I am coming back from just finishing PhySci 111B... and I am very very happy I stayed a PhySci major despite all the negative things Ive heard. YES, it is hard. YES, I did question my abilities like crazy. But I and many other people did this! You can too. Dont let anyone tell you what you should or shouldnt do. If you want to be PhySci, BE PHYSCI!!! 107 was the best class Ive taken so far and I would do the series all over again if that meant choosing phy sci again. Good luck incoming juniors!

Patricia Phelps and Anthony Friscia could not be more different, and yet they are both the heart and soul of PHYSCI107 (and thus your true entry into the PhySci Major).

Dr. Phelps is a sweetheart, and she truly has built this class from the ground up (which she has been teaching since at least 2000). Go to her office hours! Her lectures are incredibly detailed, but she provides printouts every lecture for you to take notes on (sorry iPad kids). She's incredibly proud of the labs and the cadaver program, and she absolutely deserves to be. It is one of the most unique experiences offered to any undergraduate major.

Some people find the second two classes of the PhySci core to be the hardest, but personally, 107 was the most challenging class I have ever taken at UCLA. It was also the most rewarding. This is where you'll figure out whether becoming a PhySci major was right for you- putting this much time into any one class is only worth it if you feel the passion for the course that I and so many of my peers did. I say it was the most challenging--it just comes down to how much time you spend studying. The material itself isn't too difficult (as an anatomy course), but the sheer amount of it can be daunting.

Also, this isn't specific to Dr. Phelps, but you seriously gain such a sense of community in this class and with your cohort of PhySci majors. Between discussion (2hrs a week), lab (3hrs a week), open lab (review of the cadavers, 2hrs a week), in addition to lecture, I have never found myself feeling so at home at at large school like UCLA. But I digress.

Here's a breakdown of the course grading the quarter I took it:
Exam 1 (Dr. Phelps, Covering material for Lectures 1-9) 265 pts
Exam 2 (Dr. Friscia, Covering material for Lectures 10-19) 275 pts
Lab quizzes for weeks: 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 (@ 20 pts each) 120 pts
Practical Exams:
Nervous System, Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems 150 pts
Skeletal, Articular, and Muscular Systems 150 pts
Worksheets:
Worksheets on Nervous System, Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems 20 pts
Worksheets on Skeletal, Articular and Muscular Systems 20 pts
TOTAL POINTS: 1000 pts

This class made me realize how much I love anatomy/physiology. It was the hardest class I have taken, but this has also been the class I have tried the hardest in. In order for me to thrive (I tend to have to study more than other because I grasp concepts slower than most students here), I needed to study A LOT. There's not necessarily hw, but your hw is studying. There are weekly quizzes which make you stay on track with the crazy amount of information you will need to know, but outside of that, I went to all of my TAs office hours, on the days I did study, which were Saturday-Tuesday mainly since my quizzes were on Wednesdays, I would spend hours upon hours filling up lounge whiteboards, and rewriting notes and summary sheets on the information. It was fun for me, but because of the dedication I had for this class, I brushed off my Physics class and a Writing 2 class. In the end, I ended up with an A, but I worked super hard for it.

Phelps was great! She was a bit quiet and it was hard to hear her at times, but she was a very clear lecturer. Her lectures are only audio-recorded so you MUST attend lecture due to all of the drawings and diagram that were put up. Same with Friscia. Friscia on the other hand spoke loud and clear and was very entertaining during lecture. You wouldn't want to miss class because of this. They are both amazing professors; the best I have had so far.

This class was clear, organized, had a schedule that became apart of my routine, and was extremely rewarding. I would take this class over and over again if I could.

