Good teacher, really helps since it's a hard course. Always willing to answer a question even in a class of 100.

No Comments

No Comments

Very confusing lectures. He goes really fast and doesn't write things down. Or if he does write it down, he says the definition first and then writes the word on the board. By then, I forget what the definition is. :-) Tests are 70MC but there are a lot of calculations.

Hard course but good professor. Very helpful with questions outside of class. I wish more teachers were as generous with their time.

All his lectures are posted online, and he's great one-on-one with clearing up questions.

Go to class, read the book, and be a bio genius: it's cake.

I'm a senior Cell Bio major, and Dr. Dotson is the best biology teacher I've had at Tulane. He is very obviously brilliant; the people who say he is pompous are just bitter about grades I suppose. I studied class notes, and powerpoint. This is what he tests on. Text only for reference. Got A's.

Dotson is really smart and pretty laid-back, and though he's a bit arrogant I thought he was funny. Tests are all MC and pretty general. Gives takehome openbook quizzes that ought to boost your grade. Make sure to pay attention in class!

Very clear instructor. It's easy to understand him. Doing good on the quizzes are a must to help your grade. Tests contain no surprises.

As previously said if you want an easy A dont take him, but if you want a professor that knows his**** and will teach you well then take his class. Its important to take good notes and look over the book. If you do that the tests arent too bad. Just dont ask dumb questions or he will make you look like an idiot.

The class is a challenge. But he's a fare grader and always curves up! Going to class is a MUST to do well and if you don't understand something he will go over it with you in or out of class until you get it. He also likes to call on people in class so if you're shy don't wear bright colors! Gives quizes online which are easy.

He's not the easiest man in the world, but he speaks english which is a HUGE plus for a science prof... His quizes are just like the exams.. he has a dry sense of humor, and can be not so pc somedays.. he's also very awkward, but very smart. If you pay attention he will tell you what to study... and if you can get copies of old exams, your good...

Dotson is funny, and a nice guy (he does get impatient with questions) but unfortunately teaching is not based on that alone. It is possible to get an A in this class (I did not) it just requires alot of work. Pay attention in class, read the powerpoints religiously, and read the book. I would not reccomend him if you have a choice though.

In my opinion, you couldn't ask for a better biology teacher. He gives crystal clear explanations and is a fair grader. He can be condescending, but I think it's just his personality. He's actually hilarious in a dry sort of way. I'd recommend reading the book, but you could probably get by on just the lectures and powerpoints.

Dotson is a great guy. he knows what he is saying and he teaches it in a way i could really understand. he definitely isn't for everyone, but you will know the material. tests are multiple choice, not super easy, but not terrible. take him. he is entertaining if nothing else.

I took Prof. Dotson for 3 classes - CELL 205, CELL 301, and CELL 411. It's true that he's very intelligent, but just because his class is intense and he covers A LOT, doesn't mean he's arrogant or condescending. If you read the text thoroughly and take good notes, you will learn A LOT from him. The best biology teacher I've had.

He isn't condescending! If you think that then you just can't take a joke, when he "ridicules" ppl u can tell he is just playing. sometimes. see that was a joke too but some of u won't get it. he really is soooo smart its ridiculous. its fun to send him off on tangents haha. and to watch when his entire face and head turns beet red for no reason.

hilarious! teaches and explains very well! fair tests. nice drawings. again, hilarious.

Dr. Dotson is a great genetics teacher. He explains the difficult topic of molecular genetics well. He is hilarious and energetic. He does not follow the book so you must go to class and take careful notes.

Brilliant professor, but tests are tough. Lectures kind of go in circles. Text book isn't adequate for the course, and he assumes a lot of prior knowledge. In office hours, he's pretty helpful but makes you feel like an idiot.

I had Dotson for CELL201,301,and 422. Most of the courses are difficult.If you can take good notes then you'll do fine. He does trick questions,IQ questions, best answer questions, essay questions if the class is small, and all multiple choice if there's 70+ people. He is condescending, but interns are treated far worse by professors.

Dotson is an excellent professor. Some say he's rude, but I think he's hilarious. He takes attendance but class is not mandatory. It's an easy A if you just study the material. He puts powerpoints of his lectures online after class in case you have to miss one. His test material and grading are both perfectly fair. Anyone who complains didn't try.

