Anatomy & Physiology
BIOL 1170
Anatomy and physiology have always been interests of mine, as I have been fascinated by the human body for years. This course introduced the building blocks of the human body, and related the anatomy to function. What made this course exceptional was the teacher. Gregory Thiessen is very educated in this domain, and this was evident during his classes. He answered every question with great detail, and was very engaging with the students. Mr. Thiessen also dedicated his time to students outside of class hours by hosting science study sessions once a week. I attended these regularly to further strengthen my knowledge on the course content. The weekly online homework assignments were also helpful: they encouraged students to read the textbook and master the content, without falling behind in the course. The final exam was cumulative, so studying from these homework assignments was also helpful.
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Due to the fact that oral health and overall health are connected, this course was very beneficial in strengthening my knowledge regarding the oral-systemic link. By understanding the anatomy and corresponding physiology of the human body, I was better able to understand the effects of poor oral health to physiological consequences. This is particularly significant in individuals with diabetes, heart conditions, or other systemic diseases or complications. This is very beneficial to my clients that have more complex medical histories, as I am better able to develop an effective care plan that will take into consideration not only their oral conditions, but their systemic diseases as well. This course also allowed me to more effectively complete a clients' medical history. By better understanding the variety of conditions that may occur in an individual, I am able to recognize the associated effects that may arise as well.
This course served as a foundation for many future courses in the program, such as the second half of Anatomy and Physiology (BIOL 1180) or Human Pathophysiology (DENT 1342). The second half of Anatomy and Physiology was taught by a different instructor: Barbara Ally. This transition was challenging, as her teaching style was much different than that of Mr. Thiessen's, and she also had a chemistry background. However, Gregory Thiessen prepared the students in such a way that we also excelled in BIOL 1180. Due to the fact that I was so comfortable with the course content, I was able to sign up to be a tutor for both the first and second parts of the Anatomy and Physiology courses. I had the opportunity to share my knowledge with students having difficulty grasping the material.
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This course, besides clinic (DENT 1545), continues to be my favourite course of the program so far.