Search Keywords and FAQs for A Long Premed Path

If you read my last post, you will understand what details and answers are and will be in this post.
It is quite simple. Blogger allows me to see what people keyed in at search engines, like Google, that lead them to my site. I will try to decipher what information these people were searching for and answer their questions. As well, anyone can comment on this post to ask questions and I will try to add the answers on here as quickly as possible.
I will not create new posts; but instead, I will continuously update this post. And so it begins...

Do I Need Physics
Short answer: Depends
Long answer: Whether in Canada or the States, each school has it's very own set of requirements. Medholic has a great table created for the prerequisites for Canadian medical schools. This information may or may not be up to date, but it gives you a good idea on how every school is different. Keeping yourself as competitive for the maximum amount of schools maximizes your chances of acceptance. Also, in my humble opinion, I believe that introductory physics is very important in science. Physics is the study of the laws of the universe and having some basic understanding in those areas is important. Also, if you've ever read Ian Wong's journey and advice, you will notice he mentions how knowledge is interrelated, specially in sciences. Having knowledge in Physics helps you understand why things happen the way they do in Organic Chemistry. Organic Chemistry helps you understand biochemical pathways in Biochemistry. Biochemistry can help you understand why people may have particular symptoms.

UBC BIOL 234 Fundamentals of Genetics
I've noticed people have been looking for information on this course at UBC (notes, exams, etc). I would like that too except that it's impossible because it's a brand new course. I will have information on this blog when I post my second year courses reviews up. I do know that it is an introduction to genetics (duh). As many have guessed, it is replacing BIOL 334, which the Biology Department of UBC is fazing out. My suggestion is to look for BIOL 334 resources, although most of my own searches have not found much. The content of the two courses must be similar since 234 is replacing 334 and you are only allowed credit for one.
Here is the course description:
Topics include genotype and phenotype, mechanisms of inheritance and genetic analysis.

Am I Too Old for Premed?

Short answer: Never

Long answer: Any way that you are outside of the "traditional premed" is a hurdle in your path. Not because med schools are being discriminatory towards others, but because being traditional makes you the most competitive. But hurdles can be overcome:

UBC has shown at least one person over the age of 39 has been accepted into their program in 2008 - 2010.

I'm sure other schools have similar statistics available. So it is possible. The problem is it may be more difficult; with age you may have developed more responsibilities. These responsibilities may distract you from being able to put in all amount of effort and attention necessary to succeed. Medicine is one of the most competitive fields of study and with higher competition means higher hoops are needed. Set goals and be realistic of your chances. You can do it! 
That's all for tonight... Expect to see more as I post.

Another Quick Personal Update

I like watching the stats of my blog. I find it quite interesting that people (around the world!) would read what I write. I don't mean this in a pseudo-humble/I-don't-deserve-this kind of way. I mean it is quite amazing that I can go to my computer, write some things down, and some people will actually read it. The numbers are not what I find so interesting; it is the personal information. I like seeing how people from other countries have viewed my site. What has really intrigued me lately is the traffic source. As expected, a large majority of people are from either Premed101 or Medrunner. What is really interesting is the Google keywords that brought people to my blog. Since I only have one more class to go for my first year reviews, I had been thinking on what to do next...

I've decided I'm going to make a post soon related to all the major searches that bring people here. If I can decipher what information the people were looking for in their search, I will try to answer it. As well, if anyone posts comments on that post I will also answer it there. Instead of constantly adding new posts as people find this blog via Google, I will continuously update that post....
In fact... because I'm getting excited by this idea I think I may start the post tonight! (Doesn't mean it will be finished tonight. Last post took 3 days and it's not even 100% complete)

For those of you that care:
My wife and I have moved all of our stuff to Vancouver and we're quite excited for our fall semesters. Due to financial reasons and how well my job in Victoria pays, we have opted for myself to stay in Victoria for weekdays while I work and then commute to Vancouver for the weekends.
I won't lie: I miss my wife, a lot. But, I get to see her tomorrow! :)

First Year Unicellular and Molecular Biology (and BIOL 200: Cellular Biology)

Although not all universities split their first year of biology the same way, I believe the separation created by my school should be similar to the separation on how you tackle these courses. Unfortunately, the amount of detail I can give regarding this class isn't much; many details from 2004 are very hazy, but I did take Cellular Biology (second year continuation of the course) last year. Due to the similarities of courses I will combine them here.

