Microbiology for undergrad

[LindsayRein1]

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Hello

I am taking microbiology over the summer and I graduated college a very long time ago, so I don't remember all of intro bio too well. Does anyone who is taking micro/ has taken micro know a few topics in an intro biology textbook that I could cover/review before next semester to help me prep for micro?

Thanks

Lindsay

 

[funkydrmonkey]

you should cover molecular bio- transcription, translation, etc, genetics dealing with bacterial transfer of genes, biochem, to learn and go over the different metabolic pathways, basics of cell biology, like signal transduction etc. Microbio is a course which synthesizes every single aspect of bio and puts it in a microbial perspective. So you basically have got to know everything.

 

[Bacchus]

If you PM me an email address I can send you some notes from my micro class. It covers basic things.

 

[dd128]

It may be hard to say as a lot of the material covered probably depends on how your professor treats it. There is so much material most of the professors at my school just went according to their prerogative how in depth to cover certain topics. Our intro bio class wasn't real great so I'm not sure what was in it that related to micro. You could start memorizing phylum, genus, species of the many many bacteria...we did a lot of that 😉

 

[LindsayRein1]

.

 

[HumidBeing]

OP, please consider clicking on the edit button to your last post and deleting the email address. It is not a good idea to post it on an open public forum like this.

To send a PM, just click on the poster's name to the left of his post. A menu bar will appear under the name. Click "Send a PM to AHaydt" A window will open. Just type your message. Make sure include something on the Subject Line. Click "Send Message" and you've done it.

 

[Isoprop]

for general/intro microbio, it'd be a good idea to have a good grasp of biochem (metabolic pathways) and molecular genetics (translation, trascription, etc.). I wouldn't worry too much though, microbiology is pretty interesting if you are interested in medicine.

 

[Jolie South]

OP, please consider clicking on the edit button to your last post and deleting the email address. It is not a good idea to post it on an open public forum like this.

To send a PM, just click on the poster's name to the left of his post. A menu bar will appear under the name. Click "Send a PM to AHaydt" A window will open. Just type your message. Make sure include something on the Subject Line. Click "Send Message" and you've done it.

yes, while not against TOS, users should exercise caution in posting personal information in forums on SDN.

 

[Jolie South]

is this an intro microbio course? if so, chances are that this class will cover "the basics" that you don't remember from the bio classes that you previously took. by "the basics", i mean microbial structure/function, DNA replication, etc. there is usually a review unit/lecture before you start the in depth new material.

i guess it couldn't hurt to review though.

 

[Bacchus]

I tried contacting a mod, he must be busy 🙁.

 

[DoctorDreamer]

Basic cell bio (structures/organelles/respiration), and basic molecular bio/genetics (transcription/translation/etc) will get you pretty far. Mine had a little Ochem/Biochem, but it was easy to catch on to.

Micro was one of my favorite classes. I bet you'll have a blast. Good luck!

 

[LindsayRein1]

is this an intro microbio course? if so, chances are that this class will cover "the basics" that you don't remember from the bio classes that you previously took. by "the basics", i mean microbial structure/function, DNA replication, etc. there is usually a review unit/lecture before you start the in depth new material.

i guess it couldn't hurt to review though.

Yes - it's actually called BIO 216 "microbiology for health professionals"

 

[LindsayRein1]

Yes - it's actually called BIO 216 "microbiology for health professionals"

any last suggestions? 😍

 

[TMP-SMX]

Yes - it's actually called BIO 216 "microbiology for health professionals"

Sounds more like a clinical microbiology where you'll go over more of the infections rather than the molecular biology. So it may be less of a review in that case and shouldn't be that hard of a class. Sounds like a class for non-biology majors.

 

[LindsayRein1]

Sounds more like a clinical microbiology where you'll go over more of the infections rather than the molecular biology. So it may be less of a review in that case and shouldn't be that hard of a class. Sounds like a class for non-biology majors.

hm... the only reason why I am taking the course is to go into my bcpm. It's in the same department (Bio) as my intro bio course and all of the other bio courses, it's not in a health science department, or nursing, etc. It's titled with the pre-fix "bio" and apparently bio majors in addition to nursing majors take it. There is a lab associated as well. How do I know if this counts in bcpm?

Thanks for all of the help!

 

[LindsayRein1]

also...

I called AMCAS to find out if my health science courses from undergraduate will go into my science GPA, and I was told that AMCAS has you decide if the course was biology content oriented, and if it was you note it as bcpm, and they decide whether or not they agree with you.

So my question is... because this microbiology course is in the biology department, and is biology content oriented, is it still considered bcpm considering it is titled "microbiology for health professionals?"

here is the description for the course:

Biology 219-Microbiology for students in the health professions. Covers the diversity of microorganisms, their growth and how to control them. An introduction to the principles of disease and pathogenicity, host interaction and immunological response. Laboratories focus on the basic techniques to culture and student microorganisms.

