Pharmacology,Microbiology,Biochemistry and physiology!What to do?

Hi!Im in first year science in NUIG!I've to pick three subjects to do next year.Ive got it down to four(bio,pharm,physio and micro)Just like to get an idea of what people who have done these subjects think of them.

What did you think of the course?Was it hard/intersting/boring?Would you recommend doing it?

John

I'm not in NUIG but biochem, pharmacology and physiology would be my choices. They fit together quite well (but then again so does swapping physiology with microbiology). They're all going to be hard in their own ways. I recommend looking up the courses at NUIG and seeing what's covered. Personally I hated microbiology, the labs were fun but the theory was dull, dull, dull. Basically it's up to what you find interesting, that should always be your main decision for doing a subject.

Good luck with your choices and if you've got specific quesitons on the areas (as opposed to NUIG's courses) feel free to ask.

DrIndy

what are you interested in doing afterwards as covering a certain subject area will help?

Otherwise as John2 said, go with what you like.

I'm kinda unsure what i want to do!I got offered Pharmacy in Scotland for the coming year but i rejected it as i wasn't quite sure which area i would like to do ie work selling prescribed drugs or doing reseach through the pharmacology degree!Pharmacology and Physiology are what i will definitely do next year.Brief outlines of the courses would be appreciated(any uni, i presume the course will largely be the same.)

Im just not sure whether to pick biochemistry or microbiology.Although as ive been told, biochemistry would be more suited for the route i would like to take.

DrIndy

Unfortunately every college has a different course and its best to ask someone in the department.

Pharmacy is more than just selling drugs, they also do a lot of work in hospitals making doctors like me prescribe properly and safely and do a lot of oversight in prescribing.

Pharmacy is a good job, satisfying and well paid, look into it further than I think you actually have before declining.......

I declined as i felt i was too young to go over!Im only 18 a wee while and the university told me that if i went over after this year.I would have to do four years there compared to if i complete second year of my degree, i will only have to do three years.

Faith

Scotland's great though! If you get another chance, I'd definately recommend it.

On topic, I would personally pick microbiology (and, in fact, did) but that's because I abhor biochemistry. It really depends on if you like them chemistry aspect of things.

John

I think biochem would be far more useful though. Signalling is essentially what biochem is about and pharmacology is really just using drugs to augment those signalling pathways. Doing one without the other is madness in my opinion.

Tree

biochemistry rocks apart from the learning off of stuff. it's very practical, and good for jobs and what not. and it makes a lot of sense, much of it can be explained to teh core of it.

unless you want to go into micro after college its not really essential.

thanks john and tree and indy!May i ask what areas ye work in at the moment?I presume indy is a doctor.

John

Yeah, Indy's our resident, erm, resident and I'm just finishing up a degree in neuroscience. We're both TCD folk.

Tree

studying second year biomed science in CIT, used to study physics in UCC

tribulus

Just thought id add my bit. I'm a 2nd yr science student in ucd and my subject are chemistry, biochem and pharmacology.

I have to say I've really enjoyed the pharmacology this year. Very interesting if you've ever wondered stuff like how does this tablet make my headache go away? and so on. I will most likely do pharm next year as my degree - assuming exams go ok:mad:

As others have said courses vary between colleges but id recommend picking biochem with pharm. There's a fair amount of overlapping theory (in my course anyway) such as how immunoglobins work and the modes of transport across membranes etc.

Anyway best of luck with it*

*pick pharmacology!!!

Panserborn

I done Bio and Micro in both 2nd and 3rd year in NUIG. Then done Bio in 4th year.

I found 2nd Bio to be a bit over complicated but then in 3rd and 4th year it all became clearer and useful. Doing my PhD in the Bio dept now and have seen a huge change in the last few years. It has modernised the course and now its much more interesting and relevent to the current trends in molecular and cellular biology.

Micro is a good dept, well organised and the staff are a little loopy in a cool and witty way. If pharmo is your baby though, bio is the only one you should consider.

Hope this helps!

rugbug86

i'd go with pharmacology, microbiology and biochemistry.

im 2nd year biotech in dcu and study micro and biochem, wish i could do pharma, but thems the breaks!

I put my form in today!I chose pharmocology,physiology amd biochemistry!All i have to do now is to beat the quotas!

Panserborn

Do they still have that stupid rule that you can't do physiology in 2nd year if you didn't do physics in 1st year? Since I done Earth Science instead of physics in 1yr I couldn't do physiology and had to do Chemistry instead. As it turned out, Chemistry was far more suited to what I ended up doing but the rule was still silly!

yeah you have to have done physics for physiology!

geraghd

Leave out Physiology. Unless you are terribly interested in pursuing a career in health care of the medicine/physiotherapy line there are far too many jobs in Pharmacology, Microbiology, and Biochemistry to drop any one of them. and in any case, any of the last three will be of huge benefit to any career in health care..

geraghd

Just realised I am too late to save another young life wasted in some non-microbiology course :mad:

micro bio and physio is my second group choice!