Biochem??

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
NRAI2001

NRAI2001

3K Member
15+ Year Member
20+ Year Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2001
Messages
4,657
Reaction score
65
Members don't see this ad.
Gonna start studying for biochem so I did a search on which book is better (RR or Kaplan) for biochem... couldnt reach a clear conclusion from the search.

What do you guys think is better? I have the Kaplan pdfs (from 2007 I think?) but I also LOVE the pathology book by Goljan... the first few chapters of RR path include some biochem priniciples and the way Goljan presented them made a lot of sense big picturely... but some say that he is overly detailed when it comes to biochem.

So is Goljans biochem book as good as his path book??
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
NRAI2001 said:
Gonna start studying for biochem so I did a search on which book is better (RR or Kaplan) for biochem... couldnt reach a clear conclusion from the search.

What do you guys think is better? I have the Kaplan pdfs (from 2007 I think?) but I also LOVE the pathology book by Goljan... the first few chapters of RR path include some biochem priniciples and the way Goljan presented them made a lot of sense big picturely... but some say that he is overly detailed when it comes to biochem.

So is Goljans biochem book as good as his path book??
Click to expand...

I hear BOTH are great.Sorry for not being too decisive here.

I don't have access to RR, so Kaplan is my only biochem buddy.Biochem is kinda a HY subject, so I wouldn't just depend on FA if the concepts are hazy in my head ..and they are.

GL!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
What I'm doing right now is annotating Kaplan Biochem into First Aid. First Aid has most of what you need to know, but there are some important topics in Kaplan that aren't in First Aid.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
IMGUSMLEStep1 said:
What I'm doing right now is annotating Kaplan Biochem into First Aid. First Aid has most of what you need to know, but there are some important topics in Kaplan that aren't in First Aid.
Click to expand...

Hey IMG!
I just began biochem kaplan too and was wondering how you are doing it.
Are you skimming the entire text or just the HY areas like energy metabolism ? How do you recommend I go about it? My exam is in 5 weeks and I don't wanna waste my time on the entire thing if it's relatively low yield.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
NRAI2001 said:
Gonna start studying for biochem so I did a search on which book is better (RR or Kaplan) for biochem... couldnt reach a clear conclusion from the search.

What do you guys think is better? I have the Kaplan pdfs (from 2007 I think?) but I also LOVE the pathology book by Goljan... the first few chapters of RR path include some biochem priniciples and the way Goljan presented them made a lot of sense big picturely... but some say that he is overly detailed when it comes to biochem.

So is Goljans biochem book as good as his path book??
Click to expand...
I would just watch the video with the corresponding Kaplan MedEssentials chapter.

But if you're just going to read then go with the lecture notes.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I dont have any experience with Kaplan, but I used RR for my initial pass. The presentation of info is similar to Goljan's path book (lots of integration). It is a detailed book, but I felt it was just enough to RE-gain a good grasp of the big picture.

After reading each chapter in RR, I went through FA and added whatever notes I needed for clarification.

I felt the molecular techniques section in RR was weak. RR doesn't have much on genetics as well. I think these 2 topics are covered by Kaplan, but I could be wrong. I'm going through the HY molecular cell bio (1999) book, which covers these 2 weaknesses of RR.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
All I can say from doing some questions from UWorld is FA's Biochem diagrams are horrendus. Kaplan's Biochem diagrams are excellent and well drawn. Plus the Videos are FANTASTIC. Went through a few of a part I was weak in and they are outstanding.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
IMGUSMLEStep1 said:
What I'm doing right now is annotating Kaplan Biochem into First Aid. First Aid has most of what you need to know, but there are some important topics in Kaplan that aren't in First Aid.
Click to expand...
this is what i did for biochem.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
MilkmanAl said:
First Aid plus the Goljan nutrition chapter (and UWorld, of course). I refuse to spend more time than that on biochem.
Click to expand...

That sounds good. I have seen biochem so many times since undergrad, but its all little details, I don't want to waste a ton of time reading a full text. Hopefully, what you did will be able to get me up to speed. I might through in Lippincott's chapter summaries which are found at the end of the book. :xf:
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I'm using mainly FA and Kaplan just to clear up some topics. I've also got RR Path, so I'd imagine between the three and UW, I should be decent.

