Professor: Goldstein Course format: Lecture w/lab Number of respondents: 11 Total Enrollment: 62

Class Composition Froshs: 0 Sophs: 0 Jrs: 1 Srs: 4 Concs: 6 Non-Concs: 1 Don't Know: 0	Instructor Average: 3.29 Course Average: 3.05

"Mammalian Physiology" is an upper level biology class dealing with the integration of human physiological systems. The prerequisites are lengthy and include Math 9 and 10, Chem 21, and two semesters of physics. A general knowledge of human anatomy and physiology was also considered useful. The class consists primarily of first year medical students, but some undergraduates and graduate students also attend.

This course had many different professors, each one lecturing in his/her own specific area of expertise. One student commented that there seemed to be more professors in the course than students. These professors all demonstrated a variety of styles. Some were well-received and others heavily criticized. Two professors stood out in the midst of all the other professors. Students praised both Professors Hai and Holsten-Rathlon for their clarity and enthusiasm They made difficult principles understandable by continuously stressing the interrelationships of concepts. Yet, most of the other professors were described as mediocre.

Students spent roughly ten hours a week on this course. It required heavy reading and synthesis of a great deal of material. The textbook was frequently criticized by respondents. Lab was also not considered productive. Experiments were poorly organized and relevant equipment was either faulty or not available when needed. The one exception was the dog lab experiment, which was considered highly rewarding. The class was evaluated on two cumulative exams and one cumulative final exam.

Most students were very interested in the subject matter that was explored in this class. They were not, however, appreciative of the variety of instructors. The number of professors made it very difficult to truly learn about the integration of various body systems. Students did find that learning in groups was very helpful and highly recommended a regular review group of the material.

This course covered a great deal of material that was especially appropriate for medical students. Students recommended taking some introductory anatomy and physiology experience before taking this course.

View BI/0117 in the Brown Online Course Announcement.