Physiological Basis of Life
Text: Don't remember... Too long ago.
As you discover quickly in undergrad, higher level in education usually means a more specific study and intense workload of a previous course. This course is really predominately Biology 12 with a university difficulty disguise. This course is mostly the study of tissues and cells. I completely forgotten how the labs were in regards to this course, but I don't recall any difficulty regarding them. It was one of the few classes I did ok in during my first year of taking random courses.
My course description read: The course focuses on the structure and functions of macromolecules, storage of information and replication of DNA as well as the role of DNA in protein synthesis and inheritance are described and related to the functions of whole organisms. Transport mechanisms, basic metabolism and hormonal and nervous regulation of function are explored with examples.

How I Did
B+

BIOL 200: Cellular Biology
Textbook: unsure because I never bought it...
Almost everything holds the same here. The topics are quite similar but go in far greater detail regarding the actual processes that take place within the cell and how it may affect the organism. As I took this course in a college, it came with a lab component. My professor was amazing and was really lab focused. My professor was also well known for all his material coming straight from his slides, which is why I never bought the textbook.

How I Did
A-

How to Do Well
Combination of logic skills and memorization would of been my key to success... If I had only knew then what I know now.
There are two types of memorization:
1) Straight memorization of all the facts
2) Memorization of basic ideas and overall picture
I find organismal biology to be more along the lines of the second type and this is even more apparent in Cell Bio. Too often I see classmates struggle, memorizing every single detail and situation. I find that, as you learn the basic overall concepts, the details come easier. I've been told this is a similar mistake many students make in Organic Chemistry. Once I feel I have a good overall understanding of the material, I like to quiz myself with material by comparing affects that would happen if changes were made and how this would affect the cell. These courses were heave on powerpoint presentations and because of this I never bought a textbook (not 100% sure if I did for first year). This is a good example on not wasting your time with material that isn't needed. BUT, always make sure he's not a professor to pull a fast one and place material on the exam just because "it's testable."

I wish I could say more but I can't think of anything right now. I'll add more as I think of it. Also, I will be posting another personal update soon.

While writing this I listened to Rob Zombie and Skrillex

Super Small Quick Update: UBC Second Year

My wife and I have found a place and will be moving to Vancouver soon.
I've been accepted to UBC with scholarship and into the program I wanted... although my program has significantly changed due to changes in the Biology department.
I will be taking Combined Honours in Biological Chemistry... and I'm really excited!

Here are the courses I'm taking this year (and you can look forward to me putting my usual review/advice regarding them):

First Semester:
BIOL 234: Intro to Genetics (new course; check here for more information)
CHEM 202: Coordination Chemistry (aka Intro to Inorganic for non-UBCers)
CHEM 203: Intro to Organic
ECON 100: Microeconomics
MATH 200: Calculus III

Second Semester:
BIOL 201: Intro to Biochem
CHEM 201: Intro to Physical Chem
CHEM 211: Analytical Chem
CHEM 213: Organic Chem w/ CHEM 245: Intermediat Organic Lab
ECON 102: Macroeconomics

Stay classy...

PS no music was used in the production of this post.

Calculus II (First Year Calculus, Part Two!)

Single Variable Calculus, Second Semester:
Text: Calculus of a Single Variable, 9th Ed.
Why did I divide calculus into two parts? Because, in my mind they are very different and this will help emphasize that point. The first semester is almost solely memorization of rules; meanwhile, second semester is predominately problem solving and learning strategies. In first semester you look at a question, see it wants you to differentiate/integrate, and then you try to decide which rule(s) to use. Example: Differentiate "blank" over "blank". "Oh, okay it's a quotient. Use the quotient rule." In second semester you learn a few rules and shortcuts; but for the most part, you're mostly using the strategies in second semester with the rules from first semester. The proecedure that seems correct may lead you to an unfortunate dead end. The questions usually result in a stronger problem solving and pre-calculus background than the first semester.
Some people find second semester ridiculously easier, while others find it much harder. I just found it different.

