Biochemistry: Biological Science or Physical Science

[wolfram241]

What does AAMC consider Biochem when considering statistics on type of majors?

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[braluk]

i would consider it physical science because its pretty much chemistry, just a branch of it

 

[Haemulon]

i would consider it physical science because its pretty much chemistry, just a branch of it

Although I have always taken Biochem courses through biology departments, I think AAMC classifies it as Chemistry. Thats what I have heard anyway.

 

[g3pro]

Biochemistry should just be a look at biological systems in the context of organic chemistry. I don't understand why it would be considered a chemistry course. Organic chemistry II on the other hand is completely different.

 

[TauPathology]

Depends on which side of biochem your looking. At UF it is seperated into biochem and bio-organic. Either way they classify it as chemistry.

 

[njbmd]

Biochemistry should just be a look at biological systems in the context of organic chemistry. I don't understand why it would be considered a chemistry course. Organic chemistry II on the other hand is completely different.

Hi there,
Actually biochemistry is the CHEMISTRY of organic macromolecules. All those "biological systems" are just systems of chemical reactions. For AAMC, it's under chemistry.

njbmd

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

Depends on which side of biochem your looking. At UF it is seperated into biochem and bio-organic. Either way they classify it as chemistry.

It counts as Chem.


It's pretty clear in the instruction book, page 76.

 

[Sekiray]

It counts as Chem.


It's pretty clear in the instruction book, page 76.

so when schools say that they require 1 year of G Chem,
can i satisfy that with 1 semester of General Chem + 1 semester of Biochem?

Or am I tripping and I really need to take one more semester of G Chem?

 

[njbmd]

so when schools say that they require 1 year of G Chem,
can i satisfy that with 1 semester of General Chem + 1 semester of Biochem?

Or am I tripping and I really need to take one more semester of G Chem?

Hi there,
This is a question for the schools that you apply to. Some may accept this combination but it is likely that most may not. You should send an e-mail or make a phone call to the admissions office of each school.

njbmd

 

[Sekiray]

Hi there,
This is a question for the schools that you apply to. Some may accept this combination but it is likely that most may not. You should send an e-mail or make a phone call to the admissions office of each school.

njbmd

thanks alot

 

[JRJ26]

yeah, each school has different policies on that. However, usually you can't substitute biochem for a semester of gen chem. Some schools however do allow you to substitute a semester of biochem for a semester of organic chem.

 

[Brookstacular]

so when schools say that they require 1 year of G Chem,
can i satisfy that with 1 semester of General Chem + 1 semester of Biochem?

Or am I tripping and I really need to take one more semester of G Chem?

I think you might be slightly crazy in that taking biochem with only one semester of genchem experience sounds like suicide to me. I believe that for my program, half a year or more was required just to take elementary biochem (the non-biochem major version of biochem). I could be wrong about it all but it seems like you wouldn't have much background for biochem and you wouldn't learn about some pretty important fundamentals of genchem that the MCAT is likely to cover or at least Med School will imply knowledge of.