Phelps teaches the first part of this course and she lectures very clearly. I also appreciated how everything that could be expected of us on the exams/quizzes was somewhere pre-printed out on the lecture sheets she gives us to annotate. (Friscia's part we could be tested on content, not on the sheet, therefore you could easily miss information if you weren't paying attention in lecture.) Her content was mostly on the nervous system, heart, and lungs and I found it quite interesting which is why I feel like I didn't put as much effort in the first half because the content just stuck in my brain (unlike the second half where you have to memorize 20 million things). Her practical (cadaver) exam was definitely easier than Friscia's, however, her written exam and quizzes are definitely more particular and if you failed to mention a specific detail or draw a neuron with a triangle head you could lose points. She also wanted to give us 20 points back if we did better on the second half of the course because her midterm average was relatively low. I like Phelp's and its definitely possible to get an A with hard work.

Taken when class was online and lab was in person. I think a lot of people get scared off by the brain and Dr. Phelps' section, but I think that is honestly is quite interesting. I think it requires less time studying than Friscia's section if you give a good effort at watching the lectures through. They can be quite long, and you may need to rewind them, but she does a good job of explaining what you need to know. Again, the final is not cumulative, so you only need to remember five weeks worth of material. The cadaver lab is a good experience, make sure to attend the review days. Also, make sure to turn in your worksheets right after class, or you might forget like me. Would recommend!

the cadaver lab being in -person made this class my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE of the quarter and I am so excited to be a physci major and start this whole college learning thing! If you don't know, the class is broken down into lecture worksheets for participation, lab quizzes that are pretty doable, and your exams (2 practical / anatomy exams and 2 written midterms).

Dr. Phelps is stern but is very fair and reasonable when it came to the midterm. The brain dissections are complicated but with time, you really start to understand all of the different areas and neuroanatomy becomes sort of ... cool? Anyway, loved this class and I know you will too :) shoutout to TAs Lorna and Matthew for being the BEST ily

Phelps teaches for the first half of PS 107 and covers embryology, nervous system anatomy (the bulk of the lectures), cardiovascular system anatomy, and respiratory system anatomy. Her lectures are clear and well-organized but are quite dense. For the online quarter, we had weekly quizzes in lecture that covered lecture and lab material. They were open note, but were still pretty difficult and detail-oriented, so it's important to study. The midterm was easier than the quizzes since it involved more identification questions from lab. There was also a presentation for each half of the course where you and a partner picked a topic to expand on, and discussion posts (Muddiest Point) which were free points. The highlight of the course is going into lab to view all the brain specimens.

TLDR Phelps is a good professor but the material is pretty difficult. If you survive her half of PS 107 then you're chillin.

Grade breakdown:
Midterm: 90 pts
Final: 90 pts
Quizzes (8): 200 pts
Lab Presentations (2): 80 pts
Lab Participation: 20 pts
Muddiest Point: 20 pts
Total: 500 pts

Everyone's graded on a straight scale, but the scale may be adjusted to help students.

This is an incredible class. You get to work with cadavers and learn the exact material you'll be seeing again in medical school, if you're pre med of course. Professor Phelps is extremely approachable, provides very clear notes, and offers plenty of opportunities to get your questions answered. This class absolutely has a massive amount of material, and Phelps's half is definitely harder. But, those who say that if you're premed, don't be a phy sci major because its too hard, DO NOT listen. This is an incredible major for premeds, and if you found this class too hard, medical school is sooo NOT for you. All you need to do is keep up with the material, which itself isn't very hard, its the amount that makes it hard. If you have poor study habits, you won't do well. Both Phelps and Frischia are AWESOME professors, just be prepared to work!

Great class but challenging and lots of information!

Selling the textbook for very cheap!

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If you are not going to medical school, save yourself and switch to another major. This class is very intense and involves a lot of memorization. The class is composed of 6 quizzes, 2 exams, and 2 practical exams. For the quiz part, your grade solely depends on your TA. If your TA is chill and asks for easy indemnification questions you will be fine. If not, well expect to miss at least 4 points out of every quiz (each one is out of 20).

For the practical, make sure to work a lot on open lab. You need to know every single specimen.

For the exams, its actually simple. Memorize every single word in her notes. Every word is literally there for a reason and you need to phrase things exactly as in her notes.

Overall, she is a good professor, but the workload is insane.