Have More Questions? Ask Daniel Sjolund

Majors:

If you cannot decide which major to pursue, I would strongly recommend a B.S. in Biochemistry. The UST Biochemistry majors must complete many upper-level courses in chemistry, biology, math, and physics—all subjects on the MCAT. This major prepares students very well for the health professions by providing a wholesome balance between all the sciences. All of the science and mathematics courses compliment each other, which facilitates understanding and improves academic performance. For example, understanding organic chemistry can be easier if one already grasps the cellular biological significance—and vice versa. For more information on the biochemistry major, visit: http://www.stthomas.edu/biochemistry/default.html

Finding Research Opportunities at the University of St. Thomas (UST):

Attend club meetings (Chemistry, Biology, PHPC, Neuroscience) and ask your professors! The Chemistry Club holds monthly meetings in Owens Science Hall during “convo-hour.” Each meeting has free food, information on volunteer opportunities, social events, research presentations, and more! Once per year, the chemistry club dedicates a meeting for the professors to present their research for those interested in summer research. If you plan to do research, always apply early! Remember to email and meet the professor(s) in-person so you are acquainted with them and their research. To learn more about the professors’ projects, visit the department website. For more information on the Chemistry Club, visit: http://www.stthomas.edu/chemistry/chemClub/default.html

Here is the UST Chemistry Department Research Home Page: http://www.stthomas.edu/chemistry/research/default.html

UST Research Grants:

1.       NSF STEP Research Scholars: A research grant for minorities and women in the sciences. Includes a stipend, weekly food allowance, and on-campus summer housing. Applicants must submit a research proposal and dedicate at least ten weeks for full-time research (40 hours per week). For information, contact the UST Undergraduate Research & Collaborative Scholarships Director, currently David F. Steele. http://www.stthomas.edu/urcs/default.html

2.       Young Scholars Research Grants: http://www.stthomas.edu/urcs/default.html

3.       McNair Scholars Program: http://www.stthomas.edu/diversity/mcnair/aboutmcnair.html

4.       Department-Funded Grants: Stipends are usually less than the NSF STEP, Young Scholars, and McNair stipends. Funding is at the discretion of the department, and for more information, ask the chair of the department. Because budgets are often limited, ALWAYS apply for the grants listed above; even though you are accepted to do research, there is no guarantee that the department will have enough funds to support your project. Also, by obtaining a non-department funded grant, you will free-up funds to allow others to do research.

5.       Travel Grants: For current research students to present at a scholarly conference. Covers costs of travel, food, and lodging. http://www.stthomas.edu/urcs/studentTravel/default.html

Science and Health Professions Scholarships:

·         Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Scholarship (for incoming freshman only): http://www.stthomas.edu/scischolar/

·         Barry Goldwater Scholarship (must be selected by the UST Goldwater Committee): http://www.act.org/goldwater/

·         Minnesota High Tech Foundation (MHTF) Scholarship (for science majors): http://www.mhta.org/mhtf.php

·         Tylenol Scholarship (for science majors): http://www.scholarship.tylenol.com

·         Pre-med scholarships (James E. and Kathleen C. O’Phelan Scholarship and Niels and Carol Sorensen Scholarship): http://www.stthomas.edu/bulletin/2010/03/17/pre-med-scholarships/

·         William D. Larson Scholarship (junior and senior chemistry and biochemistry majors): http://www.stthomas.edu/chemistry/currentstudents/larson.html

Greetings from Bisrat Fekadu:

feka9934@stthomas.edu

Why St. Thomas:
St. Thomas is the perfect size for a pre-med student to get the attention they need. The pre-med program is very rigorous but it prepares you well for the MCAT and the course load in Medical school. All the professor will know your name and your progress, and this is a good jump start to the relationship needed for good recommendations.

Clubs:
PHPC - pre-health professions club
MSIS - minority students in science
COG - circle of giving
biology club
chemistry club
neuroscience club

Solid Advisors:
Dr. Martinovic
Dr. Chaplin
Dr. Ovechka

Research:
There are research opportunities in every department. There is the young scholars grant that pays you to do full time research with the professor of your choice and also pays for your room and board. Professors are always looking for more help in their labs, they are very approachable.

Great Professors:
General Chem - Dr. Marcus
Biology - Dr. Martinovic, Dr. Chaplin, Dr. Ditty, Dr. Martin
Psychology - Dr. Buri, Dr. Amel

Majors:
Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Neuroscience

What I love:
I love the tradition of St. Thomas. We are very big on traditions, we have the arch march for freshmen, and Tommie Tuesdays, etc. I also love the seriousness of my peers. We like to have fun but we put business before pleasure and the library will be packed with pre-med students. 

There is always study groups to join and it almost gives you a drive to work that hard too.
 

 

Get to Know St. Thomas with Sally Mahmoud:

Clubs:
Definitely join a club or clubs! Some of my closest friends are from Hana, a multicultural student org on campus. If I could tell you to do one thing- it would be join one or two max clubs and stick to them! I've been in Hana and the dance team Pulse since freshman year. I've made many friendships while expanding my passion of both raising awareness about my culture and teaching others how to dance! There are also academic-based clubs that you can join like the neuroscience club or tri beta. There are plenty of options! But stick to one or two!

