is biochemistry required?

[tin0tin0tina]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I have noticed that a lot of schools emphasis the importance of biochemistry, and even make a "recommended" course. So right now I am between two things first 1) continue with my undergraduate major (biochemistry) and take two semesters of biochemistry and other hard classes. It which case my gpa would be in the unknown. 2) pick any PS major and just take upper division biology classes that I know that I can ace and bring up my gpa . In other words, how important is the major. would biochemistry look good at all?
As of now I am done with my pre-reqs and only have the MCAT left which I will be studying for over the summer and will take in August. I plan to apply next spring which is a year from now.

 

[Gallix23]

Go for whatever you can do best in. Med schools don't necessarily care about the classes you take; that's what the MCAT is for. Just get as high of a GPA you can, and do well on the MCATs and you'll be fine.

 

[coffeeeandtea]

I have noticed that a lot of schools emphasis the importance of biochemistry, and even make a "recommended" course. So right now I am between two things first 1) continue with my undergraduate major (biochemistry) and take two semesters of biochemistry and other hard classes. It which case my gpa would be in the unknown. 2) pick any PS major and just take upper division biology classes that I know that I can ace and bring up my gpa . In other words, how important is the major. would biochemistry look good at all?
As of now I am done with my pre-reqs and only have the MCAT left which I will be studying for over the summer and will take in August. I plan to apply next spring which is a year from now.

My response: "Major is not important" - with caveats, of course. If you continue with your major in a difficult branch of science, you will most likely be more prepared for the heavy science class workload of med school. However, as you suggest, you are not sure if your GPA will turn out as well. I agree with the above poster - pick the major in which you feel that you will do the best in (which usually happens to be a major you like, because you actually enjoy studying the material instead of agonizing over studying), because at the end of the day, a 3.5 is going to open more doors for you than a 2.8 (not saying that you'll get such a low GPA, of course, but just as an example).

Good luck!

 

[Semicolon]

I have noticed that a lot of schools emphasis the importance of biochemistry, and even make a "recommended" course. So right now I am between two things first 1) continue with my undergraduate major (biochemistry) and take two semesters of biochemistry and other hard classes. It which case my gpa would be in the unknown. 2) pick any PS major and just take upper division biology classes that I know that I can ace and bring up my gpa . In other words, how important is the major. would biochemistry look good at all?
As of now I am done with my pre-reqs and only have the MCAT left which I will be studying for over the summer and will take in August. I plan to apply next spring which is a year from now.

I never took biochem and simply avoided the schools that required it (which are very few). It won't really be held against you if you don't take it, so I wouldn't worry about it. Only take it if you actually want to, or if you really want to go to a school that requires it. My two cents, anyway.

 

[RySerr21]

Your major is unimportant, but some schools do require a biochem course. Make sure one of these schools doesnt happen to be your top choice. More and more are requiring it every year, so you never know.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

My response: "Major is not important" - with caveats, of course. If you continue with your major in a difficult branch of science, you will most likely be more prepared for the heavy science class workload of med school. However, as you suggest, you are not sure if your GPA will turn out as well. I agree with the above poster - pick the major in which you feel that you will do the best in (which usually happens to be a major you like, because you actually enjoy studying the material instead of agonizing over studying), because at the end of the day, a 3.5 is going to open more doors for you than a 2.8 (not saying that you'll get such a low GPA, of course, but just as an example).

Good luck!

I don't know that I'd call what we have in med school a "heavy science workload". It is, but it isn't. It's just different. That's the only way I can describe it.

On one hand, I'm glad I took all the extra biochem and molecular bio and ****. On the other hand, looking back on it, it didn't make much difference.

 

[Bleurberry]

I don't know that I'd call what we have in med school a "heavy science workload". It is, but it isn't. It's just different. That's the only way I can describe it.

On one hand, I'm glad I took all the extra biochem and molecular bio and ****. On the other hand, looking back on it, it didn't make much difference.

So would you say the amount of work is very ambitious, but the work itself is, conceptually, only moderately difficult ?

 

[TexasTriathlete]

The volume of work is pretty consistently high, and conceptually, the difficulty ranges from "very easy" to "I'm not even going to look at this ****ing ****"

 

[binko]

go to http://www.aacom.org/resources/bookstore/cib/Documents/cib2009/OU-COM.pdf and plug your school in where it says OU-COM (you might have to play with whether to put in dashes or not, they're not consistent).

 

[swamprat]

biology majors usually have to take some type of biochemistry if im not mistaken. anyway, i would suggest taking biochemistry anyway, IMO it helps for the mcat and even though i didnt particularly like it, after all was said and done im glad i took it - it gives u a new perspective on science content you learn in the upper level classes.

 

[scpod]

There's no reason to take it unless it's required at the schools you choose. You'll forget most of it anyway and they'l teach you what you need to know. Besides, the biochem you learn in med school is a good bit different from that in undergrad because the focus is different. I took it because I needed it for the Chem minor, but I could have gotten by without it.

 

[MossPoh]

It also depends on the biochem offered at your school. The biochem I took was organized to be probably around 80% similar to a medical biochemistry. It was a miserable miserable course, but I learned a lot. I actually would show my tests to friends at various med schools and they thought mine was harder than what they had to do. The complete rote memorization stuff has faded from memory, but it takes much less time for me to remember whenever I see it now.

The other biochem offered at our school is more of a traditional one that is taught differently. This one was simply designed for health people.