 

[Jolie South]

also...

I called AMCAS to find out if my health science courses from undergraduate will go into my science GPA, and I was told that AMCAS has you decide if the course was biology content oriented, and if it was you note it as bcpm, and they decide whether or not they agree with you.

So my question is... because this microbiology course is in the biology department, and is biology content oriented, is it still considered bcpm considering it is titled "microbiology for health professionals?"

here is the description for the course:

Biology 219-Microbiology for students in the health professions. Covers the diversity of microorganisms, their growth and how to control them. An introduction to the principles of disease and pathogenicity, host interaction and immunological response. Laboratories focus on the basic techniques to culture and student microorganisms.

that sounds like an intro course that i took before getting into the nitty gritty of my microbio major.

it's definitely bio, and if your school classifies it that way, then write it that way on amcas.

when in doubt, write the dept that your school will list it as on your transcript.

 

[LindsayRein1]

that sounds like an intro course that i took before getting into the nitty gritty of my microbio major.

it's definitely bio, and if your school classifies it that way, then write it that way on amcas.

when in doubt, write the dept that your school will list it as on your transcript.

Thank you so much for your input!

There is no microbio major at this university, so I am not sure if they go any further with classes specifically in microbio. So far I haven't seen any micro courses. I am a non-trad student taking additional science courses so I am not sure how to make sure before I take it. I asked the bio department and the professor said, "well obviously it would count because its bio" but she doesn't know much. And I know if I call AMCAS they will say the same thing they told me last time... "classify it as you believe and we will correct/alter it."

hmmph.

Thanks for your help though!!

 

[mdgator]

I wouldn't worry too much about reviewing before class starts. My microbio prof basically spent the first week going over some basic cellular bio concepts, and giving us "suggested readings" to reference if we felt that we needed it. I think most of the concepts that you absolutely need to have a good handle on are so basic, that you probably don't need a review. There may be a very small handfull of things you should look over, like basic cell structures and the concepts of replication, transcription, translation. But I wouldn't try to do any heavy duty memorizing. There may be some concepts that pop up as you go through the course that you realize you need to review, but it should be pretty easy to catch up as you go along.

 

[mdgator]

I thought I'd add something. (And I'm just assuming you haven't taken the MCAT yet.) I felt like the MCAT, which I took this past September, was EXTREMELY MICROBIO HEAVY! I think that the test is moving more toward micro now from what it was in years past. This is just my opionion, others feel free to way in. I just know that when I took my AMCAS practice tests, there was not nearly as much micro as there was on the real thing. As a micro major, I feel like I benefitted from this somewhat.
So, OP, I would suggest that, as a non-traditional, you should place extra emphasis on doing well in this class. MASTER it, rather than just studying to do well on the tests.

 

[LindsayRein1]

I thought I'd add something. (And I'm just assuming you haven't taken the MCAT yet.) I felt like the MCAT, which I took this past September, was EXTREMELY MICROBIO HEAVY! I think that the test is moving more toward micro now from what it was in years past. This is just my opionion, others feel free to way in. I just know that when I took my AMCAS practice tests, there was not nearly as much micro as there was on the real thing. As a micro major, I feel like I benefitted from this somewhat.
So, OP, I would suggest that, as a non-traditional, you should place extra emphasis on doing well in this class. MASTER it, rather than just studying to do well on the tests.

Thank you SO much!! I really appreciate your advice 🙂 I have heard from many, many people that micro is really interesting and a great course.

Do you have any feedback on my last few posts about the course and bcpm gpa?

 

[Bacchus]

Were those the type of notes you were looking for?

 

[mdgator]

Thank you SO much!! I really appreciate your advice 🙂 I have heard from many, many people that micro is really interesting and a great course.

Do you have any feedback on my last few posts about the course and bcpm gpa?

I do have an opinion, but it is just that...an opinion, so take it for what it's worth. I would be very surprised if it didn't count towards bcpm gpa. It definitely sounds like the course is very much a microbiology course. And, I don't know how AMCAS will make the determination, ultimately, but I would guess that if they have any question, they will contact your school and inquire about the course content. From what you said in a previous post, your school's position is that it should count toward bcpm. They probably have as much say-so as far as that goes as anybody, because, again, I would think if AMCAS has questions, they will go through your school to clarify them.
(I also noticed I misspelled "weigh" in a previous post. Amazing how dependent we've all become on spell-check. 😳)

 

[Insulinshock]

You'll probably have an easier time if you just touch up on respiration and its components, basic metabolic pathways, and dna replication, etc.

a lot of my course focused on microbial control and containment which sucked but im sure its different at every university.

 

[LindsayRein1]

Thank you everyone!