Excellent professor...a really cool guy. Tests are really hard, but I highly doubt anyone is going to take Human Physiology thinking it will be an easy class. Tests from his notes (there is a TON to know...but it's all in there).

Great prof but his tests are hard. He wants the students to do well; he doesn't try to make everyone fail like some professors. Much better than Dr. Roberts who teaches it in the spring.

Great teacher...his grading system is weird though. I ended up with a 77 average at the end and somehow got an A and the class' average was not that low (65 maybe). He's a clear teacher tho and very helpful if you seek it...definitely recommended.

i had him last semester, he was awesome. he can be a little boring if you don't have interest in the subject, but he knows his stuff and really wants to help you learn it. great attitude, and tries to give you the benefit of the doubt on grades.

He is very articulate, but his notes are power point and sometimes they contain way more info. than you need to know for the test. Also, his notes on-line are sloppy, unorganized, and contain misc. errors. Choose him over Dr. Roberts., but maybe reconsider.

Dr. Sved is a great professor. He has great enthusiaism for the material and that just makes the class more interesting. He tests from his notes and there is alot of information but this test are tricky. Physiology requires lots of time but if you try you will do fine.

That is my response under this one. It helps to spell check stuff before submitting. I meant to say that his test are NOT tricky and they are straight forward. You do have to study hard though because there is a lot of information.

This class is the easiest class I have taken in any of my majors. There is no need to attend class, as all test questions come out of the well written notes. Simply study for a few hours the night before the test and you can assure yourself an A. 82 percent on the tests guarentees an A.

Great professor, knows his stuff and is very helpful. Plus, in addition to his powerpoints he also posts typed up notes for each lecture, which are extremely helpful when an exam is coming up. Online quizzes can boost your grade a bit and help keep you on track for learning the material.

HIGHLY recommended class before MCATs! I'm a senior now, and wish I would've! I didn't find this incredibly difficult, but then I've taken Biochem. He's certainly not fascinating, but covers the material well. Lectures save time from studying later, so you should show up. Exams can be bizarre, but 85+ is an A. Quizzes aren't bad, boost your score.

HIGHLY recommended class before MCATs! I'm a senior now, and wish I would've! I didn't find this incredibly difficult, but then I've taken Biochem. He's certainly not fascinating, but covers the material well. Lectures save time from studying later, so you should show up. Exams can be bizarre, but 85+ is an A. Quizzes aren't bad, boost your score.

He is a good professor. Very organized which helps (notes and slide). However, his tests are difficult, a B is very obtainable, while an A is more difficult, hence the reason it is 85 and above. But definately read the book. it clears up some things he glosses over in his notes and lectures.

He's a good guy. Flexible on a lot of things in class. His class isn't that bad but he does skip a unit/concept or two. He explains things pretty well and cracks a joke here and there also. Yes, there's questions on every exam that seemingly come from nowhere, but hey, what're you going to do?

Sved is an excellent lecturer and manages to keep his class pretty intestesting. I highly recommend this course before the MCATs seeing that it covers pretty much all of the bio one would need. Sved's downfall comes to his obvious arrogance during office hours. After going once I never went back.

Very approachable. Makes it very possible to succeed. 85 is an A and is very friendly in office hours. Knows his physiology. Posts lecture recordings online as well, so attendance isn't mandatory at all. Tests are difficult, but he offers many study aids that were very useful. Highly Recommend

dr. sveds human phys class is pretty cool. he is a good teacher who uses multiple resources--notes, mp3, powerpoint--to help you learn. 85 is a guaranteed A, but that doesnt mean its easy..a lotta work, but its nice to see when your work pays off. also, use the uta's to your advantage..so much help!

Good lectures & covered a reasonable amount of info. Tests, however, weren't fair. It doesn't matter how long you study for them, you'll still miss all the poorly written and trick questions. Tests are definitely not an accurate reflection of how well you know the material. Always asks for feedback but never takes any of it into account.

Make sure you take intro to neuro before taking his class. For the first test, he assumes you remember everything from intro to neuro and if you haven't had it yet, his class becomes very difficult. He is very helpful, but his tests are SO hard.

In response to a prior rating, Intro to Neuro is *not* a prereq for this course, though it is probably helpful. Challenging professor, but he does just about everything possible to provide resources for students. A B grade should be very attainable for most. An 85% test average is an A. Just be prepared to do the work.

