Just MRS for Biochem?

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Bill_Brasky

To Bill Brasky!!!
15+ Year Member
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I had trouble with biochem and need a simple way to break it down in the friendliest "this student is an idiot in biochem" sorta way. I know MRS Biochem is simplistic which is what I'm looking for, but is it so simplistic that I'll need something else besides it and FA 06?

-Bill Brasky
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Second: He showers in grain alcohol.

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First: His first name is Bill. [pause] I'm drunk. "
 

Do you mean BRS Biochem? Who is this Mrs. Biochem of whom you speak? Who is Mr. Biochem, for that matter?

Assuming you do mean BRS Biochem, I found it to be very helpful for the shelf but haven't bothered to start studying for step 1 yet. I know I'm remiss, but without at least 1 block of path and pharm, I don't feel I have much to go on.
 
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if this is for a biochem class, how about Lippincott's? I found that book very easy to understand. And i'm a person with hardly any previous science background from undergrad.
if you are asking for step 1, then i would like an answer to that also. Lippincott seems a little to indepth for the boards.
🙂
 
Okay, what I mean to ask is if Clinical Biochemistry Made Ridiculously Simple is adequate to cover the biochemistry you will need to know to master those questions on the USMLE Step 1.
 
I'm highly considering the rapid review biochem by goljan.....I've heard nothing but good things about it and lippencott is too long/detailed for board review purposes (but was awesome for the class) in my opinion....shooting for 230/40ish....
 
Okay, biochem is a subject that I haven't had that moment of mastery in ever. I would like to make at least a 230 on the boards, specifically a 235 as that is the average for those admitted to a neurosurgery residency. I'm not a gunner-type type A guy, in fact kinda a slacker in class, which is why I'm going after the boards big time.

I need something that will explain big picture concepts to me in a nice, friendly graphic form while containing the details necessary to knock the biochem section out of the park. The MRS series does a good job on micro, and I thought it might also do a good job on biochem as it is also a subject with lots of memorization. Thoughts?

-Bill Brasky
 
ok..this is only what I've heard...but most people say that the other books in the mrs series can't be compared to the micro...it blows them away......only way to figure that out is to go the bookstore and check em all out though......

for what you described....lippencotts would likely fit the bill....it explains things very nicely and really doesn't skimp on any important details that I'm aware of (which is also why I think it will be overkill for me personally...)
 
Hi Bill,

I've never been a fan of the MRS series, whether it's the title (the pseudo "medicine for dummies" vibe) or the approach it didn't work for me...even though it does work for many others. From the books I've seen Micro MRS is definitely their flagship book as said above and the other books are of less quality. I've just finished taking the boards and honestly I think the biochem in FA is definitely the place to start. With the exception of a few MolBio questions the Step 1 didn't stray too far from the topics covered in First Aid...my approach was to know First Aid cold and look up any difficult or high yield concepts (nutrition, fed/fasting cycle, heme syn, etc) in Lippincott's Biochem. Though I have not yet received my score there were not any questions that stumped me using this approach. Also if you're doing Qbank they cover biochem in the clinical context quite nicely with respect to diseases such as I cell disease, the mucopolysaccharidoses, etc.