I tried using RR Biochem, but just couldn't get through it. A lot of the points overlapped with RR Path too, so I am not too worried.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
metalrex said:
Hey IMG!
I just began biochem kaplan too and was wondering how you are doing it.
Are you skimming the entire text or just the HY areas like energy metabolism ? How do you recommend I go about it? My exam is in 5 weeks and I don't wanna waste my time on the entire thing if it's relatively low yield.
Click to expand...
I put First aid and kaplan side by side. I studied what's in First Aid and then quickly skimmed each that part in Kaplan, annotating anything extra into first aid. Good luck!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
metalrex said:
Hey IMG!
I just began biochem kaplan too and was wondering how you are doing it.
Are you skimming the entire text or just the HY areas like energy metabolism ? How do you recommend I go about it? My exam is in 5 weeks and I don't wanna waste my time on the entire thing if it's relatively low yield.
Click to expand...

I personally read Kaplan Lecture Notes. I found FA's Biochem incomplete and sorely lacking certain important aspects (reactions, vital co-factors for reactions, etc). I found myself drawing some reactions that were on USMLE World and Kaplan but nowhere found in FA (or incompletely done by FA). I also have MedEssentials to my side to look up diagrams.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
MilkmanAl said:
UWorld just stroked me on the first two blocks I just did. 40% average, anyone? Yikes. I'm glad the Step 1 questions aren't anywhere near this hard.
Click to expand...

Definitely are. The Molecular genetics questions (and me doing it in tutor mode) are keeping my % in the 60s. Watch out for that question that only 9% of people got right.... I got it right, but I can see someone would get it wrong.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
greg1184 said:
I personally read Kaplan Lecture Notes. I found FA's Biochem incomplete and sorely lacking certain important aspects (reactions, vital co-factors for reactions, etc). I found myself drawing some reactions that were on USMLE World and Kaplan but nowhere found in FA (or incompletely done by FA). I also have MedEssentials to my side to look up diagrams.
Click to expand...

Thanks greg!
Biochem is one ****** subject for me , so i guess it's paramount I give kaplan a read.

Did you read the medical genetics section of it too?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
MilkmanAl said:
UWorld just stroked me on the first two blocks I just did. 40% average, anyone? Yikes. I'm glad the Step 1 questions aren't anywhere near this hard.
Click to expand...

It's too small a sample size to worry! Watch out for those final few blocks, you should be hitting 70's on those.

On an average, they say the 60-40% correct type questions are the ones that figure in the exam the most.

GL!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Well, the second to last block of unused questions did see an increase in my score...of 5%. Yeehaw! I'm really not too worried about it, though. There's a reason I chose biochem as the first thing to tackle.

I'm not sure where you're getting your "hitting in the 70's" information, but I haven't come anywhere near that yet except on tests composed of questions I missed the first time around and in behavioral science. I still seem to be doing quite well on practice test and the shelf exams I've taken, though. I certainly hope I can start pushing my UWorld scores into the 70's, but I'm not shooting for a 270 like most people around here appear to be.

edit: The last block (which only had 38 questions) was definitely a little easier after letting everything digest a bit. My score rocketed up to a massive 57%. For those of you keeping score, the trend was 37, 43, 45, 57. Biochem: not my subject. 😛
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
kryptik said:
i have the 08 version and the biochem section is 286 pages long and the rest is genetics
Click to expand...


Ah ok, I have a 2002 version and it's 361 with Biochem+Genetics (didn't check how long just the Genetics part is). When I . . . went shopping . . . all I could find was the 2002 version.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
metalrex said:
Thanks greg!
Biochem is one ****** subject for me , so i guess it's paramount I give kaplan a read.

Did you read the medical genetics section of it too?
Click to expand...

I am going to do that soon. I may take a break and do something else like behavioral. Biochem wore me down.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

dr.wieners
  • Question Question
Getting owned by biochem
Replies
6
Views
3K
Blueprint Med School
Blueprint Med School
D
  • Question Question
Biochem practice questions
Replies
0
Views
691
Daitong
D
Z
  • Question Question
Biochem Q
Replies
4
Views
3K
zhopv10
Z
D
  • Question Question
Fundamental question on biochem metabolism
Replies
2
Views
812
Pholston
Pholston
O
  • Question Question
Biochemistry in Step 1
Replies
2
Views
1K
Medic741
Medic741
Top