Great professor! Don't bother with the book, he pulls out all the important diagrams and puts them on power points. Study the diagrams and you will do well. He records the lectures so it's ok if you miss class, but don't make a habit of it as it's good to be there to know when he moves to the next slide.

Best biology course ever. You're gonna want to read the text because you'll be set for the exams. Weekly quizes are annoying. It's a privilege to have Dr. Sved as an intructor. I would recommend this course to anyone.

Very good lecturer, but was somewhat compromised by how speedily he had to cover the plethora of material. Posts not only his slides, but also 'lecture notes' that are essentially text versions of his speeches; following each class period, he posts an mp3 link of the lecture. What an upper-level professor is supposed to be like.

One of my favorite classes so far at Pitt. Covers a lot of material and you learn how different systems effect each other. Tests are difficult but fair. 85 or higher is a solid A. Great class for any pre-med to take and felt like I walked away having learned a lot. Dr. Sved is a great professor and helpful if your struggling with a topic.

He is a bit arrogant but its also overblown. Class is fair--some questions are a bit tricky but you also get alot of easy questions and you get some cushion for an A/B.Class mostly memorization with some application here and there. Diagrams are particularly big. 3/4 of the class gets an A/B; for the neuro major this is one of the easier classes.

Material is very thorough and fast-paced but Sved is crystal clear about what he wants you to know. Provides everything you need to do well: records lectures, gives lecture notes, slides have all the figures you need. Slides are VERY important. Takes a lot of studying, but definitely doable. He's a good lecturer. Has a lot of office hours.

You are tested on the lectures and slides ONLY. You don't need the book. The professor is excellent! Lectures with his own comprehensive notes and tests fairly. All lectures are recorded so attendance isn't mandatory. Only attended like 5 classes. One of the best classes I have ever taken. Take him!

The last 2 exams for some reason were definitely harder than the first 2. Overall, class is fine, getting an A will take a good bit of effort but not unreasonable and a B is very manageable. Attendance not needed and alot of people cram for this class and get by. While he's not too helpful at answering specific questions hes a very good lecturer.

Exams 1 and 2 are very easy. 3 and the final were deceptively difficult. An A would be very easy to get. You definitely don't need to go to class. He puts everything online. Nice guy, good lecturer.

If you're pre-med, take this class regardless of your major, its SO valuable studying for the MCAT. As for the class--low attendance because theres no real need to go and you can get away cramming 2-3 days before. Its not a blowoff, the last 2 tests in particular arent easy, but if you dont slack off youll do well. No tricks its a very fair class.

Very intelligent man, makes the content incredibly interesting, and is a gifted lecturer. The exam questions are fairly challenging but I feel as though they prepared me well for the MCATs. I advise going to lecture and making a lot of notes outside of his own notes to get the deeper understanding necessary.

Dr. Sved is one of the best science professors I have had at Pitt. He is an excellent orator who makes the lectures engaging. All of his tests were completely fair. There were no trick questions. He is very knowledgeable about the material. You could go to class, but he posts audio recordings of his lectures.

Not the greatest guy in the world,; if you ask a question he'll sometimes look at you like your dumb, but I still strongly recommend. Has lots of good info pre meds need to know, not unreasonable at all, read the notes, understand concepts, youll do fine. Tests are not out to get you at all. Very fair. Good lecturer; keeps dry material interesting

Great lecturer. A very dynamic and articulate professor; a physiologist in training so he is very comfortable with the material. He records all lectures and posts online. He FLIES through material. Posts note sheets prior to class. Tests are not that bad at all. I think 2/3 of the class gets an A or B.

Best teacher I've had at Pitt. Human phys isn't an easy class but he got me to like it and get an A. This guy gets it done. All day, everyday, in every way. RECOMMEND

He's not the best guy to interact with, he's pretty condescending. However, the class is very worthwhile if you're going to take the MCATs or DATs. It's a very challenging class but manageable. He posts everything online which is very helpful when studying. Do not buy the book, he doesn't use it.

Excellent lecturer, adds humor and provides examples to keep material interesting. Helpful in office hours. I didn't see him as arrogant, but just a busy guy who does try to help students as much as he can. Don't purchase the book, no need to attend lecture, TAs are average and not the most helpful

He is a bit condescending to talk to but he does want to help. Class itself is relatively straightforward: if your a neuro major some of the stuff wont be new to you. Exams are about half memorization info questions half application although none of the apps are that hard Definition of fair, really no tricks: those who complain arent preparing well

Sved is easily one of the best teachers I've had. Lectures are very interesting and worth going to. Tests are difficult and require studying but overall the class definitely beats taking Roberts for the course. Great teacher and great to talk to.

