Biochem Lab???

[UCLA Paratrooper]

Hey!

I'm getting mixed answers...is Biochem Lab required for medical schools???

Thanks!!!

UCLA Paratrooper

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[Femtochemistry]

Nope. I know this 'cuz i have talked to other medical students @ pitt.

 

[SolidGold]

No lab required, some require one semester of biochem lecture but that's it.

 

[UCLA Paratrooper]

Thanks Guys!!!

Is there any benefit to taking Biochem Lab before medical school? Will it better prepare me for medical school?

UCLA Paratrooper

 

[pocwana]

I know the current biochem lab professor at UCLA is a great guy. His exams are tough and he really wants you to think beyond the lecture and the applications of the biochem.
Isn't that similar to what we're expected to do in med school?

 

[Meizy]

like others said, its not required for medical school. But most life science majors at ucla does require it. For some reason sometimes (some schools) it seemed like i didn't have enough science lab class hours (i tooke ls 2 and ls 3 before they added the lab components). but i think now you can get away with not taking it if your major doesn't require it. But I thought it was an awesome class-- not really in terms of the actual wet labs but the concepts/exams. The professors exams are definately a challenge..
its really up to you. meizy

 

[G3]

I really enjoyed the lab. It wasn't required but I learned a great deal of lab techniques that were not introduced in other classes.

 

[Joe Joe on da Radio]

i absolutely DESPISED this course! you take a midterm every week and the amount of hours you spend in lab are crazy (you will have to redo entire experiments if 1 of your group of lab partners messes up). half of your grade will come down to ACCURACY. that's all fine and dandy, but when one spect reading differs by 5 percent for the SAME reagent you prepared, your luck and grade is out the window! i had to take it ONLY b/c it was required for my major, not for any of the med schools i applied to.

 

[Kritenoel]

I was a biochem major, and the lab differed from any other lab I had. We did assay after assay 8 hours every week - though I learned and mastered many techniques, I didn't like it (I LOVED biochem lecture!). It exposed me to a lot and I enjoyed my professor and classmates, but I wasn't sorry when it was over!

 

[Street Philosopher]

This is very good news indeed! That one class is enough to prevent me from changing my minor in Neuroscience to a full major. Even though I could make it a major by adding only 3 more classes... if I have to take 153L it ain't worth it.

 

[gobruins]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Joe Joe on da Radio:
[QB]i absolutely DESPISED this course! you take a midterm every week and the amount of hours you spend in lab are crazy (you will have to redo entire experiments if 1 of your group of lab partners messes up). half of your grade will come down to ACCURACY. QB]••••I remember taking 153L and yeah, I still remember how stringent the accuracy was. I also remember some ***** (different lab section though) contaminated the reagents after taking his/her sample. What a mess, that entire section had to redo their midterm. The other thing I remember was my group being full of pre-pharmacy students who had already gotten into pharm schools and just didn't give a crap about the experiments. Yay for me.

 

[pocwana]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Street Philosopher:
•This is very good news indeed! That one class is enough to prevent me from changing my minor in Neuroscience to a full major. Even though I could make it a major by adding only 3 more classes... if I have to take 153L it ain't worth it.•••••i'm graduating this quarter and recently found out i only needed 3 more courses to add a chem major. i wish my counselor's had told me that when i could've done something about it. they don't even offer a chem minor to show what i've done. argh.
i say that taking 3 more classes, even if one is 153L, shouldn't deter you.
if you're at ucla, the prof this year is different from all previous years.

 

[Jalby]

Hey, this subject is right down my alley. I TA biochem 154 and worked with Steve (Dr. Kim) for a while. I actually liked 153L and didn't think it was that hard. One reason that I think it is really good is that you get to learn lab technique, which if your going to a research med school you should learn how to do. The tests are very often, but I thaught they were easy.

If you want real good lab technique, take chem 154. You do tons of stuff. The problem is that you have three very hard lab reports you have to do. But the class itself is quite fun.