This man is phenomenal. People tend to mistake a dry and dark sense of humor for condensation, but if you think of it, he doesn't point out anything as dumb or absurd that isn't. Someone said his English isn't that good, but I've not heard anything out of the ordinary, other than his correct use of the word "data" as always plural. Great professor

He's kinda rude in a lecture setting, but he is also funny during his lectures and one-on-one he's actually really nice. He's tests fair and it's not hard to do will in his class. I would suggest going to class, especially during the 3rd/last unit, because he explains stuff way better than the book, and it'll be really helpful for the final exam.

Brilliant guy, great professor. Takes some work though, his lectures/powerpoints don't necessarily follow the textbook and leave out a lot of what is in the textbook (not like Dr. V). Tests are fair, helpful with homeworks and class material. Take him and enjoy it

Great professor. Incredibly smart. Expects intelligent and particpant students in his class. Yes he does poke fun at some things, but honestly, its what makes his class great. Definitely take his class if you want to learn.

Went to office hours once and was so uncomfortable. You definitely learn a lot in his class, but he doesn't do well with "simple" questions. Make sure you study and are prepared for class. Quizzes every week are relatively random is questions

i would say the book may be unnecessary, more detailed than what is tested so you could get away with class notes and his posted slides on blackboard. hes hilarious which makes class great.

Great professor! I highly recommend!! But make sure you buy the textbook and read it!!

One of the best professors I have ever had. If you attend lectures and keep up with the readings in the book, you should be fine. I also suggest making outlines for each chapter. You learn a LOT in his class, but he keeps the material interesting and fun. If you go to office hours, he will explain any concepts you don't understand.

Dr. Dotson is one of the best professors in the cmb department. His socratic-esque teaching style and high expectations, combined with a genuine willingness to help facilitaed a fantastic learning environment. Only problem with this class is fellow student complaints about him and their lack of ability to appreciate a good teacher.

Great professor but not for those who skip or sleep in class. He goes by the book, which he DOES enforce reading by the way. He doesn't announce his quizzes, and they are on the lecture he'll give after it and are the same as test questions. Also, doesn't cover everything in his lectures, so the book is mandatory.

Lectures are very interesting. He is very helpful, although depending on the person it may take some getting used to his personality. Prepare to study a ton. Take notes in lecture and learn the book. He gives pop quizzes on the readings before he lectures on them. Tests are difficult. study hard :] but really, it's a great class!!

Does a good job making the lectures interesting, and is very helpful at office hours. Tests are very hard though, even if you feel ready

Awesome professor! lectures are very helpful and interesting. attendance not mandatory but basically necessary. a LOT of work but relatively easy A if you go to class and keep up with the readings

To the person who said it's an "easy A," I disagree entirely. Definitely NOT an easy A. Definitely a great class though. Attendance is a must and so is reading daily. I got an A in Dr. V's intro class and found this to be 100x times harder. His questions force you to apply knowledge; it's not simply spitting out memorized material. Over-prepare.

Dotson is one of the best teachers I've ever encountered for his Socratic method of teaching and humor to boot. The man is brilliant. Succeeding in his class requires a lot of effort - reading and acquiring a thorough knowledge of the material. Visiting him during office hours is really helpful.

Very interesting professor! However, his tests are pretty hard, and the homework extremely involved. Do the reading before class and answer questions when he asks them in class. As long as you do that, you should be fine. If no one answers, though, he gets upset and assigns extra homework. So be ready to speak up during class.

Dotson is slightly terrifying at first, but gets better. The tests are multiple choice and detailed. The homework is very detailed and time consuming. He will randomly call on people in class. This class is a large time commitment.

Dr. Dotson as an educator is nothing, if not fair. He has high expectations of his students, and assesses their performance in an unbiased manner. He speaks clearly and effectively, with a specificity in terminological usage that demonstrates his thoughtfulness and avoidance of ambiguity. He is interesting, cultured, funny, accessible, and kind.

Dotson is a fantastic teacher with a unique style. He does not use powerpoints and is mostly talking throughout the lecture which sounds intimidating at first but will end up teaching you a lot. His tests are very hard and require a lot of studying but none of it is unreasonable. Not bad if you read the chapters pertaining to each of his lectures.

Really liked the class and Dr. Dotson takes some warming up to (he has good intentions on the inside). However, be prepared to spend a LOT of time on this class- I didn't and it easily showed. Very useful knowledge gained. No powerpoints. Tests are HARD but EXTREMELY FAIR. write down EVERYTHING he says in his lectures- VERY important.