Fantastic professor. Very very helpful in office hours and always available via email for questions. Genuinely wants his students to succeed but you have to work hard and deserve to do well. Take his class if you truly want to learn human physiology in a meaningful way. If you're not willing work for it, go do something else.

Dr. Sved is one of my favorite professors, although I did not put as much effort into his class as I should have. Very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about Human Physiology, posts lecturesslides online and gives weekly quizzes. Exams are somewhat difficult, make sure you prepare ahead of time. Curves the whole class, overall very enjoyable class.

A great orator and it can't be stressed enough that he wants you to succeed. Lectures posted online and synced with slides, gives you notes, and plenty of practice problems. His tests were difficult and I only got a grade lower than I'd hoped, but it was worth it! Probably the best professor I've ever had!

He is condescending but its in your best interest to get to know him. Will give back points on tests; even if your wrong if you explain your logic and he understands it he'll still give some points and if you get to know him and make a few stupid test mistakes he'll remember those when doing grades. Rare teacher who really wants to give best grades

I barely went to class, bc I didn't need to. He is such a good lecturer that he makes listening to an audio file interesting. I see how some find him to be condescending, but I never had that experience. Overall, I listened to all the lectures and studied in the 2 days before the test and got an A or high B on every test. But I wouldn't advise it.

Obviously knows what he's talking about and explains concepts very well. Lectures are not mandatory and he posts recordings online, I went to class 3 times; for the exams. Material is very interesting and he is an amazing lecturer.

Dr. Sved had very clear lectures - all of the difficult concepts were presented in an easy to understand format. I thoroughly enjoyed this class, and would highly recommend Dr. Sved for Human Physiology (and any other classes he teaches). A truly amazing professor.

Sved is an all around good teacher. If you dont like going to class; you're in luck: he posts videos of his lectures. If you do like going to class, he is interesting, only con is that he talks really slow. Tests are nowhere near as hard as other science classes.

Sved is an amazing lecturer. He breaks down concepts in crystal-clear ways, and reinforces his points with an abundance of practice quizzes/questions/exams to help integrate concepts. Best part? You don't need to go to class - all lectures are available online on Panopto with really easy/useful ways to sync notes with lecture material & Powerpoint

Don't have to come to class since he puts his lectures online. Great guy and great lecturer.

I sobbed at his office hours and he didn't judge me. He is a very understanding man.

As a medical student, his clarity and pacing is masterful in providing a strong foundation to human physiology. I still go back to his notes to relearn concepts. I also appreciate how he provides recorded lectures and his class notes. If you are interested in the health sciences, this is one of the most important classes that you can take.

I'm basically just doing this to let you know that Topics is a very easy class. You could easily spend half the time you normally spend on 1 credit for the class.

Great guy, really knows his stuff and likes teaching it. Tests were concept based and difficult but fair. He gives plenty of practice questions so you know what to look for. I put a lot of work in and I really enjoyed his class.

This class is going to require all of your time. The concepts are complex, but Dr. Sved is a great professor. Sometimes the lectures can be boring, but it's worthwhile to go. Don't get the textbook. He uses Panopto, which is great for studying. Tests are tough, but fair (watch out for exams 2 and 3). Go to office hours.

Sved is the man. An 85 test average gets you an A, regardless of whether or not you did any of the online homework or quizzes. Don't have to go to class because every lecture is on Panopto, and don't need the book because only material covered in class ends up on tests. Gives points back after tests, and tests are difficult but straightforward.

Dr. Sved videotapes all of his lectures which helps with studying. He is always available for extra help and I found going to his office hours to be extremely helpful. He can come off as arrogant sometimes but as I got to know him better he's actually a really nice guy. Exams are tough but fair since an 85 on exams ensures an A for the class.

Dr. Sved was 100% my favorite teacher ever, in what was possibly the most interesting class I've taken so far. He makes the class challenging to separate the A students from the rest, but he really is always there to help-whether it be by email, or his many office hours. He loves what he is teaching, and that makes this class a whole lot better.

Dr. Sved is fantastic! His exams are definitely tough but fair because the class is curved. His panapto usage is super helpful when it comes to studying. He is by far the best, most clear professor I've ever had.

