I'd say one of my favourite courses of undergrad, undoubtedly so. 2 1-hour lectures per week, and a 2-hour tutorial.
Mark Breakdown :
Quizzes - 10%
Midterm - 30%
Tutorial Participation - 12%
I-Clicker Participation - 3%
Final Exam - 45%
Course Topics:
Core Concepts in Pharmacology: Pharmacokinetics, or Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, & Elimination of drugs; Pharmacodynamics, Or Potency/Efficacy & Cellular Receptors; Medication Safety; Dosage Calculations
Pharmacology of the Endocrine System: Pituitary, Thyroid, & Andrenals; Diabetes; Female Reproductive System; Pregnancy; Osteoporosis (online module)
Pharmacology of the Nervous System : Autonomic Nervous System, Anesthesia; Pain; Inflammation; Mood Disorders; Psychoses; Anxiety/Insomnia (online module)
Pharmacology of the Cardiovascular System:: Hypertension; Lipid Disorders; Heart attack/Stroke/Angina; Coagulation Disorders; Congestive Heart failure (online module)
Pharmacology of the GI/Pulmonary System: Nausea/Vomiting; Asthma; Peptic Ulcers (online module)
For me, easiest was probably endocrine and cardio, toughest was nervous.
Tutorials:
They're...hit and miss, to be honest. Prior to the midterm we played Jeopardy and "Who wants to be a Nurse" with questions helping to review the material. That part I did indeed find helpful. The other ones we had to prepare for presentations on topics given ahead of time. You aren't graded on them perse, but I suppose they do have an influence on your final Tutorial Mark. Do not expect to get 12/12, no one does, and they are adamant on keeping it this way. How to get over 10? Ask a lot of questions and answer a lot during Jeopardy, etc. Also, find out what your TA prefers in a powerpoint presentation and add that.
Quizzes/Midterm/Exam :
Quizzes - It is a timed, 20 minute quiz consisting of 10 questions, and you have a week before the quiz is due. I did find it a bit more helpful when I at least read through the slides once before completing the quiz, as they are more application based.
Midterm - Covers Core Concepts in Pharm & The Endocrine System. 40 MCQ Questions completed in lecture (so, 50 minutes). From what I heard, a lot of people struggled to finish. I may have been at an advantage, being an accelerated student and having learned some of the concepts previously, but I will admit that even I had to stay for longer than I normally do. MAKE CUE CARDS FOR THE DRUGS!! She will never ask the NAME of the drug, only the drug class, mechanism of action, and adverse effects
Exam - Covers EVERYTHING. 100 MCQ total, 30 pre-midterm, 2 hours. It was.. a challenge, and tiresome. you NEED to know your adverse effects, because she will integrate concepts (I.e. Bobby is on Drug A B C and D, he has side effects of X. Which drug is most likely causing X?). You will thank yourself for making cuecards for the midterm.
Professor: Amazing. Simply Amazing. Her lecture notes are clear and concise, she truly ensures to explain the concepts well, and though her exams are challenging, they are definitely fair. Very approachable as well, she let my friends and I take a picture with her, haha
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