Pre-Med Professors
One of my friends from high school has a little sister coming to Vandy next year so I’ve been sharing my vast wisdom (ha) about classes and professors, primarily pre-med related. Here are a few of my favorites for any curious incoming freshman:
- Calculus– Pamela Pigg– In one word: sweetheart. She told us about how she would write math problems for her husband (also a calculus professor) to solve…for fun. She was also very helpful during review sessions and great about responding to emails, even signing off with “you have done well young grasshoppers” once.
- General Chemistry– Shawn Phillips– I think I personally liked his teaching style and laid-back attitude—not to mention the fact that he made fun of Brett Favre while I was sitting by my friend who is a die-hard Vikings fan. Also, he still says hi to me on campus even though I never came to office hours.
Honorable Mention: Sandra Rosenthal– My friend Deanna had her and loved her. Apparently she started class off with a different song that related to science everyday and showed her favorite scenes from The Matrix.
- Biology– Todd Graham/ James Patton– For each semester of biology, there are two professors. While Graham was very focused on details, Patton was definitely more of a big-picture guy and taught my favorite material: DNA replication, transcription, and translation. The two professors made a good team and both had fair tests (Patton even had a few quizzes in class that basically helped your grade if you were there, meaning the last day of class before Thanksgiving break I got credit for drawing a turkey and turning it in).
- Organic Chemistry– Michelle Sulikowski– I went into Orgo expecting to hate it and be confused all the time but this is the only class at Vandy where I’ve gotten a 99 on a test before. She goes over the reactions in her notes every day and explains the concepts really well—she was also fun to talk to during office hours and gave good advice about summer research programs.
Honorable Mention: James Lowe– Professor Lowe is like a cool grandpa who understands Organic Chemistry—another great professor to talk to during office hours.