This course was taught by Dr. Boris Zhorov this past year. I think he's been teaching it for years now. This means that a lot of his test questions are actually recycled from previous years. So, if you can get your hands on previous years' tests, you should be in good shape.

In terms...

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Originally Posted by Angoose

I'm just wondering, for anyone in biopharm co-op. Do you need physics 1b03 to get in? I'm not really that strong in physics and if given the choice I think I might avoid the course during second year and maybe take it in the summer. Is that a good idea?

http://registrar.mcmaster.ca /CALEN...12/pg1535.html

You need to complete level II of any program. If that program requires you to complete Physics 1B03 by the end of Level II, then yes you need it to get in. And obviously if you needed Physics 1B03 to complete level I, you also need it to move on to and complete level II.

Originally Posted by Angoose

I'm just wondering, for anyone in biopharm co-op. Do you need physics 1b03 to get in? I'm not really that strong in physics and if given the choice I think I might avoid the course during second year and maybe take it in the summer. Is that a good idea?

I'm not in biopharm, but I can tell you that Physics 1B03 (technically) isn't a requirement. However, Biology 2A03 is, and in order to take that you need 1B03. So unfortunately there's no way around it. I'm in a similar position, so I know how you feel. :\

Edit: For some reason I didn't see jhan's post above me until now... but that's a good point as well.

Originally Posted by oranges

I'm not in biopharm, but I can tell you that Physics 1B03 (technically) isn't a requirement. However, Biology 2A03 is, and in order to take that you need 1B03. So unfortunately there's no way around it. I'm in a similar position, so I know how you feel. :\

Edit: For some reason I didn't see jhan's post above me until now... but that's a good point as well.

I hear that if I take a course in summer school, they won't use the mark for my average. I'm not really that great at physics since I didn't take it in high school. 1l03 was kind of ehh for me, so I was just trying to decide whether to take it during the year or the summer. Wow, I hear 1a03 is absolutely brutal though. :(. Can any upper year students shed some light on the feasibility of the bio courses for second year?

Originally Posted by Angoose

I hear that if I take a course in summer school, they won't use the mark for my average. I'm not really that great at physics since I didn't take it in high school. 1l03 was kind of ehh for me, so I was just trying to decide whether to take it during the year or the summer. Wow, I hear 1a03 is absolutely brutal though. :(. Can any upper year students shed some light on the feasibility of the bio courses for second year?

That's only true if you take it at another university. If you do consider this, don't forget to get a letter of permission and to have the courses "equilevated". The course you take at the other university has to be equivalent to Physics 1B03, you actually have to get someone to check it. I believe it's the academic advisors, but it could also be the associate dean's office.

Also remember, that this will only affect when you apply to undergraduate programs at McMaster as well as scholarships/bursaries from McMaster. If you apply to professional/graduate school, they will take the physics mark into account as you have to give them all transcripts from all universities you've attended.

Originally Posted by jhan523

That's only true if you take it at another university. If you do consider this, don't forget to get a letter of permission and to have the courses "equilevated". The course you take at the other university has to be equivalent to Physics 1B03, you actually have to get someone to check it. I believe it's the academic advisors, but it could also be the associate dean's office.

Also remember, that this will only affect when you apply to undergraduate programs at McMaster as well as scholarships/bursaries from McMaster. If you apply to professional/graduate school, they will take the physics mark into account as you have to give them all transcripts from all universities you've attended.

If I choose to continue in honours biology and forgo applying to biopharm, then I won't really need 1b03. I'm mainly trying to apply for pharmacy, though. Given that, should I just leave physics 1b03 out for now and take other second year courses that may be a bit more interesting to me? haha. If I do decide to apply for biopharm I could just take the physics course in the summer, right?

Originally Posted by Angoose

If I choose to continue in honours biology and forgo applying to biopharm, then I won't really need 1b03. I'm mainly trying to apply for pharmacy, though. Given that, should I just leave physics 1b03 out for now and take other second year courses that may be a bit more interesting to me? haha. If I do decide to apply for biopharm I could just take the physics course in the summer, right?

That's true. I think what others meant is just to keep your options in case you don't get into BioPharm (just statistically speaking since only 20 people get in). But in the worst situation, just be prepared to complete Physics 1B03 after second year if you really want to avoid it in second year.

Originally Posted by ~*Sara*~

That's true. I think what others meant is just to keep your options in case you don't get into BioPharm (just statistically speaking since only 20 people get in). But in the worst situation, just be prepared to complete Physics 1B03 after second year if you really want to avoid it in second year.

The only course that really requires physics 1b03 atm is a third year course on pharmacology. Otherwise, I think I should leave that slot for other courses. Could you recommend any electives for second year? I'm thinking about linguistics, psychology or....bio2a03, but I've heard really horrible things about that.

If I don't really like memorization and prefer understanding concepts, would this course be difficult for me?

All I need is a two biochem courses for UBC and american med schools

Originally Posted by Bernard

If I don't really like memorization and prefer understanding concepts, would this course be difficult for me?

All I need is a two biochem courses for UBC and american med schools

Probably, all I did was memorize for this course.

I'm currently debating between this course and physics 1b03. I've noticed that 1b03 is becoming required for bio2a03 and is "Strongly' recommended for some third year bio courses. I was wondering just how useful you found the course to the upper year bio courses. I'm going to have a lot of prerequisites next year and I don't think it would be a good idea to lump physics 1b03 and orgo together at the same time. I didn't take grade 11/12 physics and only took physics 1l03...so my background is kind of weak in that respect. Current goal is pharmacy :(.

This course was just pure memorization of biochemical trivia. But as long as you can retain random information in your head for a short duration of time, you'll do fine in this course

is the textbook useful?? or his lectures are good enough?

is the second midterm cumulative??

Originally Posted by The MACster

is the second midterm cumulative??

Nope, only the exam is cumulative with an emphasis on the material learnt after the second midterm.