  

Why St. Thomas for pre med:
The class sizes are extremely small, which I really liked! I could have strong relationships with professors and feel free to go to their office for academic questions or even to go out for some coffee. The professors in the science department really know how to teach well and are so dedicated to helping students succeed. In tough courses like Organic chemistry, it was nice to have a professor who could help you almost 24/7. My professor was even in his office on the weekends to help students!

  

Advisors:
Advisors can be helpful and sometimes not. Sometimes you get an advisor who knows nothing about pre-med field, so in scenarios like this you should switch. It's a simple process and I will probably be doing that soon. So far, I haven't had much help from my advisor but because of Jo's help and the help of some of my faculty, I've been able to make wise decisions regarding classes and such.

Research Opportunities
I would say that research opportunities on campus are pretty competitive since we don't have that many faculty, and not all of them do research at UST like they do at the U of M. However, there are other programs you can also apply to at UST, like the McNair program. You can have mentors at the U, UST, Mac, and other universities while living on campus at UST in the summer and getting paid. I will be doing the McNair program this summer and I'm excited! My research mentor this summer is a professor at the U of M School of Dentistry.

  

Paid Work
It's really easy to get on campus jobs if you take the time to look at the career development website and call up some people. I currently work at the Library with Information Resources and Technology and it's a sweet job! I get to study in a quiet environment while getting paid. So I can't complain. The bosses at UST really understand that we are students and also have academic and college student lives. They're lenient in terms of not being able to make shifts and such.

  

Classes
I'm a neuroscience major with a minor in chemistry. I have to take a mixture of biology, psychology, and chemistry classes. I like this major, because I like all three subjects equally so it is the perfect fit! My three favorite college classes are: Psychology 206 Brain and Human Behavior (challenging yet interesting), Organic Chemistry (because I had such a great professor who made it interesting!), and the Multicultural Communication study abroad course I took in Hawaii. One last thing- if you're a science pre-med major (biochemistry, biology, neuroscience, etc) try to take classes that are not required for your major and are not electives. Take classes that you think sound interesting and may or may not help you directly, as a future doc. Some of the classes I took that counted for no credit towards my major were Multicultural communication, Race and Ethnicity, and Intro to Theater. Those are some of my favorite classes and have made me more mature. I have learned how to discuss emotional topics with other peers while remaining mature and stable internally. I may not ever have the chance to gain this skill in a science class. You may think that you're just wasting money, but these classes truly do impact you on a much deeper level. Plus, you'll make some friends who are not science/pre-med.

  

Profs that are Good
I personally had great experiences with professors in the Chemistry department-- they are all amazing and extremely dedicated to helping students. I had Dr. Hartshorn for a year of general chemistry and then Dr. Ojala for a year of organic chemistry. Both were amazing! Dr. Buffy Smith is also a great professor- I had her this semester for Sociology 251 Race and Ethnicity. She makes her classes very interactive and provides students with insight about race issues in our country that you may not ever think about being a pre-med student. 

Hello from Future Doc Isaac Palma-Zamora, Currently a Senior: 

1. Why is your school good for pre-meds?

St. Thomas is good for pre-meds because of the small size of the classes that involve almost a one to one interaction with the professor. This allows students to ask more questions, and in return it facilitate their learning.

2. What are some clubs pre-meds should be involved in?

I am not a big fan of clubs. However, I think that it should be a good for pre-meds to get involved in clubs in which they can interact with people from different backgrounds. Also, students should look for clubs that have community service activities as this is a great opportunity to get some volunteer hours.

3. Who are some good advisers?

I have got to know most of the professors in the Bio department, and all of them are very friendly. It is evident that they are because they love to teach, and most important of all, they want students to succeed.

4. Who are some good professors?

Susan Chaplin...I've took an advanced physiology course with her and it has been the best class I've ever taken. She is very "cool" and knows her stuff really well. She makes her classes very interesting and that motivates student to do better. Nancy Hartung....she primarily teaches advanced genetics, ecology, and evolution. By far she is the toughest professor that I have ever had, but she is an excellent teacher. She is a great person and loves to help students. She is a former Professor of the Year. Colin Martin.....he teaches cell biology and immunology. Great professor!

Glenn Sherer.....great, great, great, professor. He teaches microscopic anatomy. This class is taken mostly by pre-meds so Dr. Sherer kinda has change the format of the class to fit the necessities and interests of pre-med.


5. What classes do you recommend taking, especially for MCAT prep?

Upper level courses in genetics, immunology, cell biology, human physiology, epidemiology related courses, creative writing and/or writing intensive courses.

6. What majors do you recommend?

Biology B.S. or any other combination that includes a strong biology background.

7. What are some research and paid job opportunities?

There are about 50 research positions between the Chemistry and biology departments during the summer, but most of them are taken by students that have done previous research with the department. Thus, in reality there are about 20 positions for new incoming students. Also, the range of topics in which students can do research is very limited to the small size of the school.