UC Davis bio degrees, which major?

[emttim]

So I'm basically stuck inbetween picking I believe three majors. I'm having a hard time deciding on which one simply because I like biology, I like chemistry, but I don't really have any specific interests beyond that at this point.

I'm trying to decide between Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, which basically is about twice the biochemistry of the other two majors (go figure 😛), but it involves two quarters of physical chem (albeit the physical chem for life science majors, not the more in-depth one).

Exercise Biology is one of my other options because part of the major requirement is human gross anatomy w/lab and two classes in physiology, one in systemic and the other in exercise physiology.

Lastly I'm also consider Neurobiology, Physiology & Behavior. Difference with this one is basically more labwork and a lot of focus on the nervous system, physiology, that sort of thing.

So to sum it up, all three majors require a year of biochemistry, biochemistry's advantage is, well, a lot more biochemistry, exercise bio's advantage is gross anatomy & physiology, and NPB's advantage is neuroscience & physiology. Which would you guys pick and why? Oh, if any UC Davis students or alumni want to comment, feel free, because for obvious reasons you guys would be the most familiar with these majors. 😀

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[nick_carraway]

NPB NPB!! You can take anatomy in your senior year. Nearly everyone does and as a graduating senior, you can enroll in the labs that are typically filled up by EXB majors and NPB majors.

NPB only has... one required neuro course and an elective neuro course. The rest are all physiology courses but some tend to be comparative physiology. I think that EXB might deal more with the human but you should email an advisor just to double check.

Our professors are excellent and young (for the most part) and extremely understanding. The courses are great too (except for NPB 102). Sure, you can take an entire class on reading an EKG as an EXB major or you can cut open a live chicken as an NPB major. NPB majors can also teach other underclassmen as a TA in all but name.

The courses help a lot for the MCAT as well.

Um... I had more to say... but I just had a brain fart... PM for specific concerns/questions, I guess.

I'm glad that you settled on Davis, BTW! Hope you'll enjoy it.

 

[emttim]

NPB NPB!! You can take anatomy in your senior year. Nearly everyone does and as a graduating senior, you can enroll in the labs that are typically filled up by EXB majors and NPB majors.

NPB only has... one required neuro course and an elective neuro course. The rest are all physiology courses but some tend to be comparative physiology. I think that EXB might deal more with the human but you should email an advisor just to double check.

Our professors are excellent and young (for the most part) and extremely understanding. The courses are great too (except for NPB 102). Sure, you can take an entire class on reading an EKG as an EXB major or you can cut open a live chicken as an NPB major. NPB majors can also teach other underclassmen as a TA in all but name.

The courses help a lot for the MCAT as well.

Um... I had more to say... but I just had a brain fart... PM for specific concerns/questions, I guess.

I'm glad that you settled on Davis, BTW! Hope you'll enjoy it.

I figured you'd vouch for the NPB program, hehe. I'll PM you some questions on EXB vs. NPB...I still have the other PMs from you that detailed NPB itself and biochem, so probably a comparison of EXB/NPB is the only information I don't have at this point in time...that I can think of anyway. 🙂

 

[nka1985]

NPB NPB!! You can take anatomy in your senior year. Nearly everyone does and as a graduating senior, you can enroll in the labs that are typically filled up by EXB majors and NPB majors.

NPB only has... one required neuro course and an elective neuro course. The rest are all physiology courses but some tend to be comparative physiology. I think that EXB might deal more with the human but you should email an advisor just to double check.

Our professors are excellent and young (for the most part) and extremely understanding. The courses are great too (except for NPB 102). Sure, you can take an entire class on reading an EKG as an EXB major or you can cut open a live chicken as an NPB major. NPB majors can also teach other underclassmen as a TA in all but name.

The courses help a lot for the MCAT as well.

Um... I had more to say... but I just had a brain fart... PM for specific concerns/questions, I guess.

I'm glad that you settled on Davis, BTW! Hope you'll enjoy it.

NPB! It was great! And where else can you learn how to anesthetize a chicken and operate on them while they are still alive?!? Okay, sounds weird, but it was a very cool class demonstrating principles in physiology. Sure, if you love Chemistry, go for Biochem, but NPB was great because there is a great range of classes and it sort of lets you customize your major to the things in biology that interest you. Have fun at UCD, and good luck with whatever major you choose!

 

[nick_carraway]

I figured you'd vouch for the NPB program, hehe. I'll PM you some questions on EXB vs. NPB...I still have the other PMs from you that detailed NPB itself and biochem, so probably a comparison of EXB/NPB is the only information I don't have at this point in time...that I can think of anyway. 🙂

Yeah definitely inquire about EXB. If it does deal more with the human, then it might be more interesting than comparative physiology in NPB. E-mail the advisors. EXB/NPB share one office so they can get answers pretty easily.

They might be out of the office now that the quarter's over, but give it a shot anyway. Flip through the course catalog and see which one offers more interesting classes for you. The NPB website has the handbooks for NPB/EXB as well and should describe both adequately.

The two majors are so similar that you might not even need to decide immediately.

 

[badasshairday]

it seems like UCD people really like to put black cats in there avatars.

 

[nick_carraway]

it seems like UCD people really like to put black cats in there avatars.

