Reviews for BSCI447

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Meredith Bohannon BSCI447 Expecting an A- Anonymous 12/22/2022	So Dr. Bohannon picked up this class on extremely short notice due to an incident with Dr. Opoku being out mid-semester due to an emergency. Overall, Dr. Bohannon did an excellent job picking up where we left off mid-semester, she even attempted to copy Dr. Opoku's teaching method/curriculum and exam format. This made the transition a lot easier as her material reflected Dr. Opoku's. The only downside was that Dr. Bohannon's slides were a bit disorganized with extremely dense material. But overall, pretty good professor!
Tammatha O'Brien BSCI447 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/14/2022	Pros: Is this class manageable? Sure. The real key to doing well in this class is just making flashcards of every single thing on her powerpoints. She takes everything directly from her powerpoints, in a lot of cases word for word. Sometimes even what seem like really small details will be on quizzes. I appreciate that she has assignments other than the exams and I also appreciated that we only had two exams. There's a lot of information to take in (11 topics, roughly 80-90 slides per topic). Cons: Despite many positive reviews, I actually found Dr. O'Brien to be quite rude. She was dismissive of questions that she felt had obvious answers. I also thought it was overkill for her to give people different questions for exams, even though we all took exams in person. For one, I feel like it would be pretty hard to cheat when you're sitting in the classroom and she's straight watching everyone, some questions could work on one persons strengths and not another persons. That said, the distribution of questions is totally random, so it probably balances out. She also doesn't curve. Now, is it possible to get an A without the curve? Absolutely, but I feel like in a class where none of our exams had a high score of 100%, that doesn't totally make sense. Overall, if you are taking this as an elective, there are benefits in terms of medical school preparation (if that's the path you're going down), but there are many easier electives that I would've chosen first had I gotten the chance fit them into my schedule/gotten higher priority during scheduling. I probably wouldn't recommend this class or professor to my friends if they didn't absolutely have to take it.
Tammatha O'Brien BSCI447 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/05/2022	Class is manageable, memorize the power points and you’ll do fine but the teacher herself is very rude. Don’t expect to get any help given the fact that she talks behind her students that receive lower scores. Not sure why she became a teacher given her outlook on receiving help and education.
Justicia Opoku-Edusei BSCI447 Expecting an A Anonymous 01/09/2022	Dr. Opoku has a very distinct lecture style and once you get used to it, you’ll be golden. Her exams all follow exactly the same format so after the first one, you’ll know what to expect there too. She’s the most knowledgeable (about her own field) professor I’ve ever met. You could ask her questions that are only very peripherally related and she’ll know the answer. She’s very receptive to people coming to her with questions or just for conversation. I took 440 with her as well and did not regret it. The one drawback is is that you will likely do poorly on your first exam with her bc they’re very difficult if you don’t know what you’re doing. It’s okay tho because most of her exams also have bonus points built in.
Tammatha O'Brien BSCI447 Expecting an A- Anonymous 01/06/2022	BSCI447 is a real brick of a class. With that said, Dr. O'Brien was a great instructor and made success reasonably obtainable. As long as you attend lecture, engage in the discussion and go to office hours as needed it should be a relatively alright time. I write this with respect to how my peers did in the same class with other professors and Dr. O'Brien for sure seems like the best option. Beyond leading a good class and teaching a hard subject well, she was very personable and communicative during the semester, something that is for sure not a given at the higher level BSCI classes. I would definitely recommend her for 447.
Justicia Opoku-Edusei BSCI447 Anonymous 12/17/2021	Dr. Opoku has very little regard for the well-being of her students and teaches with a large sense of entitlement. Her exams are unreasonably long, and she has a TA without any biology background grade from a rigid answer key and she almost never gives partial credit if your answer doesn't exactly match it. She speaks so quickly it's near impossible to take notes in class, and I honestly learned next to nothing at every lecture because she made the material so dense. It's a shame really because endocrinology is an interesting subject, but unless you're planning on going to med or grad school please save yourself the energy and take an easier upper-level bio course.
