Is there a lot of chemistry in medical school?

[Doctor Poetry]

When ever I take a look at the curriculum of medical schools, I usually see many class associated with chemistry. As you can tell, I'm not a big fan of chemistry (ochem to be specific). Hopefully, one of you guys can give me an insightful understanding on this issue. Thanks.

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[Ischemic]

When ever I take a look at the curriculum of medical schools, I usually see many class associated with chemistry. As you can tell, I'm not a big fan of chemistry (ochem to be specific). Hopefully, one of you guys can give me an insightful understanding on this issue. Thanks.

There is obviously going to be some chemistry in medical school. Heard of pharmacology? But it's really like basic, basic concepts that are used and they're not going to ask you to calculate equilibrium constants and rate equations. But you will need to know a decent amount of biochemistry, Krebs Cycle, glycolysis, Henderson-Hasselbach, pH stuff, enzyme kinetics etc. Thankfully sometimes they're taught in medically relevant means but yeah there will be some stuff. No ochem though 🙂

 

[Doctor Poetry]

no ochem???!!! you dont know how much you have made my day!!! I'm fine with inorganic chemistry (Im a adjunct facilitator for gen chem 2), but ochem...forget about it...so your saying that there is no ochem at all?

 

[Doctor Poetry]

but wait...isnt biochem like ochem...i mean, is biochem organic chem in reference to biological systems

 

[Barcu]

but wait...isnt biochem like ochem...i mean, is biochem organic chem in reference to biological systems

Sort of. Biochem uses SOME ochem concepts. I emphasized some because you do need to know a few ochem mechanisms, but it's usually similar mechanisms used over and over again. You don't need to know nearly the breadth of reactions you do in ochem. However, there is a bunch of memorization of molecules and such.

 

[ThaliaNox]

Honestly, you can make the material as much or as little organic intensive as you like. I think organic chemistry makes things like pharmacology and biochemistry make more sense. Many others are confused by organic and use memorization to master these topics instead. These people seem to do fine.

 

[Rendar5]

I was a chemistry major in college. Being good at chemistry is unnecessary for med school beyond the admission requirements and what little chem there is can be memorized.

 

[Doctor Poetry]

good to know...thanks

 

[QuizzicalApe]

Biochem is really nothing at all like organic chemistry.

Organic Chemistry is a colossal puzzle game where you need to work out all the rules, memorize a few rote reactions, and then be able to apply what you know to various combinations of reagents that get thrown at you.

Biochem is you memorizing pathways (almost exclusively without learning structures or exact mechanisms), particularly steps governed by regulated enzymes, enzymes that are important in disease states, and/or drug targeted enzymes.

Very different kinds of learning, imo

Orgo doesn't exist to set you up for Orgo: Medical School Edition. It is a weed-out course which also tests your general ability to visualize and mentally manipulate three-dimensional structures.

 

[Doctor Poetry]

so in biochem, you stat that there is barely any memorization of structures but more general representations of a molecule

 

[mspeedwagon]

It depends. Medical school biochemistry is all about memorization (steps to tons of different pathways). If you get Lipincott biochem, you'll basically memorize most of that book. There is very little memorization of o-chem structures (beyond knowing everything about the 20 amino acids).

O-chem will NOT help you in medical school. Even pharmacology tests only basic o-chem concepts.

That said, I love o-chem and am going to miss it dearly.

so in biochem, you stat that there is barely any memorization of structures but more general representations of a molecule

 

[QuizzicalApe]

so in biochem, you stat that there is barely any memorization of structures but more general representations of a molecule

The closest you'll have to come to knowing what a molecule looks like is probably the number of carbons in certain key fatty acids.

 

[Doctor Poetry]

good to know thanks.

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

I'd expect you'd need to have a decent understanding of acid/base chemistry for when you get to renal physiology.

 

[Doctor Poetry]

thanks...im glad to hear that...

what about the other courses like immunology, isn't there chemistry in that?