 

[nlax30]

It also depends on the biochem offered at your school. The biochem I took was organized to be probably around 80% similar to a medical biochemistry. It was a miserable miserable course, but I learned a lot. I actually would show my tests to friends at various med schools and they thought mine was harder than what they had to do. The complete rote memorization stuff has faded from memory, but it takes much less time for me to remember whenever I see it now.

The other biochem offered at our school is more of a traditional one that is taught differently. This one was simply designed for health people.

Did you take the "metabolism" one offered through the exercise science dept? I just did the traditional one offered through the biochem dept, was insane, but he was one of my favorite professors.


To the OP: Just make sure and check with schools you are interested in to see if they require it. That said I think it was helpful at some level. I certainly forgot about specific enzymes and pathways, and at the med school level the emphasis is on only the most important enzymes and the clinical effects of problems, but some concepts did come back to me.

Another possibility, at the undergrad level they may offer a biochem type course that's more focused on nutrition and fuel metabolism.... more of the big picture type of concepts and regulation instead of each pathway in excruciating detail.

 

[mezmerized7]

I'll say just try and take at least one semester of biochem...not needed for an acceptance but helps to show interest and ability in science

 

[Postictal Raiden]

I'll say just try and take at least one semester of biochem...not needed for an acceptance but helps to show interest and ability in science

which schools require that course? and is its completion due before applying or before admitting?

 

[cliquesh]

DMU requires biochem, and I'm sure some other schools require it as well. You do not need to complete all pre-reqs before applying, but you must have them completed before attending. However, it is probably best to complete as many as possible before applying.

 

[dozitgetchahi]

It also depends on the biochem offered at your school. The biochem I took was organized to be probably around 80% similar to a medical biochemistry. It was a miserable miserable course, but I learned a lot. I actually would show my tests to friends at various med schools and they thought mine was harder than what they had to do. The complete rote memorization stuff has faded from memory, but it takes much less time for me to remember whenever I see it now.

The other biochem offered at our school is more of a traditional one that is taught differently. This one was simply designed for health people.

At Case Western, the undergrad biochem class is taught by Case Med faculty members and strongly resembles biochem classes that are taught in Case Med. I took the first part of it last semester, and it was brutal - easily the most hardcore class I ever took as an undergrad. In fact, when I interviewed at DMU I had my biochem materials with me and some of the students I was talking to thought my class's note packets were almost more thorough than theirs. That said, the Case chemistry department also offers a biochem class that's markedly different than the one I took, so I believe the fact that not all of them are cut from the same cloth.

 

[RySerr21]

which schools require that course? and is its completion due before applying or before admitting?

Very few. probably less than 10 for DO and MD schools. Somoene already mentioned DMU as one of them. Your best bet would be to check out the CIB or MSAR to see the requirements for each school. Or just check the webistes of the schools you are intersted in.

 

[The Poet Sings]

which schools require that course? and is its completion due before applying or before admitting?

i had posted this somewhere else. these schools require biochem (according to the 2010 cib):
dmu
kcumb-com (and genetics)
msucom (and genetics)
unecom

however, i don't know when you have to take them.

 

[Nate]

Your major is unimportant other than a more interesting major makes for a better interview, as long as you have the required coursework done and do well with them.

It is more important that you do well with the classes that you take than you take a non-required course; however, I believe that of any and all undergrad classes that can make first year of medical school easier - biochem is the one.

 

[LateBl00meR]

While we are on the topic, some schools only recommend biochemistry or even strongly recommend it.

Would it be beneficial for me to take the class next fall while I am in the middle of the application cycle? Do schools that recommend the course look more favorably on applicants who have taken biochem?

I'm enrolled in 11 upper level biology credits right now and do not need any other classes to graduate in the fall so my decision is a little difficult. I was going to take an easy course to bump it up to 14 credits but I was considering an intro to biochem class instead. I've heard its a lot easier at my school than BioChem I but it is only offered at 8 am. Is this a good idea? Thanks for the input..

 

[Dissected]

i had posted this somewhere else. these schools require biochem (according to the 2010 cib):
dmu
kcumb-com (and genetics)
msucom (and genetics)
unecom

however, i don't know when you have to take them.

Its usually before you attend...my acceptance letter from DMU said that I had to show that I had completed biochemistry (my only missing pre-req) before I could start classes in the fall. So I could have taken it this upcoming summer if I really had to. My good friend had to take calculus over the summer before attending his state MD school; they didn't seem to care that muchabout it, they just cared that he had it done before he attended in the fall. I think this is how most schools work, but I could be wrong.

 

[pietachok]

The other sneaky little fact is that if you believe your bio course was particularly rigorous and included a substantial biochemistry component, you can petition to have the biochem requirement waived. You probably have an idea whether or not your school's bio course is difficult such that it will count as such.

After being accepted to UNECOM and Keck USC, I successfully made this request. All I needed to do was provide them with a copy of the course syllabus and/or a letter from the course prof detailing the biochem related topics covered by the course and her opinion that students completing the course would be prepared to enter a med school biochem course.

Of course...I might regret my waiver when I'm in biochem this year and feel totally unprepared 😱

 

[slight365]

I would get myself familiar with it before you go into med school. An advanced learning of physio, biochem, and perhaps molecular bio puts you well ahead. At the least, enough to take the edge off sometimes.

Med schools love bio and biochem majors.

 

[ShyRem]

Bio majors are a dime a dozen. Most schools love anything but a bio major. (note biochem is not bio - it's more chem than bio).

 

[slight365]

I have no idea why I said "Bio" also. I must have eaten a lot of ****ing chocolate that day.