To the Editors:
Rebecca Connick’s recent editorial “Loyola needs to offer more pre-medicine courses” has stimulated lively discussion among students and faculty in the biology department. She is correct that the majority of biology majors begin their academic career wanting to become doctors. This is just one reason why core and adjunct courses taken by our majors meet or exceed requirements of medical schools.
Herein I explain why I disagree with the perception that the biology department is not offering enough electives focused on human health. Ironically, my comments also address concerns expressed by many biology majors who feel that our program is too focused on needs of pre-med students!
There is one biology degree at Loyola – a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences. We offer an integrated degree that provides students with the opportunity to select from a broad range of courses, to engage in collaborative research, to learn about new scientific discoveries and professional opportunities through frequent research and career seminars and to engage in numerous volunteer and internship opportunities. Students who excel in their classes and take full advantage of everything our program has to offer will be prepared to compete in the best graduate and professional programs.
The biology department includes faculty who study everything from molecular biology of disease up to responses of ecosystems to global climate change. We offer courses that cover this same wide range of biological subjects because we want our students to graduate with a solid understanding of the major themes in biology. Over half of the courses we offered this academic year are considered traditional “pre-med” courses. The remaining courses all include a significant amount of material relevant to human health.
The beauty of biology is that the same basic molecular, genetic, physiological and ecological processes are at work in microbes, plants and animals (including humans) because we evolved from a common ancestor. This shared ancestry is also why cats are excellent model systems to learn about human anatomy and physiology.
Loyola offers a wide range of biology electives and students are able to take additional courses through the New Orleans Universities Consortium. I disagree that the “grass is always greener at Tulane” – rather, there is just more grass on the other side of West Road because Tulane is a large research university with a medical school.
There are also a lot more students at Tulane who endure larger class sizes, receive advising from a centralized advising center instead of individual faculty member in their major and likely have fewer opportunities for collaborative research with faculty mentors. I assume this is why so many students choose to come to Loyola in the first place.
The American Association of Medical Colleges advises students to major in a subject that they find interesting, and not a subject that they think will increase their chances of getting into medical school. Students majoring in arts, music, humanities or sciences are all equally viable candidates as long as they take necessary prerequisites, earn excellent grades, demonstrate strong intellectual potential (e.g., by engaging in collaborative research) and show a commitment to helping others. The AAMC also discourages undergraduates from limiting their science electives to courses focused on human health because this is what they will be studying for the rest of their lives.
The bottom line is that students should major in biology because they enjoy learning about biology. For these students, the biology department is committed to providing a challenging and engaging education that is grounded in the liberal arts tradition and that prepares students for medical school, graduate school and many careers in the biological sciences.
Frank Jordan
Professor of biology
