PHYL 421?

This is a heads up for anyone who's planning to go into the Physiology program. This does not apply to my year, but it applies for all students who will graduate from the program after me.

PHYL 421 is a new course with the following description

PHYL 421 Advanced Cellular and Molecular Physiology 

Recent advancements in cellular and molecular physiology that have revolutionized our understanding of cell function in health and disease. 

This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.

Credits: 3 

Pre-reqs: All of ANAT 390, PHYL 301. (and third-year standing.)

• This course is restricted to students in year: >=3

Of course, this means that students will, from now on, have to take ANAT 390 and PHYL 421. As a result, students will have 12 elective credits in year three, and 3 elective credits in year 4. The Physiology student's courseload has, in effect, been made heavier, and future physiology students will come out of the program with a better understanding of cellular physiology.


For current third year students, the faculty have agreed to waive the ANAT 390 prerequisite. This will not be so for future students. The course sounds exceedingly interesting, but it threatens to make me ridiculously busy next year. What does this mean for students taking a Physics minor?


It should still be possible to do, but this will definitely make it more difficult. I could have fit ANAT 390 into my third year courses. I would have been forced to drop MATH 300 (which I did very well in, so thankfully this was not the case), which was one of my elective courses. Fourth year is tight as it is, and this change means you  may want to save no more than one minor requirement for fourth year (unless you're planning to take an extra term).

As for me, I'm on the fence. The course sounds fascinating and useful, and fourth year physiology courses tend to have relatively high class averages. I have a feeling, however, that I will opt out of this one. I am already forced to take PHYS 301 in conflict with PHYL 430, and I don't think it would be wise to take another 36 credit year.