Not going to lie, this was the hardest class I've ever taken in my life. Having said that, I learned more here than in any other class. Dr. Dotson is brilliant and an excellent teacher, he's just a bit of a tough grader and the material is difficult. Also get ready to apply your scientific knowledge like never before.

Dr. Dotson is one of my favorite professors at Tulane. He really cares about helping his students learn the material. His tests are hard, and focus heavily on interpreting experiments and material from the textbook. However, he is really nice and is more than happy to go over any material you may not understand during office hours.

Dotson cares about students and is very intelligent, but teaches material from a very detailed cell and molec standpoint rather than as a big picture. It can be really tough to rectify the detail he covers with the information you may be learning in a lab. Tests are application based and fairly challenging. UNDERSTAND the material, don't memorize

Dr. Dotson is a great professor since he explained things well. He did not use slides or textbooks but exams were all short answers, which were challenging to answer if you do not keep a good note or share study guides together as a group. HW is 50 percent but he does not give partial credit. He was helpful during office hour, and he did curve.

Do the reading before class and you'll be fine. He gives a quiz every class, so there are plenty of opportunities to bring your grade up if needed. Drops your lowest quiz. Gives make-up quizzes if you're sick/whatever. Interesting, brilliant, thought-provoking teacher. DO THE READING.

Dotson overall is probably a genius. Super intelligent guy but his social skills are lacking. His class is dense and he basically goes through the entire textbook. Make it a priority to do the assigned readings those are crucial for the quizzes. Great professor but you need to do your work in order to keep up.

Dr. Dotson did a great job in making me study an incredible amount for his class which resulted in getting a good understanding of biology but I had trouble reading into the experiment-derived questions he put on tests. He's great in office hours esp if you demonstrate a genuine effort & interest in the material.

I was nervous going into Dotson's class because of his reviews on RMP, but I had nothing to worry about. Dr. Dotson wants people to do well in his class, and will always give you the resources to do so. He is incredibly nice, funny and brilliant. Prepare for alot of reading, and you'll have to work your ass off for your grade, but its worth it.

Not for you if you like very structured lectures, but if you like general lecture topics with flexibility to explore specific ideas, he's awesome. You definitely get out what you put in. He's very knowledgeable about the material & everything related to it. He can be grouchy, but it's usually for a good reason, & he also has a good sense of humor.

Dr. Dotson is undoubtable a tough professor - but, he pushes students and holds them to high expectations because he really wants them to succeed outside the classroom. Speak up in class, participate, go to office hours. He truly cares about students and wants everyone to learn. He makes you work for it, sure, but a very rewarding class in the end.

This class definitely is interesting & forces you to learn a lot about experimental design & data analysis. Lectures are interesting as well. However, exams can be brutal & have high expectations for students. Definitely the hardest course of the CELL major. The Lodish textbook is fantastic for teaching the content though. Make sure to read it.

Difficult class that requires reading the textbook, showing up to lectures (both for random topics that will be included on exam and for a good curve). There is such a stigma around Dotson that the small class size creates a community that has been my favorite to be a part of at Tulane and good discussions between a few people and the professor.

I was very worried going in to Professor Dotson's class because of ratings on this platform. However, he is very funny, caring, and knowledgeable. He wants his students to succeed. Do the reading and supplemental information he gives you and you will do well.

I was terrified going into this course. Professor Dotson's rating on RMP are scary and unfair. I am not the smartest person in class, however Dr. Dotson breaks down complex concepts in digestible ways. I am sure that the stigma that surrounds him comes from 1) The difficulty of the class and 2) His style of humor which is very dry and sarcastic

Not everyone's cup of tea; some take his deadpan sense of humor to heart. Flipped classroom during lectures, so arrive having at least skimmed the readings or watched his video lectures that he provides on Canvas. His classes are pretty entertaining though. He wants effort from his students; care with your actions, and you'll do well.

One of the hardest courses I've ever had to take. He does his best, cares about students, is good at explaining difficult concepts, and goes above and beyond in his office to satisfy your curiosity. I like his dry and sarcastic sense of humor. BUT his lectures are disorganized, tests are difficult, and unpredictable. Be ready to read the textbook.

I think these reviews are harsh. If you do the readings and assigned quizzes (take home), you will be fine. Just be ready to study in order to do well. Most people in the class have taken AP Bio, and do well. I didn't, applied myself (not to the fullest extent), and still did well. He will cold call, so be prepared for class and do the readings.