How much Biochem to know?

[kazza2ud]

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Some people say rate-limiting steps and diseases is all you need to know, some people say you should be able to draw the pathways out or at least have an image of them in your head and try to "understand" them.

I've started going through Goljan's Biochem RR book since FA is really barebones, but my experience after doing a few chapters is that it's waaay too detailed and I have trouble picking out what's important.

Any advice?

 

[Munchen]

I'd recommend using the Kaplan lecture notes with the video. I went through it and really liked it. I had the old videos of Dr. Lionel Raymon with me.

 

[ashik33]

Some people say rate-limiting steps and diseases is all you need to know, some people say you should be able to draw the pathways out or at least have an image of them in your head and try to "understand" them.

I've started going through Goljan's Biochem RR book since FA is really barebones, but my experience after doing a few chapters is that it's waaay too detailed and I have trouble picking out what's important.

Any advice?

kaplan's good at biochem. surely the videos should be enough. (But I don't mean to say that it is superior to stuffs like Lippincott) N FA n UW's always there for the final wrap up. (Btw how much time do u still hv for the step?)
N regarding the details of the cycles.. I don't think u need to know all of them. Just focus on the limiting steps (as u said) and site for action of pharmacological agents and important coenzymes and deficiency. Just learn those things that can be clinically applicable (at least try to j Biochem will soon be easy to decide which one's to be "understood" n which one's to be left (I personally don't regard biochem as the most challenging subject for the boards)

 

[mdquestion]

How do you get the Kaplan biochem videos?

 

[Alvarez13]

How do you get the Kaplan biochem videos?

Use a credit card.

 

[Aclamity]

I've been using kaplan biochem and it's great if you haven't done biochem for a while (almost 7 years for me). But when it comes down to hardcore study time, if I memorize FA will that be sufficient to cover all testable biochem topics?

 

[7atem]

In FA, it is mentioned that Lange Flash Cards for Biochem. and Genetics are excellent resource for boards studying, they contain clinical vignette and discussion.

(so what is important to know and high-yield in biochem. it is in the flash card )

For RR Manzoul Biochem. it is mentioned that it is more detailed than is usually tested on step 1. but it has an A- score

I say buy the flash cards and study them real hard, and burn them out, and if you have any problem make the RR your reference to know what u are missing

My problem is cellular biology and histology I don't know a good reference

Good Luck,

 

[Valadi]

You need to know FA biochem for the boards (+/- the chromosome number questions, they seem pretty low yield to me based on anecdote from classmates). The first few chapters of Goljan RR are too much, but the final few synthesis chapters are good overviews.

 

[Nasrudin]

You need to know FA biochem for the boards (+/- the chromosome number questions, they seem pretty low yield to me based on anecdote from classmates). The first few chapters of Goljan RR are too much, but the final few synthesis chapters are good overviews.

That's good to hear.

Biochem is dreadfully boring to me.

 

[Phenytoin]

My n=1 take on biochem for step 1 is that it was a very low yield subject. I did have a couple of rate limiting step questions for instance but considering the time required to know biochem well enough to confidently answer pathway questions, you are probably better off doing an extra day of path or physio rather than memorizing details.
I studied biochem for 1 day using FA exclusively, and although I probably got the pathway questions wrong I was still able to do very well overall on the exam.

 

[alternatego]

First of all, I'm an IMG.

I studied and annotated *almost* all of RR Biochem in FA, except for the last couple of chapters dealing with lab tests and some disease tables in some chapters. It took me around 2 months to do that since I was still in school while I was reading it, but it paid off since I just finished reviewing Biochem and it took me 4 days.

Too bad I still feel like I don't know anything! :S

 

[IDoIt4Love]

After going through many UWorld questions, I can say for sure that the FA chapter for biochem is definitely bare bones. I do like the Kaplan Lecture Notes book on biochem/genetics but it's really long...Wish I knew of a more succinct way to review this stuff.

 

[LaCasta]

After going through many UWorld questions, I can say for sure that the FA chapter for biochem is definitely bare bones. I do like the Kaplan Lecture Notes book on biochem/genetics but it's really long...Wish I knew of a more succinct way to review this stuff.

Stick with the Kaplan biochem notes. Watch the videos also if you can. It took me a while to go through the videos, but if you are not ADD like me you could probably get through them in a few days.

I felt like I knew nothing about biochem, but after the kaplan notes/videos I feel like I have a good conceptual understanding of even the difficult topics like urea cycle, amino acid catabolism, purine/pyrimindine stuff etc.

 

[johndoe3344]

I used primarily FA + Kaplan videos to supplement. I didn't use KLN. Using only the videos and FA I was able to get ~80% on UW focused biochem blocks. Add in whatever gems UW has to offer, and you'll be golden for the actual exam.

 

[buccsmf1]

I'll put in another vote for Kaplan Biochem. Do first aid, and anything that you don't UNDERSTAND, read the corresponding section in Kaplan.

 

[medstud87]

Is it necessary to use Kaplan Biochem notes w/ the videos. The notes are really long, and I only want to spend 3 days on biochem.

 

[LaCasta]

Is it necessary to use Kaplan Biochem notes w/ the videos. The notes are really long, and I only want to spend 3 days on biochem.

No, the notes are not necessary. I only used them occassionally to jog my memory of something I watched on a video the day before. You will learn from the videos themselves. If you are going to do all the biochem, molec bio, and genetics kaplan videos in 3 days don't get distracted like I did (I took a couple days off for random things), cause the 3 days will turn into 5 or 6.

The biochem videos have a lot of great pathology tie-ins as well.

 

[jatt12]

Some people say rate-limiting steps and diseases is all you need to know, some people say you should be able to draw the pathways out or at least have an image of them in your head and try to "understand" them.

I've started going through Goljan's Biochem RR book since FA is really barebones, but my experience after doing a few chapters is that it's waaay too detailed and I have trouble picking out what's important.

Any advice?

You need to know all the diseases in Biochemistry eg: lysosomal, glycogen etc COLD!!. Biochem+genetics+Behavioral science is small percent of exam don't stress too much about them. Know the big stuff like PATHOLOGY+PATHOPHYSIO.

 

[Gunneria]

Do you think integrating gunner training with the Kaplan biochem videos might be helpful?

 

[LaCasta]

Do you think integrating gunner training with the Kaplan biochem videos might be helpful?

Well GT is designed to be a long term kind of program, but I had the same thought of using GT on a short term basis for subjects like biochem and micro which require you to hammer in a lot of facts.

 

[mdeast]

I think First Aid Biochem has everything you need to know. I really have never gotten a question that I couldn't look up in First Aid in one form or another. I do feel as though it is the probably the most representative section in First Aid of being "one that has everything, but doesn't explain any of it." In other words, it's there...but it's really hard to go through without any help from someone walking you through it.

I went through Kaplan HY Biochem about 4x before everything started to make sense and sink in. I'd concentrate on Vitamins, making sure you know how pathways interact, and knowing all of the enzymes that are important in DISEASE states (and what might be the consequence of them not working). In other words, it's relatively stupid to spend time learning all the intermediate steps and breakdown of Glyceraldehyde-3-P to Pyruvate. But...knowing all the ways pyruvate metabolism can be altered in disease states or metabolic crises is high yield. Doing lots of Kaplan/UWorld questions is great for this. They make a lot more sense once you've solidified biochem.

Lysosomal storage disorders are key too. One of my friends have 8 questions on them on his exam. They were all basically fact regurgitation. So they can either be an easy 8 points, or 8 points lost.