Tammatha O'Brien BSCI447 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 06/01/2020	Dr. O'Brien is very entertaining and outgoing. It's an easy class to participate in and she's very easy to talk to. This makes it really easy to get a letter of rec as long as you go to her office hours and participate she'll write you one. I personally did not see her intelligence come through in this class. Everything was prepared in advance and the material was repetitive to a fault. She doesn't give any info outside of the slides which makes paying attention in class difficult. There was very minimal critical thinking in this class and I found myself on cruise control for majority of it. But the material was interesting and it's easy to do well.
Justicia Opoku-Edusei BSCI447 Expecting a B Loaf4674 12/19/2019	The worst professor I've ever had at UMD. She is very arrogant and thinks that she is right about everything. During our first exam, a fire alarm went off and she told the class we could retake the exam another time. A couple of days later, she told the class she never said we could retake the exam and so everyone had to fight to get her to allow us to retake it. A student called her out on this, she got offended, and took extra credit away from every student on the next exam because of it. She's really a terrible lady, and will give you a lot more stress than you need. Exams are also ridiculously hard. Do yourself a favor and avoid her.
Justicia Opoku-Edusei BSCI447 Expecting a B- minda 02/20/2014	Stay away from this woman. Whoever gave the 1 star had it absolutely right. I cannot say anything about the 201 experience, but 447 was a nightmare. I took 17 credits the semester I had Dr. Opoku and received high A’s in all of my classes except this one. She purposely picks a TA with no background in the field to grade your exams so they can’t justify why they took off points beyond saying “it’s not on the key.” There were arithmetic errors in my grade calculation on each exam. The entire class had to go to her office hours to argue about each question on the exam, but she was very dismissive about each argument, especially if the whole class had an issue with a question, which contrary to conventional practices. Even if you wrote answers that were verbatim from the slides (which are the only answers she says she will accept), you will get a lot of points off without explanation. The extra 10 points set up on each exam are virtually worthless because it is nearly impossible to finish her exams. The questions are ambiguous in terms of what is being asked and the grading is worse. There is no grading rubric, and points are taken off subjectively and unevenly from test to test. In other words, there is no amount of preparation and readiness that you can demonstrate to do well on the exams. It is completely out of your control. I don’t know where her grading distribution is coming from because most of the class was failing or had low C’s coming into the final. The average on the final was a 75% (153/200). So considering the class average was already in the low C range, and about 50% of the class scored less than a 75%, a great portion of her class obtained failing marks. I had more anxiety about this class than for my MCAT. Even people who had A’s in her class hated the exam grading/teaching style. When exams were compared side-by-side, some people had a lot of points taken off for the exact same answers that received full credit, but appeals for regrades were dismissed with little to no explanation. Her accent is difficult to understand sometimes and her handwriting is atrocious, which becomes an issue when you have to understand big vocabulary words and have no idea what she’s saying or writing. It is also an issue when you have to distinguish hyper/hypofunction and cannot understand which one she said. There is a slight 2-3% curve in the class to account for +/- grades, but it is not 10% like the person was saying below. That 10% is in reference to the extra 10pts on each exam. The material is actually pretty easy, but the grading is frustrating and insufferable. So even if you know the material backwards and forwards and put up correct answers on the exam, you will still get failing grades (60’s) on your tests. Take this class with any other professor than Dr. Opoku. If you do get stuck into taking this class, she emphasizes hormonal effects on hypertension/hypotension (what caused it, why, what’s the mechanism of action, how do you treat or manage it). She loves GH, cortisol, and insulin. Our final had a few sections (about 20% of the test) on adrenergic receptors in terms of where they act, so BSCI440 was helpful for this class. She hinted at diseases we were going to see again for final, which helps prepare for cumulative review. Make sure you know the distinction between management and treatment. She favored D and E in her multiple choices, so if you don’t know, go with one of those. In general, we had to know symptoms of diseases well because her prompts included minute differences that indicated what the disease was. She used large vocabulary words, both medically pertinent and grammatically, on her exams. Make sure to know both (they will be in her slides) so you understand what will be asked. Sometimes we were asked to define the words, sometimes they were just used and we had to explain how the phenomena occurred. But if you didn’t know what the word meant, you were out of luck, even if the word had nothing to do with biology. We only needed to know signal transduction in detail for the 1st exam. After that (including the final), the most we had to know about it is what type of path it takes, but not the actual process for it. Your best bet is to memorize the slides and regurgitate what they said. Do not deviate from them or you will get the whole question wrong (-10pts) per problem. The final also asked about the same diseases over and over, so don't be concerned if you end up describing the same disease 3 times in 3 different sections on the final. Acromegally, anything cortisol related, and ADH related was heavily emphasized. (She might hint at what she will emphasize for your final in the few weeks approaching it, so be sure to go to class then.)
