How hard is Microbiology??

[shreypete]

So it is really hard? How bad is it when compared to physio or biochem?

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[meister]

As an M1 all I can say is that from my vantage point I'd much rather be doing drugs and bugs right now than histology or immunology.

 

[tendecades]

not that interesting learing about so many microorganisms compared to biochem... but important nevertheless

 

[Depakote]

So far, I've liked microbio the most of anything we've studied (except maybe path). It came to me pretty easily...


I think I'm in the minority though, a lot of people in my class really hated it.

 

[Depakote]

Also, clinical microbiology made ridiculously simple helps a lot

 

[meister]

Everyone should learn proper pronunciation so we don't sound like idiots to the pharmacists, by the way. You have been warned.

 

[Depakote]

Everyone should learn proper pronunciation so we don't sound like idiots to the pharmacists, by the way. You have been warned.

If it's only my pronunciation that's making me sound like an idiot... win.

 

[turkeyjerky]

So far, I'm liking micro more than biochem (much more) but not as much as physio. I don't think that any of those are particularly harder than the others.

 

[Depakote]

So far, I'm liking micro more than biochem (much more) but not as much as physio. I don't think that any of those are particularly harder than the others.

physio just doesn't click for me... I have to put in a lot more work for it than the others.

 

[thechad]

I don't like micro too much, everything just seems so damn similar (i.e. these 12 bugs cause diarrhea, but these ones ferment this, and those ones are sensitive to that, et cetera).

 

[Vonsmack]

Micro/Path is easy, just straight up memorization. I know everything in med school is memorization but phys/pathophys/biochem has more mechanisms and pathways that can get complicated. CMMRS is great with pnemonics and organizing the material- especially antibiotics.

 

[nka1985]

physio just doesn't click for me... I have to put in a lot more work for it than the others.

I was just the opposite. Physio was super easy, Micro was torture. Too many bugs and too much overlap. I came out with a good grade but it was definitely a work-my-butt-off for the grade sort of class.

 

[Slide]

I was not a big fan of Micro until I started seeing some of the infections clinically. Even then, I would have rather been learning Path or Pharm. However, it conceptually wasn't very hard; straight up memorization and understanding of trends is all you need. Though I loathed micro many times, I did well on the board exam because it's straightforward (you know it or you don't), while the physio's board exam questions, I thought, required more thinking.

 

[shreypete]

Would any of you recommend the Lippincots Microbiology???

 

[BORNagainSTDENT]

How much harder is it than premed Micro Bio.

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

How much harder is it than premed Micro Bio.

Undergrad Micro (at least my experience) was much more focused on basics before transitioning into biochemical and genetic discussions, i.e. more PhD focused. This stuff was kinda covered in a compressed fashion in med school, but then there was more a focus on human disease and such.

 

[Vonsmack]

Would any of you recommend the Lippincots Microbiology???

Lippincots makes good books, especially pharm and biochem. But the best micro book is Clinical Microbiology made ridiculously simple.

 

[Iquitos]

I thought micro was one of the easiest classes in M1. I've heard "Mirco made rediculously simple'' is a great book if you find micro challenging.

 

[TMP-SMX]

It's odd that so many med schools have Micro/Immunology as a class in M1.

Anyway, I loved Micro. I knew a lot of the concepts and the bugs beforehand from undergrad though as I took General Micro plus lab, then TAed the lab for two semesters, took Medical Microbiology, and took Virology. Hardest part was memorizing the drugs because that was all new to me for the most part.

 

[little pebble]

Undergrad Micro (at least my experience) was much more focused on basics before transitioning into biochemical and genetic discussions, i.e. more PhD focused. This stuff was kinda covered in a compressed fashion in med school, but then there was more a focus on human disease and such.

Cosign -- that's one of the things I'm having problems with right now. I can tell you exactly how cholera toxin works, but how to identify signs and symptoms for V. vulnificus?

That being said, I am so glad I majored in microbiology, and have seen most of this stuff at least once!

 

[thechad]

I'm kind of curious as to how micro is dealt with clinically. Like, do you send something to the lab and say, "Test for X and Y," or is it more like, "Here is a specimen, wtf is it?"

