I want to do the Honours Medical Physics program after Life Sci I. I was looking at the courses required to get in and there are a lot. How many courses can you take a year because there were four courses that said they must be completed by the end of level II on top of the solid entry requirements. I want to get as many done in first year though so are you allowed to sacrifice electives because I would already have to take the required life sci I courses as well, would I not? I am pretty sure that if I still had to take ALL the required life sci I courses I would not have enough room the for all the requirements.

Any help will be appreciated.

Originally Posted by lordnerd

I want to do the Honours Medical Physics program after Life Sci I. I was looking at the courses required to get in and there are a lot. How many courses can you take a year because there were four courses that said they must be completed by the end of level II on top of the solid entry requirements. I want to get as many done in first year though so are you allowed to sacrifice electives because I would already have to take the required life sci I courses as well, would I not? I am pretty sure that if I still had to take ALL the required life sci I courses I would not have enough room the for all the requirements.

Any help will be appreciated.

You can take 30 units a year.

Let's start off with the Life Science I courses you have to take:

9 units from BIOLOGY 1A03, 1M03, PSYCH 1X03, 1XX3
3 units from MATH 1A03, 1LS3
3 units from PHYSICS 1B03, 1L03
9 units from Life Sciences I Course List (See Program Notes 2, 3, 4 and 5 above.)
6 units Electives (See Program Note 1 above.)

Now for Medical Physics you have to take:
6 units from MATH 1A03, 1AA3, ILS3, 1LT3
3 units BIOLOGY 1A03
6 units CHEM 1A03, 1AA3
3 units PHYSICS 1B03
3 units from MATH 1B03, PHYSICS 1BA3 (or 1BB3) (See Program Note 1 below.)
3 units from Physical Sciences I Course List (See Program Note 1 below.)

As you can see, courses seem to overlap. It's difficult to explain everything on a forum, but here is what you should take in first year:

Math 1A03 and Math 1AA3 (or Math 1LS3 and Math 1LT3)
Biology 1A03
Chem 1A03 and Chem 1AA3
Physics 1B03
2 from Biology 1M03, Psych 1X03 and Psych 1XX3

Now you have 6 units of electives which you can use to satisfy Math 1B03 and Physics 1BA3 which both have to be completed by the end of Level II.

Taking these 10 courses you will satisfy all the requirements for Life Science I and the requirements for Medical Physics including those that have to be done by the end of Level II. You can also just take other electives in first year and take Math 1B03 and Physics 1BA3 in second year.

Edit: You may want to take other electives in order to satisfy requirements for other programs just in case you don't get into Medical Physics.

Thank you so much! Medical Physics is unlimited enrolment so I am not too worried about it. It is between Medical Physics and Life Sci with the Origins research specialiation. I will do more research for level II programs once I am at Mac but I have to choose my courses before I get there, of course, and I wanted to make sure I had the opportunity for the program without screwing myself over.

Will there be anyone from the university I can contact while choosing courses in case I need help with something?

Sorry, where did you get your list of prereqs from? I got mine from the 2011-2012 undergraduate calendar online and there appears to be some differences.

"Completion of any Level I program with a Cumulative Average of at least 6.0 including:

6 units from MATH 1A03, 1AA3, 1LS3, 1LT3
3 units BIOLOGY 1A03 3 units CHEM 1A036 units PHYSICS 1B03, 1BA3 (or 1BB3) 6 unitsfrom the Faculty of Science (See Program Notes 1, 2 and 3 below.)
A grade of at least C+ in two of MATH 1A03, 1AA3, 1B03 (if completed), 1LS3, 1LT3, MED PHYS 1E03 (if completed), PHYSICS 1B03, 1BA3 (or 1BB3) is required.
NOTE: Students who have satisfied all above admission criteria and have a Cumulative Average between 5.5 and 5.9 will be admitted to the program, on Program Probation. Students may be on Program Probation only once. Eligibility to continue in the program will require a Cumulative Average of at least 6.0 at the next academic review.
PROGRAM NOTES

1. MATH 1B03 must be completed by the end of Level II. Completion in Level I is strongly recommended.
2. MED PHYS 1E03 must be completed by the end of Level II. Completion in Level I is strongly recommended.
3. KINESIOL 1Y03 and 1YY3 must be completed by the end of Level II. Completion in Level I is recommended.
4. It is recommended that MED PHYS 4B03 be completed by the end of 90 units.
5. Completion of CHEM 1AA3 is recommended as it serves as part of the prerequisite for CHEM 2OA3. "

Originally Posted by lordnerd

Sorry, where did you get your list of prereqs from? I got mine from the 2011-2012 undergraduate calendar online and there appears to be some differences.

"Completion of any Level I program with a Cumulative Average of at least 6.0 including:

6 units from MATH 1A03, 1AA3, 1LS3, 1LT3
3 units BIOLOGY 1A03 3 units CHEM 1A036 units PHYSICS 1B03, 1BA3 (or 1BB3) 6 unitsfrom the Faculty of Science (See Program Notes 1, 2 and 3 below.)
A grade of at least C+ in two of MATH 1A03, 1AA3, 1B03 (if completed), 1LS3, 1LT3, MED PHYS 1E03 (if completed), PHYSICS 1B03, 1BA3 (or 1BB3) is required.
NOTE: Students who have satisfied all above admission criteria and have a Cumulative Average between 5.5 and 5.9 will be admitted to the program, on Program Probation. Students may be on Program Probation only once. Eligibility to continue in the program will require a Cumulative Average of at least 6.0 at the next academic review.
PROGRAM NOTES

1. MATH 1B03 must be completed by the end of Level II. Completion in Level I is strongly recommended.
2. MED PHYS 1E03 must be completed by the end of Level II. Completion in Level I is strongly recommended.
3. KINESIOL 1Y03 and 1YY3 must be completed by the end of Level II. Completion in Level I is recommended.
4. It is recommended that MED PHYS 4B03 be completed by the end of 90 units.
5. Completion of CHEM 1AA3 is recommended as it serves as part of the prerequisite for CHEM 2OA3. "

Looks like McMaster hasn't updated their default undergraduate calendar yet.

That just makes it even easier though. From the course list I proposed, you can remove Chem 1AA3

I'll just lay out the courses you will NEED to take by the end of level I, then you can figure out if you want to take courses which are required by the end of level II (both Origins and Med Phys require a couple) or if you would rather take them in second year.

Math 1A03 (or Math 1LS3) and Math 1AA3 (or Math 1LT3)
Biology 1A03, Biology 1M03, Psych 1X03 and Psych 1XX3
Chem 1A03
Physics 1B03 and Physics 1BA3

You have 3 units for electives.

Edit: For academic advising: http://www.science.mcmaster. ca/ass...demic-advising

Once again, thank you so much. I think I have decided on the Origins specialization but you have definitely cleared up a bunch of thigs about course selection and I will keep this on the back burner.

Good luck with your exams (if you have any left)!

Hope you guys don't mind me asking, but what exactly is this program? Like what could you do with this, etc, etc. I don't know exactly what to ask, but I'm really into all 3 sciences and am thinking of this lol.

Originally Posted by Silver

Hope you guys don't mind me asking, but what exactly is this program? Like what could you do with this, etc, etc. I don't know exactly what to ask, but I'm really into all 3 sciences and am thinking of this lol.

Yeah, I am having trouble deciding between bio and physics so I thought "Why not both?"

This is my best shot at explaining it: The program is a combination of physics and bio and focusses on the interaction between physics and human body, namely applications of physics in the medical field. Think of CT scans, X-rays and all that other stuff. It is all physics.