Justicia Opoku-Edusei BSCI447 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/21/2012	Extremely chilled for a 400-level bio class. Just take good notes, have a good level of understanding, and the exams should be simple. The final was rough, but still doable. I do not think she curves but has built-in extra credits on every exam. But given how well the class was doing this semester, curving should be unnecessary. Dr. Opoku is also super nice, has a good sense of humor, and is very knowledgable about the subject. This class is also very clinically relevant. You'll learn a lot about several different endo diseases. Should be interesting if you are planning to go into medicine.
Michael Ma BSCI447 Expecting a B notqualified 05/21/2012	His exams are impossible. Well that's not true, there are plenty of people who get As. But the material seems easy, but when you get to the exam, you'll realize you're not the approaching the material correctly. Just remember to always go to class and take notes on everything that comes out of his mouth. The things he says are what he's going to test you on. And he's a bit of a hardass, but he's hilarious, and he's fair.
Justicia Opoku-Edusei BSCI447 Expecting an A tumi 01/24/2012	Great professor I took BSCI447 and BSCI 342 with her, got A's in both. She'll lecture with powerpoints up, but make sure you listen; the powerpoints alone aren't enough. I suggest taking notes with a computer because she talks quickly, and gives you a lot of information. She likes to make exams with built-in curves (120 possible points, but your grade will be out of 100 so you can get a 120%). All in all, she's great and you'll learn a lot from her. I'd like to clarify about concerns in the statement below though: 1) the TA for that semester was terrible. I agree, and I hated him. But if you go back to her and actually talk to her, she'll give you points back if you deserve it (you need to write in DETAIL, not just main points for exams). 2) she doesn't like giving curves, but what the poster below didn't mention was that she did give a 10% final grade curve because the final exam was difficult. So not only did she give ~100 cumulative points of extra credit built into exams, she also gave an overall 10% curve. I would call that generous. 3) powerpoints aren't that bad... you just have to listen in class also
Justicia Opoku-Edusei BSCI447 Expecting a c- Anonymous 01/02/2012	...i don't know who wrote the previous reviews or how the grade distribution for A's for her course is so high, but do not take this class. i have never gotten less than an A in any course in college. i took 4 other 400 level bio courses this semester, 70% of my studying time alone went to endo.. i got A+'s in all my other courses but struggled for a c in this course...even if your answers on your exam are correct there is a 50/50 chance that it will be marked wrong (no joke). she purposely chooses a ta who has never taken endo and has no knowledge of the course whatsoever so that he follows her answer key to the T so expect no partial credit. when i say that your answers will be marked wrong even if they are right, and you can prove it using her own powerpoints or the internet, i mean it... workwise the class is only 3 exams and a final. the average on the final (which is worth 40% of your grade) in my semester was a 40%.. she "does not believe in curves". think about that.. bottom line do not take this class. i would compare her teaching and grading style to bhagats except she has poorly made powerpoints.
