oh and i mentioned the $$$ fees before because..............
welp, it would be nice to register at athabasca after you know that you've been accepted into the program
at the time of my interview they (with good intentions) advised me to register asap to an equivalent 2a03 course.

Angoose - you would need to fill out a letter of permission from the Associate Dean's office, found here: http://www.science.mcmaster. ca/ass...-of-permission. Don't worry, it is an easy process. Indicate in your cover letter you will be fulfilling the 2A03 pre-req and that you have enrolled in Athabasca. I would suggest registering for the course before mid-april. It would allow you to start studying right away in May. They had a 30 day grace period, where if you didn't want to continue, you would get almost all (perhaps except the $100 deposit) of your fees back. You would hear back from the program before this date and could recover your costs.

Honestly, 3 people in my year did it. We didn't slave over studying every day. A large majority of the concepts are actually review from first year bio, genetics, cell bio, and grade 12 classes. Yes, there are a few new concepts, but they aren't impossible. You can do it if you have the motivation and goal of getting into biopharm.

Also, Mark..I think you owe the program a bit more optimism! Yes, there are changes, but it does no way mean the future of the program will suffer. You are away from campus so you haven't seen the changes. Denis' absence has warranted a few tweaks to the program but things are running fine, especially with the BioPharm society and will in the future!

Hi Everyone,

I'm also a 5th year biopharmer. If you have any specific questions - please feel free to email the McMaster Biology and Pharmacology society at [email protected] as well.

Deadline for application is Feb 28th! I highly recommend everyone apply

I didnt mean anything by what I said! I just know a lot has changed, especially the coop office. what's it going to be like with Michelle gone? :(

but yes, MBPS for the win. good on you 5th years!

Ohhh, I didn't even realize the coordinator was leaving. What changes do you suppose will occur to co-op? It's one of the really attractive things about the program :(. And Ashlie, that's an amazing idea...gonna try and get to that asap. Based on what Mark said though, that's a lot of midterms which may or may not be a good thing. So I have to pay for an invigilator each time only for the midterms right? Still, I heard it was around 70 bucks every time :(. I still haven't started my app yet. Gahhhhh!!!!

Though the co-op office is undergoing changes at the moment, they still maintain a lot of relations with previous employers- including and not limited to professors in many universities (ie. those in calgary, Saskatoon, montreal), government (health canada) and other big pharmaceutical companies. These are the types of connections that are sometimes impossible to find on your own.

Everything changes once in a while, change is good
Hope this helps.

Although I didn't take Bio 2A03 through Athabasca, I did take Stats 2B03 through distance ed at that university. For that, I wrote my midterms at the testing centre at Mohawk College, for $30 each. Like Ashlie said, the overall cost of taking courses through Athabasca is fairly similar to what you would pay at Mac. I took that course while on my first co-op term ( 2b03 is a required course in fourth year), and am thus able to take a lighter courseload in my fifth year.

And, to echo what Ashlie said...though Denis' departure was certainly a loss for the program, his retirement is in no way detrimental. The senior class has successfully planned the annual lectureship, and we have been able to partake in the "normal" senior courses as in the past. Further, the formation of the McMaster Biology and Pharmacology Society ensures the presence of a collective student voice throughout the future of the program.

Ooohh! I don't really live close to Mac :(. Guess I'll just have to find a university close by to write. Yep, I calculated the cost of taking a summer course at Mac, and to be honest it might even be a bit more expensive...since I'd have to pay for res during those months, on top of the tuition. It's really scary how they only accept a max of 20 people a year :(.

Originally Posted by Ashlie

Angoose - you would need to fill out a letter of permission from the Associate Dean's office, found here: http://www.science.mcmaster. ca/ass...-of-permission. Don't worry, it is an easy process. Indicate in your cover letter you will be fulfilling the 2A03 pre-req and that you have enrolled in Athabasca. I would suggest registering for the course before mid-april. It would allow you to start studying right away in May. They had a 30 day grace period, where if you didn't want to continue, you would get almost all (perhaps except the $100 deposit) of your fees back. You would hear back from the program before this date and could recover your costs.

Honestly, 3 people in my year did it. We didn't slave over studying every day. A large majority of the concepts are actually review from first year bio, genetics, cell bio, and grade 12 classes. Yes, there are a few new concepts, but they aren't impossible. You can do it if you have the motivation and goal of getting into biopharm.

Also, Mark..I think you owe the program a bit more optimism! Yes, there are changes, but it does no way mean the future of the program will suffer. You are away from campus so you haven't seen the changes. Denis' absence has warranted a few tweaks to the program but things are running fine, especially with the BioPharm society and will in the future!

Oooh, so I can just fill out the online form for the letter of permission instead of going to the Associate Dean's Office?

Again, nothing negative about what I said. this year will be different was all I was trying to emphasize. happy applying everyone!

. Ah, still gotta finish my app :(. Anyone else planning to apply?