The best aspect of this course was the renowned guest lecturers and top researchers who enlightened students about intriguing neuroscience topics. The worst aspects of the course were the exams, which didn’t always match the lecture content, and that many of the guest lectures were too advanced for the students. The course would improve if the lectures were more thorough and specific to content students had to know in this class. It would also improve if students were provided with the lecture notes or podcasts. Prospective students should know that this is a worthwhile course that offers students a great opportunity to learn from top leaders in their field and it only involves three exams.

Students agreed that the best aspects of this course were the many guest lecturers who were experts in their fields. Students found it very helpful to be able to ask these experts direct questions and loved learning about the cutting-edge research these doctors were involved in. Students found that having so many different lecturers made the course feel somewhat disjointed since there was no common thread or relation tying each lecture to the next. Suggestions for improvement included organizing the lectures by topic or field, and recording the lectures to make them available online. Students also felt that overlapping or connecting the lectures with a common thread would have made the course more cohesive. Prospective students should be prepared for a very difficult but rewarding and stimulating class.

Students appreciated the way this course provided the opportunity to hear from multiple guest lecturers sharing their expertise as researchers and physicians. However, students also felt this format was the class’s greatest limitation, as the quality of the lectures varied. They also felt that the exams did not accurately reflect the material presented. Students thought that the course could benefit from more background materials and general review of the subjects covered in the lectures by the teaching assistant or organizing instructors. Students thought that this class would be particularly beneficial for people interested in a medical career.