I ask because so many bugs can cause the same symptoms, but their immunity to drugs can be different.

 

[KTownGT]

Cosign -- that's one of the things I'm having problems with right now. I can tell you exactly how cholera toxin works, but how to identify signs and symptoms for V. vulnificus?

That being said, I am so glad I majored in microbiology, and have seen most of this stuff at least once!

How did you like majoring in Microbiology? I am on the fence with Micro or Chem; I'm leaning towards Micro though.

 

[strv04]

Micro test were bad but I blame the professors and their crappy questions seeing how i somehow destroyed the shelf exam but got an average grade on the in class tests.

Learning micro the first time around was the most painful experience of medical school so far.

How much harder is it than premed Micro Bio.

We did all clinically relevant bacteria in 2 weeks which was about equal to a semester long class I took as a senior in college.

 

[Vonsmack]

How did you like majoring in Microbiology? I am on the fence with Micro or Chem; I'm leaning towards Micro though.

Micro has more cross-over with med school, especially with classes like med micro, virology, immunology. Chem goes way over the scope of med schools, plus you have to take miserable classes like physical chemistry. But you know, just do whatever you like best.

 

[KTownGT]

Micro has more cross-over with med school, especially with classes like med micro, virology, immunology. Chem goes way over the scope of med schools, plus you have to take miserable classes like physical chemistry. But you know, just do whatever you like best.

Awesome!
I literally fall asleep when my prof starts talking, and when I open my chemistry book. 😴

Sometimes when I am bored I'll actually read up on pathogens and stuff; it's very interesting.

 

[.surgical.]

How did you like majoring in Microbiology? I am on the fence with Micro or Chem; I'm leaning towards Micro though.

Do you like math? If so, pick chem. I did and enjoyed it as an undergrad. It made biochem a bit more trivial as well.

 

[KTownGT]

Do you like math? If so, pick chem. I did and enjoyed it as an undergrad. It made biochem a bit more trivial as well.

Meh, I floated through Stats last semester and am determined not to take anymore math classes.

I am actually kinda stoked for Microbiology classes; the reason I jumped into Chemistry at first is my father kept bringing up that I can do much more with a BS in Chem out of school.

 

[Random Anesthesiologist]

We also have a combined micro/immuno class. The micro part is awesome. The immuno part is meh the first semester, but once you understand the basic immune reactions it's not so bad.

 

[little pebble]

How did you like majoring in Microbiology? I am on the fence with Micro or Chem; I'm leaning towards Micro though.

I'm an infectious disease nut (I used to want to run NCID at CDC as a kid) so I loved it. Vonsmack is right -- microbiology has the most crossover with medical school. When I entered school, I had already seen bacterial pathogenesis, immunology (twice!), genetics / molecular biology, and biochemistry. That's made first year a lot easier.

I would suggest it, unless you really love chem.

I am actually kinda stoked for Microbiology classes; the reason I jumped into Chemistry at first is my father kept bringing up that I can do much more with a BS in Chem out of school.

If you like lab work, there's lots to do with a BS in microbiology straight out of uni.

 

[Re3iRtH]

Do you like math? If so, pick chem. I did and enjoyed it as an undergrad. It made biochem a bit more trivial as well.

I don't like math at all, but I majored in chem and did really
well in it. There are always ways to learn every chem subject from
the non-math aspect if you just think about it.

 

[The Angriest Bird]

Also, clinical microbiology made ridiculously simple helps a lot

+1 for that. That book is simply amazing.

 

[The Angriest Bird]

My experience tells me once you feel like you are like having personaly relationships with all the bugs, your microbiology is pretty good. I know it's extremely dorky, but it's true.

 

[Caboose]

My experience tells me once you feel like you are like having personaly relationships with all the bugs, your microbiology is pretty good. I know it's extremely dorky, but it's true.

Hahaha - it's the only relationship I could make time for. Still, I got honors in micro and looking back I feel like I don't know a darned thing. Gonna have to learn it all over again for boards. Maybe I can ask my class to do skits or something. Creepy John = necator americanus

As a side, immunology was one of my favorites because I had an awesome teacher. She was a guest speaker at another med school and came back saying how fragmented it was presented. It's really not a bad subject.

Caboose.