Michael Ma BSCI447 Expecting an A Anonymous 06/16/2011	Dr. Ma is a pretty funny guy. He had us laughing to tears a few times. The trick to earning an A in his class is to be a damn good note taker. I actually recorded his lectures so that I could get everything down. His exams are all straight from lecture. I didn't even buy the book. He is somewhat of a hard ass so don't even bother trying to bullsh*t him because he'll see right through it. He likes his questions answered in a very specific way, usually exactly how he words it in lecture which is why it's a good idea to record the lectures. His exams will have a question from EVERY single lecture. At least one question each. So if you miss a day it would be wise to get a recording from someone else or their lecture notes. DON'T wait until the day before an exam to catch up. It's WAY too much material and you won't do well. This isn't an easy class. It's more work than you think and you can't wait until a few days before the exam to start studying. If his exam scores are somewhat low he'll start offering extra credit. On our second exam he offered 10 extra credit points which helped a lot. His exam questions are very tricky so read very carefully. He also tried to trick us with a long T/F section where all but 2 of them were false. You really have to know your stuff to get those T/F questions. What I really liked about his class is that he makes some references to the MCAT and what to expect. That was very helpful. I did notice that he does tend to pick favorites in the class based on the scores of the first exam. With that being said, don't even bother asking for a letter of recommendation unless you have an A in his class. The one thing I didn't like is that he doesn't make himself available outside of class. If you have questions you have to ask the TA. He doesn't hold office hours. He's a great teacher and he's very straight forward with what he expects from you. Take him seriously and don't screw around. He can pick out exactly what kind of student you are very quickly. He even has enough nerve to pick on you in front of the class. Make sure you have thick skin because he'll get you. When he hands back your exams he does it in order of top score to bottom score so basically everyone knows where you rank. I really enjoyed this subject. It was very interesting and Dr. Ma has some great stories to tell.
Michael Ma BSCI447 Expecting an A- Biology Major 05/27/2010	Dr. Ma is by far one of the most engaging professors I have had. Whatever he writes and says in class is what is on the exam. Do not bother reading the textbook. Although pay attention to the handouts that are given out b/c some of the stuff Dr. Ma says in class might be inaccurate. He is not very helpful outside of class. He is also very judgemental. He can say offensive things and cites his old age for his ossified viewpoints. He gave out alot of extra credit this semester. So getting a good grade is possible. Just go to lecture and you will be fine. His exams are different than those I have had in the past. For example, he likes to screw with ppl's minds and so he will have 20 T/F and will make them all false except the last one. So pay attention to the wording. On the free response portion, there is no need to write alot, JUST answer the question, Usually 2 sentences at most. Alot of ppl do not finish b/c they write too much. Trust me, he had students grade the exams, and I was one of them, we only look for a couple of words in those portions to see if the person gets the full marks or not. Another point: if he emphasizes a word, use it in the answer! He has a guest lecturer come and teach you. And you get quizzed on them. Pay attention! The grading was interesing. 20% coems from quizzes; 35% mid-term; 45% from final exam. You have to do well on all of them or else you are screwed! He is a very interesting man and created the course so he knows what he is doing!
Justicia Opoku-Edusei BSCI447 Expecting an A rbterp 12/14/2009	I really enjoyed taking Endocrinology w/Dr. Opoku. As other students have said, she really knows her stuff and she has a great sense of humor. She also adds some extra credit points to her exams, making a good grade in the course very attainable. The course is much more clinically relevant than most biology courses I have taken. Dr. Opoku focuses on signs and symptoms of endocrine diseases as well as diagnostic testing and treatment. I would recommend becoming friends w/whoever you sit next to b/c Dr. Opoku writes fast and you need to make sure you write down everything she does in order to be ready for the exams.
Justicia Opoku-Edusei BSCI447 Expecting an A Anonymous 11/04/2009	She's a great professor! She has a great sense of humor, and if you're interested in endocrinology, then this class is definitely for you. Her exams are literally word for word from her lectures, so you HAVE to go to class to do well. Exams are half multiple choice, half short answer. If you start studying for the exams a couple of days in advance, you're pretty much guaranteed an A (but DON'T wait until the last minute to start studying, you WILL NOT do well!!!). One of the easiest 400 level classes I've taken.
Justicia Opoku-Edusei BSCI447 Expecting a b terpbaby09 02/02/2009	She is amazing you get everything you need in lecture word for word. She knows her stuff. She will test on her lecture and you dont need the textbook. I dont know anyone who even bought the book. One of the easier upper level A's.