How to Show Prof. Pharmacological Knowledge w/o Coming off as Drug-User

[sarsXdave]

Okay, I just last winter switched from my university's Agricultural College to the Psych Department. Being a Junior, and my going for an eventual Master's or Ph.D, I really don't want to delay my expensive stay here any longer than I have to.

So, I have this class that mostly deals with neurotransmitters, degenerative diseases, drugs, etc... basically how the chemistry of the CNS and PNS result in certain behavior. I am doing fan-fucking-tastic (with extra credit, I'm above a 100) in this class as well as all my other classes this semester. However, my cumulative GPA from all my previous semesters is pretty shitty: barely above 2.5.

I'm meeting with the professor to give my case on why I feel my previous grades don't reflect my actual current performance and why she should consider me as a Research Assistant for her work with prenatal alcohol exposure in rats and the effects on their offspring's behavior. The biggest issue is my recently-diagnosed ADD (pred. inattentive), which I had only been medicated for during one semester before this one.

But, I'm also trying to show her that I have a lot of knowledge about pharmacology, brain, and behavior outside of class. You guys on BL know how it is, where sometimes we'll be so interested about a given drug that we'll know more than our doctors. I also have an alcoholic father, two friends whose parents smoked during pregnancy (both have issues with amotivation, one has mild Tourette's and synesthesia), and look up every drug I find interesting, even purely-therapeutic stuff (clonidine, ibuprofen).

How do I relay this to my professor without coming off as some drug-abuser? I want to talk about the patterns I notice with GABAnergic drugs and well as overlap of symptoms of natural dopamine imbalance (anxiety, depression, amotivation, ADD, OCD, tics, Tourette's). Considering we've already talked about my being medicated for ADD, should I even go this far in discussion? I know WE would find that kind of knowledge relevant, but this is an extremely conservative town, and I don't want to hurt my chances.

I know I may have to do a 5th year, especially to look good applying to grad school. Should I just wait and ask her next year where my better GPA might negate the need to talk about this? Sorry for length, I appreciate any who finished the whole page and any well-meaning responses.

P.S. I also meant to ask whether it would be appropriate to mention some personal things, like my first-person insight on alcoholism and genetics. I don't want to creep her out, but I don't want to leave out things that help my case. I am kind of a quiet dude, and probably not her idea of attractive, so I really don't want to come off as someone too weird to work with.

 

[wizekrak]

Just tell that you have an interest in psychopharmacology. It's academia, I doubt they see it as suspicious.

 

[simmerman]

What a damn coincidence i said let me see his other threads and i just mentioned im studying psychology as well lol and here it is you are. But i feel where your coming from i started this year underdgrad for psychology. im going for my master's anyway's i didnt have an issue my psychology class was online. and i mean i wasted my money on the text book because all the questions and stuff i knew the answers too. psych 101. So i did receive the highest grade in class an A+ i wasnt saying i was smarter than the teacher but part of the online requirements where for people to view and make comments on other peoples essays per. chapter and ofcourse i sounded like a doctor they were all emailing me who are you. But like you i grew up around mental illness and drug and alcohol addiction on both sides of my family. So i have alot of first hand knowledge. Reason i know so much well may anxiety and being a hypochondriac and thinking i was always dying of some disease i would always research. Having Adhd/ And a genius level I.Q didnt hurt. But than i also got the blessing of the addictive personality. and drug abuse. So i would self medicate i guess you can say. or at times do illegal drugs. But before i would do them i always would research them and look at the effects and actions on the body. Because i wanted to get high. Not die you feel me. So i managed to find all the different combination's and effects and see how they worked for me what to avoid and not to avoid ect. And just did constant research. And having adhd and anxiety and panic attacks. These disorders as well as all legal and illegal drugs effect the neurotransmitter's the drugs do it chemically are bodies do it biologically. Yeah. So im going to school i want to help people because i have been there i still am and i ave first hand knowledge of dealing with the issues most of my life. I have left all illegal drugs alone. but am prescribed a high dose of adderall and xanax. legal drugs. lol so hey beggars cant be choser's Question for you. Whats your best benzo to take with your adderall to counter the negative effects of the stim. Some people do not need any but already suffering with panic and anxiety i deff. Do i find it almost the best pharma-logical speedball yet but yet i still do it in moderation.

Okay, I just last winter switched from my university's Agricultural College to the Psych Department. Being a Junior, and my going for an eventual Master's or Ph.D, I really don't want to delay my expensive stay here any longer than I have to.

So, I have this class that mostly deals with neurotransmitters, degenerative diseases, drugs, etc... basically how the chemistry of the CNS and PNS result in certain behavior. I am doing fan-fucking-tastic (with extra credit, I'm above a 100) in this class as well as all my other classes this semester. However, my cumulative GPA from all my previous semesters is pretty shitty: barely above 2.5.

I'm meeting with the professor to give my case on why I feel my previous grades don't reflect my actual current performance and why she should consider me as a Research Assistant for her work with prenatal alcohol exposure in rats and the effects on their offspring's behavior. The biggest issue is my recently-diagnosed ADD (pred. inattentive), which I had only been medicated for during one semester before this one.

But, I'm also trying to show her that I have a lot of knowledge about pharmacology, brain, and behavior outside of class. You guys on BL know how it is, where sometimes we'll be so interested about a given drug that we'll know more than our doctors. I also have an alcoholic father, two friends whose parents smoked during pregnancy (both have issues with amotivation, one has mild Tourette's and synesthesia), and look up every drug I find interesting, even purely-therapeutic stuff (clonidine, ibuprofen).

How do I relay this to my professor without coming off as some drug-abuser? I want to talk about the patterns I notice with GABAnergic drugs and well as overlap of symptoms of natural dopamine imbalance (anxiety, depression, amotivation, ADD, OCD, tics, Tourette's). Considering we've already talked about my being medicated for ADD, should I even go this far in discussion? I know WE would find that kind of knowledge relevant, but this is an extremely conservative town, and I don't want to hurt my chances.

I know I may have to do a 5th year, especially to look good applying to grad school. Should I just wait and ask her next year where my better GPA might negate the need to talk about this? Sorry for length, I appreciate any who finished the whole page and any well-meaning responses.

P.S. I also meant to ask whether it would be appropriate to mention some personal things, like my first-person insight on alcoholism and genetics. I don't want to creep her out, but I don't want to leave out things that help my case. I am kind of a quiet dude, and probably not her idea of attractive, so I really don't want to come off as someone too weird to work with.