Looks like Cal students really like to hold their acceptances instead of giving them away to their fellow SDNers.

Happy holidays...

 

[decafplease]

I was a transfer and had prepared for the BioChem degree at UCD. I didn't know about NPB. So now, unless I want to spend an additional year finishing my degree (I don't), I can't do NPB. I realized I DON'T want Biochem (PChem, etc.) so I switched to Cell Bio. Looks like fun.

Have you looked into the Genetics program there? It's amazing. Looks terribly interesting.

My only caution with NPB is that it is the "unofficial premed major" and there isn't a ton you can do with it other than med school or graduate school. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, I'm just figuring that I'm going to get enough of physio-stuff in med school and want to learn more about the basis of the processes. Plus, there aren't a ton of cell bio premeds 🙂 I like feeling special 😉

Good luck, enjoy UCD. It's an awesome school. Get involved with the ICC and get an internship. There is some awesome stuff available at the medical center.

 

[nick_carraway]

My only caution with NPB is that it is the "unofficial premed major" and there isn't a ton you can do with it other than med school or graduate school. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, I'm just figuring that I'm going to get enough of physio-stuff in med school and want to learn more about the basis of the processes. Plus, there aren't a ton of cell bio premeds 🙂 I like feeling special 😉

Eh... this is true. But NPB was a whole lot more interesting than my original major of microbio, that's for sure. As to how useful it is, I was told by my PI that researchers who understand physiology are being recruited more frequently now because labs are short on people with that type of background.

I don't know how true it is and frankly, I saw it as a disadvantage being an NPB major in a basic science research lab because of lack of technique. When it comes to interpreting results, though, it could be true.

Besides that, I've only seen one specific non-academic job that seemed geared towards NPB majors on the listserv. It was for an insurance company forensic team to write reports on the mechanism of injury and the probable effects on the human body. EXB majors could obviously do it too.

Then again, if we all wanted maximum utility out of a science major, we all should've picked chemical engineering anyway so I guess we should all get into med school if we know what's good for us.

I know that the OP isn't looking for a real-world career using the major, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

 

[emttim]

Yeah I'm not too concerned with marketability of my degree afterwards. If I just don't get into medical school, I'm just going to go to graduate school for marine science and go to work for Scripps or something. Or I'll open my own dive shop.

 

[UCDavisdude]

is it just me, or does it seeem like there is a good amount of ucd affiliates on this board. maybe i just notice other students from ucd more than other schools bc im an alum....

 

[nick_carraway]

is it just me, or does it seeem like there is a good amount of ucd affiliates on this board. maybe i just notice other students from ucd more than other schools bc im an alum....

I think it's the latter. It'd be more encouraging if UCD alumni had a better track record with MD acceptances...

 

[DrZaius]

I thought UCD had a pretty good record for med school acceptances. During the presentations Linda Scott would give through Health Sciences Advising they said UCD applicants have lower GPAs than the national average because UCD has a rigorous curriculum without much grade inflation, and that the above average MCAT scores of accepted UCD students backed this up.

 

[nick_carraway]

I thought UCD had a pretty good record for med school acceptances. During the presentations Linda Scott would give through Health Sciences Advising they said UCD applicants have lower GPAs than the national average because UCD has a rigorous curriculum without much grade inflation, and that the above average MCAT scores of accepted UCD students backed this up.

Well... I agree that UC Davis prepares us reasonably well and that my MCAT and the scores of my friends have been well above what would be predicted from the GPA. However, I'm not doing so hot this cycle, our fellow SDNer on this thread with an MDapps from last cycle only got 1 acceptance, and I haven't heard of many of my former classmates getting many interviews so far.

It might just be a dismal sample size or a projection of my personal doubts onto everyone else, but I think that we could be doing better.

We know that HSA reads SDN. Some words of encouragement would be nice as we approach 2008.

 

[DrZaius]

Well, I really didn't know HSA reads this stuff. I was never involved in the "pre-med culture" on campus, really.

My friends who applied all had at least one acceptance, and a couple went to UCs. However, my friends were people with 35+ MCATs.

 

[premedrod]

I was a transfer and had prepared for the BioChem degree at UCD. I didn't know about NPB. So now, unless I want to spend an additional year finishing my degree (I don't), I can't do NPB. I realized I DON'T want Biochem (PChem, etc.) so I switched to Cell Bio. Looks like fun.

Have you looked into the Genetics program there? It's amazing. Looks terribly interesting.

My only caution with NPB is that it is the "unofficial premed major" and there isn't a ton you can do with it other than med school or graduate school. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, I'm just figuring that I'm going to get enough of physio-stuff in med school and want to learn more about the basis of the processes. Plus, there aren't a ton of cell bio premeds 🙂 I like feeling special 😉

Good luck, enjoy UCD. It's an awesome school. Get involved with the ICC and get an internship. There is some awesome stuff available at the medical center.

i pretty much agree with this person. npb has posed problems to some ppl when med school hasnt been successful. i am a biochem major and its challenging...i dont really like it after taking some upper division courses, but i'll finish it. enzyme kinetics class really gets you with the algebra and countless enzyme mechanisms.
i think cell bio would be good....i would prob enjoy that major more than biochem, but if youre interested in proteins...then go into biochem bc uc davis has a great/challenging program.