Colton BrownBIOSC Senior & Pre-Dental Student Are you interested in learning the anatomy of the human body? Do you need an anatomy prerequisite to earn admission into health professional programs such as medical school or dental school? If so, these two courses belong in your schedule. Although Anatomy for the Health Professions does not count towards any of the biological sciences majors, it is extremely beneficial for those who plan to attend graduate programs where anatomy is a required prerequisite in order to apply/matriculate. Unfortunately, you must be a major within the Department of Biological Sciences to register for Anatomy for the Health Professions. Along with the 3-credit lecture, co-enrollment in the lab course (BIOSC 0042) is required. Both the lecture and the lab are only offered during the fall and summer terms, so it is important to plan out your schedule if you are considering enrolling in these courses. Personally, I needed to take an anatomy course to apply to multiple dental school programs. Furthermore, I knew that I wanted to strengthen my knowledge of human anatomy prior to taking my Dental Admissions Test and eventually entering a vigorous dental school curriculum. My favorite aspect of the course was the small class size of approximately forty. As a Pitt undergrad, most of you know that small class sizes are tough to find. Because the enrollment number is limited, the course is able to be interactive. Oftentimes, it can be daunting to ask questions during lectures, but the small class size makes the environment of the lecture more comfortable to voice your questions and concerns. Additionally, the weekly lab meetings allowed the professor to become acquainted with each of the students on a first name basis. A combination of this interaction, my interest in the material, and my performance throughout the term granted me the ability to become a Teaching Assistant for the lab portion of the course.
Generally, the course material that is taught in lecture aligns with the laboratory curriculum. Throughout the lecture, topics include: functional and gross anatomy, imaging techniques, various case studies, and pathologies of different diseases. Specifically, students will learn about the skeletal, muscular, nervous, endocrine, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, and reproductive systems. The lab portion of the course allows students to learn the anatomy of various systems through the hands-on use of specimens such as skeletons, models of organs, dissections, and microscope slides. Typically, students work in small groups in the lab. In my opinion, this contributed greatly to my learning because we were able to prepare for the lab exams together. Without a doubt, Anatomy was one of my favorite courses at the University of Pittsburgh. If you choose to take the course, my best advice is to remain engaged by contributing to the interactive nature of the lecture and the lab. Anatomy has a vast amount of terms and minute details that can be a daunting task to understand in a short period of time. Therefore, it is essential to stay on top of the material as the term progresses. I have attached a link below to access the syllabi for anyone who wants supplemental information on the structure of the courses. If you have any questions about Anatomy for the Health Professions you can come to my office hour in Langley Lobby on Mondays at 4:30PM! https://www.biology.pitt.edu/undergraduate/courses/biosc-courses
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January 2022
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