Might switch to biochemistry major?

[zeppelinpage4]

I'm currently a bio major but it turns out I had scheduling issues during registration and I've been put into analytical physics instead of gen physics.

Since the two majors are very similar at my school, i'll probably have to take some extra labs and P-chem i'm thinking of just going over to a biochem major.

But I just wanted to know if you think biochem has any advantages that bio doesn't have.
I DON"T mean this in terms of med school, I know major doesn't matter, but in general.
I might go a PhD route if I change my mind about medicine and I was curious to know if biochemistry majors were favored for research positions in grad school etc.

I just hope it doesn't hurt my GPA too much.

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[shiftingmirage]

I would not say that biochemist are 'favored' in research positions in grad school. I mean, there are general biochemistry labs, orgo labs, and bio labs. What one does in grad school depends on which lab you are in. If you are interested in anything in the chemistry area, than a biochem degree will suit you. If you are interested in bio, than a bio degree. But I can also tell you of friends who went to to grad school with the intent of doing inorganic, and decided to join a biochem lab. Another wanted to do organic, and joined an 'organic' lab, but works is more physical chemistry with biological components. At least in my view, chem tends to overlap with different fields, where bio tends to be a little more secular. But in terms of getting into grad school, one can be successful via either rout. Either degree will get you into med school, so I guess the question for you is, if you do the PhD, would you rather have it in chemistry or bio?

 

[Catalystik]

I just hope it doesn't hurt my GPA too much.

For the sake of med school applications, protecting your GPA is an important consideration. Don't pick a major that will seriously impact your GPA in a negative way if the subject isn't something you love and can make a career from.

 

[BigEast55]

If you are considering a biochemistry PhD, having a biochem major will be helping, especially with regards to having to take pchem. As far as being "favored" for research positions, it really depends on the lab. If what you wanted to do was something really close to biochem/molecular bio then it might help, for most of those labs it is good to have a chemist in the lab; but on the same token, if you were to work in an ecology lab it may be a disadvantage as you would have taken coursework not really related to the research.

For medical school, pick the one you find more interesting because I find that if its more interesting, I care more, and get a better grade.

 

[zeppelinpage4]

I would not say that biochemist are 'favored' in research positions in grad school. I mean, there are general biochemistry labs, orgo labs, and bio labs. What one does in grad school depends on which lab you are in. If you are interested in anything in the chemistry area, than a biochem degree will suit you. If you are interested in bio, than a bio degree. But I can also tell you of friends who went to to grad school with the intent of doing inorganic, and decided to join a biochem lab. Another wanted to do organic, and joined an 'organic' lab, but works is more physical chemistry with biological components. At least in my view, chem tends to overlap with different fields, where bio tends to be a little more secular. But in terms of getting into grad school, one can be successful via either rout. Either degree will get you into med school, so I guess the question for you is, if you do the PhD, would you rather have it in chemistry or bio?

Well I'd definitely try for a PhD in bio, but the idea of chem being more broad appeals to me. Right now I'm interested in chemistry of biological systems and biology on a cellular level.
Thanks for putting it into perspective for me.

For the sake of med school applications, protecting your GPA is an important consideration. Don't pick a major that will seriously impact your GPA in a negative way if the subject isn't something you love and can make a career from.

That's going to take some soul searching on my part, I guess I can go through analytical physics and see how my GPA does. If it I see it drop too much i'll back out.
Very helpful answer.

If you are considering a biochemistry PhD, having a biochem major will be helping, especially with regards to having to take pchem. As far as being "favored" for research positions, it really depends on the lab. If what you wanted to do was something really close to biochem/molecular bio then it might help, for most of those labs it is good to have a chemist in the lab; but on the same token, if you were to work in an ecology lab it may be a disadvantage as you would have taken coursework not really related to the research.

For medical school, pick the one you find more interesting because I find that if its more interesting, I care more, and get a better grade.

At the moment molecular biology appeals to me a lot, i'm taking an ecology course and it's definitely fun. However ecology, botany and bio on a larger scale doesn't appeal to me very much.

 

[OhioDoc]

I'm currently a bio major but it turns out I had scheduling issues during registration and I've been put into analytical physics instead of gen physics.

Since the two majors are very similar at my school, i'll probably have to take some extra labs and P-chem i'm thinking of just going over to a biochem major.

But I just wanted to know if you think biochem has any advantages that bio doesn't have.
I DON"T mean this in terms of med school, I know major doesn't matter, but in general.
I might go a PhD route if I change my mind about medicine and I was curious to know if biochemistry majors were favored for research positions in grad school etc.

I just hope it doesn't hurt my GPA too much.

I don't think that there is an intrinsic preference for biochem majors in graduate school. In this case, I think the advantage is that you might gain experience to a broader spectrum of sciences and as a result become interesting in different graduate programs