Dr. Sved is by far one of the most knowledgable Pitt teachers. This class was also probably the most interesting I've had, but it is a difficult course if you don's stay on top of it. An 85 exam average gets you an A, and he records every lecture so you don't have to ever attend class. Highly recommend, and watch out for the cardiac exam

The course is (and should be) really difficult but all things needed to succeed are there for you... Panopto, office hours, TA sessions if that's your thing. I wouldn't recommend skipping out on class in lieu of the Panopto but going back to the Panopto's before exams is critical.

Probably one of the toughest but most applicable classes I've taken at Pitt. I would recommend Sved as he gives you all the resources to succeed, including plentiful office hours and recordings of the lectures. The class requires a LOT of your time, but if you use his resources you can succeed. Exams are challenging but fair and an 85 is an A!

Puts up lecture videos online, so it's not necessary to go to class. Lectures do have optional clicker questions and optional online quizzes. Takes into account everything when deciding final grades, very subjective. Exams are difficult, need to apply knowledge learned in lecture. Very engaging, enjoys teaching material. Hard but would recommend.

This beautiful human being has probably ruined every other professor at Pitt for me because he's so fantastic. The material is intense but he literally looks for excuses to round your grade up and if you embrace the work, you'll never learn more or love learning it as much as in this class. His tests are AMAZING prep for the MCAT bio section too!!

Sved is an awesome professor, he provides a million resources to study with and learn from, and his lectures are information heavy and fast, but you can review them as many times as you need to. His exams are multiple choice, and he does curve.

Lectures are what you're tested on so the book doesn't matter. He records all his lectures which is very helpful for studying. Test questions are TRICKY, but he is very reasonable when determining grades.

Take if you wanna boost your MCAT bio section, seriously better than any MCAT course out there

Awesome professor. The way his class is structured is great even for people like me who live very far from campus. You don't have to go to his lectures because they're all recorded. It's not easy material though and it'll require a substantial amt of time.

The exams are not too hard just A LOT of memorization and understanding the concepts. An 85 test average in the class guarantees you an A, which is quite doable. 50 MC. Class average is 75. Big tip: do the practice tests and tophat/TA questions because they are similar to his exam questions. If you can survive Exam 2, you will be just fine.

Class is hard (really hard) but Sved cares a lot about his students an does everything he can to help your grade without jeopardizing learning. Don't recommend taking this with other hard courses- make it your focus and you will do fine.

Human Phys was a very interesting class, and the way that Dr. Sved approaches it is very orchestrated. I really enjoyed the flow of system to system in the body. You have a lot of chances to determine your grade other than exams, but completely optional. Exams are tough, but very fair and you know what he wants every time. Very nice man too.

This was my favorite course I have taken at Pitt. The material was so interesting and applicable to the MCAT. Alan is a really approachable man and very understanding. His exams are very difficult though but doable. Studying is a must.

Dr. Sved is one of the best professors I've had at Pitt. His lectures are easy to understand and it's clear he's very smart and knows his stuff. Tests are fairly difficult, but an 85 average on all four exams guarantees you an A, so doing well in this class is not difficult. Be ready for lots of reading!

Human Phys is one of the hardest classes you can take in undergrad, but Sved makes it worth it. Youll need to put in the work, but Ive learned more from this class than any other by far. Sved is super approachable and will make time to help you understand. Also, tons of TAs you can go to for help.

Great lecturer and great guy. Content-wise, toughest class I've ever taken. It's important to stay on top of the material. This class essentially taught me how to study, but it is doable to earn an A grade through an 85 average on the exams. Extremely glad I took this as this is very much like questions on standardized exams for science grad school

After taking ochem 1 and 2, I did not find this class overly difficult. There is a lot of material but nothing crazy confusing. As long as you stay on top of it, an A is very manageable (ESPECIALLY with the curve). Sved also has copious office hours and is super accessible outside of class. Def one of the best classes I've taken at Pitt

Great lecturer. Takes feedback seriously. Classes are optional bc of panopto. 3 midterms + final. Ppl say class is hard but actually the content is easy, it's just a LOT of info; you need to put in effort to study a lot. Rewatch panopto + the text. Exams are straightforward. Avg of 85+ on exams A. Has nice TAs, but they weren't that organized tbh

Fantastic, interesting lectures and a very likeable personality that makes going to class enjoyable. His exams are brutal however, easily rivaling OChem in terms of material covered. Respect the 4 credits and don't take another dense course with it. Fortunately his curve is extremely generous, so don't worry too much about your early grades.