Favorite professor at UCLA

I took this class with Galic and Zack in spring 2022. Honestly my favorite class I’ve taken at UCLA and I’m an MCDB major. I totally recommend this class if you’re willing to work hard to understand everything. Galic is an amazing professor and is very concerned with student learning. Zach is definitely a very smart man and is very knowledgeable, but breezes through the lectures very quickly and is not as clear. Galic uses the full lecture time (1 hour 15 mins) and Zach would finish only 45 mins in. Because of this, I always left Zach’s lectures very confused and unsure. To remedy this, I would go to Galic’s office hours. He just reviews the past two lectures, but he focuses on reviewing Zach’s lectures more. This was extremely helpful and I seriously recommend going to these office hours weekly. The midterm and final are extremely short on time but open note, so I recommend making a comprehensive document that you can command F to find anything you might have forgotten about. The tests are not about memorization as much as understanding, so some people really struggle but others can exceed easily. Left the final thinking that I’ve learned more in this class than most classes I’ve taken at UCLA! Very much recommend taking it with Galic and Zach.

Look, this class is a beast. I took this Spring 2022 with Dr. Zack and Dr. Galic and with Angela Wu as my TA. In all honesty, the teaching staff is what made this class amazing and interesting despite it being incredibly content heavy with difficult concepts. Angela is literally the GOAT and is so passionate about teaching even though she may not come off as it.

As someone who took this class while already having a lot of immunology background, I think that I had a petty significant advantage going into this class, especially on tests, because I was already taught to think in a very hypothetical-situation-oriented way (if that makes any sense). Be prepared to APPLY concepts you learned in lecture to NEW or very familiar hypothetical experiments for every single question you are ever asked in this class (the professors do this because this is more or less what immunologists have to face at work! can confirm). Test questions were of the same nature as homework questions but were harder simply because they combined concepts from multiple weeks into a single question (whereas worksheets were mostly focused on that week's content). The final exam was not cumulative but you are expected to retain basic knowledge from pre-midterm (for example: which Ab light chain rearranges first, etc.) although it will not be the main focus of the questions.

Grade Breakdown:
20% Homework (based on effort, super easy to get 100% here)
30% Midterm
50% Final Exam

Final Tips and Tricks: GO TO SECTION, the TAs are literal gems and put so much effort into review and preparing you for exams that I honestly would have been screwed if I skipped section (attendance is also mandatory though). I never really asked questions so even without participating or staying after it was incredibly helpful.

Content Based Tips that won't make sense yet: Kappa then lambda! Tap1/2 -> MHCI, RAG1/2 -> T and B rearrangement, AID -> class switching AND somatic hypermutation, think of Tolerance and Rejection as unrelated phenomena.

HOW does Galic not have any reviews at all?! He is widely regarded as one of the most popular professors in MIMG, and for good reason, too-- he is AMAZING. Immunology is an incredibly difficult subject, but it is so so interesting and so rewarding, and Galic loves to teach. I loved listening to him lecture (he's from Yugoslavia, so he has a thick European accent, but it's not difficult to understand) and he is so helpful during OH. I had him during the rare quarter that he taught with Dr. Zack, and he and Zack were so hilarious together. They make lots of jokes and are just incredible professors. Truly passionate about their subject AND about teaching, which is a rare combo. Galic also remembers students names (if you come to OH) and I actually ran into him on campus a few days after our final, and he stopped to talk to me and was incredibly complimentary and kind and encouraging. I wish that I could take another class with him!!! Probably the best professor I've had at UCLA!

the course material itself is what makes the class difficult, not the instructors. immunology is not an easy subject, but Galic tries to make the curriculum as understandable as possible. his exams are fair and focuses on the bigger picture rather than small details, plus its open book and open notes for both midterm and final.

theres one midterm (30%), one final (50%), and 6 homework assignments as well as discussion attendance (20%). the homework is graded by completion, not accuracy. you dont have to participate in section just attend. just make sure to study for the exams which are the most important. he takes consideration how much you improved from your midterm to final exam to determine your final grade.

Galic is really passionate about teaching - he teaches for you to learn, not to get a good grade, which he really emphasizes. try to attend as many office hours as you can. he is very kind and patient.

yes this class is difficult, but it is not impossible

This class has a well-deserved reputation as the hardest class in the MIMG major, but Galic is, in my (biased) opinion, the best teacher to take this class with. He knows well, and is clearly passionate about, the material he teaches and tries his best to help /those students who make the effort to reach out to him or understand the material/. He will not hold your hand, but if you come to office hours or ask to meet him (or drop by his office--worked for me many times, most notably the week before finals, but don't count on this), he will help you. A lot. The very first two OH's of his I attended, he made everyone introduce themselves with the express purpose of forging friendships and facilitating study group formation (by the way, I think studying in groups is the best way to study for this class). (He also brings snacks to OH sometimes.) When he lectures, it's obvious how fascinated he is with immunology and the new advancements coming out in that field--in my opinion, it's infectious, but everyone differs, of course. He's also really approachable and friendly, so don't be afraid to talk to him.

His exams are open-note, open-book (why would you bring the textbook though) and application/experiment-based, so you won't get away with mere memorization. I recommend making sure you know how the various components interplay within the immune response. You're not guaranteed to get study guides, but the HW (accuracy/effort optional) is entirely old exam questions, so they're your best resource. HW answers are discussed in discussion--Drake was my TA, and he was VERY helpful.

Regarding grading, you get points based on two midterms (30%), final (50%), and discussion attendance (20%). Improvement from midterm(s) to final is factored into your grade--this is part of the reason behind my A.

This class isn't at all impossible, but be sure to put in the effort. It'll be well worth it.

Galic is the best professor I have had here at UCLA, he has such a passion for teaching that is so contagious and really makes you want to learn. Immunology is not an easy course by any means, but I think it is highly manageable if you study with the course and attend office hours. Grading and exams are very fair, and I think the homework assignments are excellent for exam preparation (previous exam questions). Honestly my favorite class that I've taken, don't be scared of it!

Galic was one of the best professors I've had at UCLA. He really put in the effort to get to know each and every one of his students names. Even though Immunology is a super hard class, he makes the class enjoyable and cracks jokes every now and then. His office hours really do help because he'll go more in depth on each slide.

Though immunology is one of the hardest science upper divs I've taken, Galic is an awesome professor and I would gladly take it with him again. He talks quickly and has an accent, but he'll go over something more slowly when asked, plus the lectures are audiocasted. He co-taught with Dr. Zack and they complement each other super well, and are also hilarious together. The homeworks are very challenging but are graded on effort, not accuracy, and they help prepare you for the tests. The tests are open-note but still study as if they weren't, and just use the notes to double-check tiny details. You won't have enough time to read your notes as if you're learning the material for the first time during an exam. Overall Galic and Zack took a really tough subject and made it super interesting and enjoyable, so i would recommend taking this class with them.

Dr. Galic is one of my favorite professors. This class lives up to being known as the hardest class for MIMG majors, yet I found it the most rewarding. Put in the work, but also, learn how to properly study and you'll do well. My TA was Emily and she was amazing. Dr. Zack is also very knowledgable, so definitely go to office hours