Although material and stylistically I found the two calculus' different, I still attacked them the same way.

How I Did
A

How to Do Well
Yet again PatrickJMT, and Maple (or Wolfram) were used. Yet again, lots of practice is encouraged for problem set style course. Math is always practice, practice, practice. Rinse. Repeat.
I guess what I'm getting at is although I didn't use a different strategy for this course from Calculus I, you may. You may find it easier or harder. As always: work hard, play hard and get plenty of rest.
While writing this post I was listening to the wind blowing cos its just darn to nice out and peaceful.

PS. I'm too lazy to proof read this one so good luck understanding me

Calculus I (First Year, First Semester Calculus)

Calculus. Most students dread this course more than any other (with the possible exceptions of English and Organic Chemistry). It is a lot of work and not everyone has taken pre-calculus, or something similar, in High School. In my case, it is also a prime example of how your favourite, find-most-interesting, or easiest course may not be your strongest mark (see my debate on "bird courses" in my first post). This was my strongest mark... but definitely not the easiest course.

Single Variable Calculus:
Text: Calculus of a Single Variable, 9th Ed.
Coming fresh out of High School, a lot of these topics can be completely new and alien (ex: limits, derivatives, integrals). If you are typically weak at Math you may want to consider taking a pre-calculus course first. These courses will introduce you slowly to the ideas and concepts that calculus is built on and is a good baby step between Math 12 and Calculus I.
A lot of universities and colleges are starting to offer calculus courses that are topic specific. For example, in addition to regular calculus, UBC offers a calculus course specifically for life sciences and for business students. I highly recommend taking one of these if you are eligible. Having course material that is more relevant can decrease the difficulty in learning new topics.
I worked hard at this class and physics in my first semester, because I knew these were the "tough ones." There is one great thing about math; there is only one right answer. Calculus will be easier if you have a good mix of logic and conceptualization (specially for second semester).
I ended up with 98.7% in the course. To be honest though, I went into the exam with 92% but my professor challenged us to a bet: if any of us beat our class mark in the exam, the exam would become 100% of our grade. I would of ended up with an A+ regardless, but I wouldn't have been the top mark in the school that semester if it weren't for my pretty exam.

How I Did
First semester: A+ (my highest mark in percentile)

How to Do Well
I said it before: PatrickJMT is amazing for math. In fact, there are a lot of good sources on the internet for helping you. Many of my classmates used the online Wolfram, while I used a copy of Maple, for checking over answers. Heed my warning: do not use these programs as a crutch. Getting the right answer on an assignment will not help you on the test if you cannot replicate the problem solving on your own. I saw many classmates beat me in assignments only to be destroyed by the unit tests.Just like physics, this course is almost purely problem sets. The only exception to this would be memorizing rules and possibly theorems/derivations. After each section was completed I would attempt 1-4 problems to see if I understood the concepts. When it came to a few days before the exams I would crash the books hard. This will get boring. This will get hard. This will get frustrating. Try to break up with quick study breaks here and there. I would either eat or workout for 5-10 mins every half hour or so. With calculus you can be brilliant but do bad or slower but do well. Practice makes perfect.
I did 1-4 questions a day each weekday, plus ~100 before my three unit tests, plus ~200 before the exam. This adds up to a lot of practice. With that much practice, I'm sure you could beat my mark. :)

While writing this post I was listening to In Flames and Deadmau5

Vacation!!

One month without a post! I'm almost as good as half the web comics I read!!

Updates in my life:
I've been accepted to UBC with entrance scholarship. This is the first scholarship I've ever been awarded... which means I should probably start applying and see what I can really get!
My wife and I are looking for a place to live in Vancouver. It really is as expensive as they say it is.

Updates in Blog:
Who knows how regular I'll post in the next while with how crazy things are...
Who knows when I'll finish updating the visuals of the blog...
All I can say is: I'll try my best. It's not like I have actual regular readers to disappoint :)