. I love being a geek!

In 2001, I scored in the 97th Percentile in Chemistry. Now that my scores are over 5 years old, looks like I get to do it all over again. Of course my awesome 97P was completely negated by my whopping 22 percentile for biology. I probably should have taken the biology courses before taking the exam. 😀

 

[xtsukiyox]

OK, this thread made me laugh.

Anyway, though, can someone relate it on a scale of O Chem -> Gen Bio, with Gen Bio being the easiest and O Chem being the hardest? I haven't taken Genetics, Cel Bio, etc... Just Gen Bio I & II.

Thinking about taking A&P I and Micro next semester, and I don't think I can survive another semester like the last (O Chem II & Gen Bio II & 40+ hr work week). Hoping it will be on the Gen Bio side of the scale. 😛

 

[koercive]

Microbio is similar to most biology classes except there was a stronger emphasis on the lab portion where I took it. It's a more of a hands-on type of class unlike classes like Biochem (which I thought was the hardest bio class)

 

[HayMay18]

or better yet:

Hehe you're funny

 

[BrokenFlowers]

It's the only science class I liked. Any class is easy if your really like it to be honest. I hated the lecture but liked the labs. Seeing all the different cells etc is interesting. I'm taking Ochem and Physics in the fall, grrrr.

 

[OChemist]

I hear someone (pre med thread) label micro = genetics = biochem.

 

[joedrt9]

I'm taking it now and I wouldn't say it's easy. Like all bio classes, you need to memorize a lot of stuff. This takes time. I don't see how anyone could study 3-4 hours before class and do well.