Program Highlighted | Pathobiology
Pathobiology Introduction | Dr. Doug Templeton
Interview with | Mihan Han

Interview | Mihan Han

Mihan is a 3rd year Pathobioloigy specialist at the University of Toronto. He enjoys playing piano, creative writing (mostly poetry, but  occasionally short stories and songs as well), table tennis,  badminton, and reading fiction. He also dabbles in web design, acoustic  guitar, and digital art.

Innis: Would you introduce yourself, and your field of study?
Mihan: My name is Mihan Han; I am a third year specialist student in the field of Pathobiology at the University of Toronto.

Innis: Pathobiology is a specialist Type 3 program, what does that mean?
Mihan: Type 3 programs mean that there are certain restrictions on who can get in and who can’t. You have to apply using certain processes, for example you can’t apply using ROSI like students do with other programs. There’s a specific website where you fill out an application a certain time during the year. And then later in the summer you find out whether you have been accepted of not. It’s a limited program because it’s fairly competitive and spots are limited. Class sizes are around 30 students per class.

Innis: What attracted you to study Pathobiology?
Mihan: A few reasons actually. We look at the basic mechanisms of disease and that is something that interests me. Another thing is that I want to go into medical school and I thought this would be a good program to prepare me for that. It being competitive and the small class sizes were attractive features to me as well.

Innis: What roles did advice/influence from peers, mentors, relatives and other play in your decision?
Mihan: Actually my friends here at UofT brought my attention to the program; otherwise I wouldn’t have known it existed. Afterwards, it developed from there.

Innis: There are a lot of programs that can prepare a student for medical school, what is special about Pathobiology?
Mihan: It’s a matter of interest really. The program description was what really interested me. As far as I know it’s the only program that goes in depth about disease mechanisms. They also offer courses that are specific to certain diseases such as cancer, which interests me a lot.

Innis: What aspects of the program do you find fascinating or inspiring (curriculum, professors, practical experience, field courses)?
Mihan: The courses. In first year you will not be taking any courses that are exclusively Pathobiology related; you don’t start until third year. Right now in my third year I’m taking Introduction to Pathiobiology, it’s really fascinating. Lectures in the first two years are really huge, don’t expect a class size fewer than 500 students. However, once you get into third year and you start taking courses that are specific to your program, you’ll have much more smaller classes. For example, my LMP 300 has only 30 students because only students in the program are allowed to take the course. So in that sense, they are engaging.

Innis: How would you rate the facilities and opportunities offered by UofT to this program?
Mihan: I can’t really comment. Most of the courses I have taken so far have been shared with other programs. We haven’t used any special facilities that are specific to the program.

Innis: How about rating facilities in general?
Mihan: It really depends on the course. Some were good some weren’t as good. I remember in CHEM139H, labs were extremely outdated. CHEM 138H was much better, although we defiantly need more sinks, you can’t have all students cram on one sink.

Innis: What extracurricular activities have you been involved with on campus since coming to UofT?
Mihan: Not many. Last year I was in the Literary Library Committee. I went to other club meetings but it was never consistent because they always conflicted with my schedule. This year I’m still working with the literary library committee, which is at Hart House, basically helping out with library work, shelving, deciding what books to get, among others. I’m also working with the student committee for academic excellence.

Innis: Are there any connections between the extracurricular activities and the programs that you are in?
Mihan: Not really. I really enjoy reading and I did some writing when I was in high school, so I like working the library.

Innis: Did you ever think of being involved in any Pathobiology/medical related extracurricular activities? Are there any such organizations on campus?
Mihan: There is a Pathobiology student union, but they mostly just do dodge ball games and stuff like that. They have seminars but it’s not a club with certain activities in mind, they’re more into socializing. I would rather be in a club where you do something more meaningful and actually learn something from.

Innis: Given your heavy course load and organizations that you are involved with, how did you manage to organize your time?
Mihan: I don’t know actually, but I somehow manage. You have to, or else you won’t survive here. The thing is sacrificing social life – not completely of course – but you have to prioritize. You have to able to make the decision whether to go see a movie with a friend or study for an upcoming test.

Innis: Any words of wisdom to give to someone interested in pursuing Pathobiology?
Mihan: Make sure it is something that you are interested in or else you would be miserable. Also, you need a very high GPA; so in first year don’t slack off.

Innis: As a student in this field, you might have researched the job market already. What kinds of employment opportunities are there?
Mihan: I haven’t actually. I have known for a while that I wanted to get into medicine, so I have that goal in mind already. Most jobs are heavily research focused. [Pathobiology website has more information] If you pursue a Pathobiology degree, you’re most likely go on to get a masters degree. So eventually basically you’ll be involved in research in some form, either working for the government or pharmaceutical companies.

Innis: What type of career are you interested in pursuing in the future?
Mihan: Clinical medicine.

Innis: What steps are you taking to assist you in achieving these goals?
Mihan: All the things you need to do to get into med school: maintaining a high GPA and being involved in different aspects of school aside from academics.

Innis: Are there any other things you would like to say to Innis students?
Mihan: Do what you enjoy, it’s so painful and not worth it if you do otherwise. Do your research and think carefully about what you want to do, don’t just depend on what people have to say, go out and find that information yourself. That can be done by talking to different people, the program website and reading the course descriptions. If it’s overwhelming and they have no idea where to start, then they can always talk to an advisor or a counselor.

On behalf of Innis College, I would like to thank you for coming and giving us your time …

For furher information about the program in University of Toronto and beyond, click here.