Organic Chem/ Biochem.

[OrdinaryDO]

I have read around that Biochemistry is a big killer in First year medical students, I am trying to major in Biochemical engineering once I move into a University. Who here believes that taking Biochemistry will help you a TON?

Next is Organic Chemistry. I heard stories of people changing their majors completely out of the medical spectrum solely because it is so tough. I realize this class will probably be one of the hardest I will come in contact with. How well will taking these help me in Medical School? Opinions please. Thank everybody reading this! God bless all of you =]

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[torshi]

I have read around that Biochemistry is a big killer in First year medical students, I am trying to major in Biochemical engineering once I move into a University. Who here believes that taking Biochemistry will help you a TON?

Next is Organic Chemistry. I heard stories of people changing their majors completely out of the medical spectrum solely because it is so tough. I realize this class will probably be one of the hardest I will come in contact with. How well will taking these help me in Medical School? Opinions please. Thank everybody reading this! God bless all of you =]

Not a Ton, but it is taught during your first year in med school and some schools require it. So it's good to take it and you won't be lost when you take the course later on.

 

[Cambino]

I have read around that Biochemistry is a big killer in First year medical students, I am trying to major in Biochemical engineering once I move into a University. Who here believes that taking Biochemistry will help you a TON?

Next is Organic Chemistry. I heard stories of people changing their majors completely out of the medical spectrum solely because it is so tough. I realize this class will probably be one of the hardest I will come in contact with. How well will taking these help me in Medical School? Opinions please. Thank everybody reading this! God bless all of you =]

Don't major in something because you feel you'll be advantageous position your first year. Firstly, biochemistry/biochemical engineering is a GPA killer - seeing as the med. school application process is a numbers game, you may want to reconsider. If your passion truly does lie with biochemical engineering, by all means do as you please. Worry about undergrad, first. Biochemistry/Organic chemistry is required most medical schools (if not at all) at the undergraduate level. You can be a ceramics major, yet STILL have to take orgo + biochem to matriculate.

Best of luck!

 

[torshi]

Don't major in something because you feel you'll be advantageous position your first year. Firstly, biochemistry/biochemical engineering is a GPA killer - seeing as the med. school application process is a numbers game, you may want to reconsider. If your passion truly does lie with biochemical engineering, by all means do as you please. Worry about undergrad, first. Biochemistry/Organic chemistry is required most medical schools (if not at all) at the undergraduate level. You can be a ceramics major, yet STILL have to take orgo + biochem to matriculate.

Best of luck!

 

[ktran17]

I'm a biochemistry major and cannnot imagine doing anything else. I've always loved the sciences and I believe biochemistry has a little bit of everything. In regards to the the difficulty of organic chemistry, its not that bad of a course. My only regret is underestimating the class. If i could do it all over again, I would definitely not take a science heavy course load, while taking ochem II. I got an A-, B for ochem I and II respectively.

 

[Cambino]

I'm a biochemistry major and cannnot imagine doing anything else. I've always loved the sciences and I believe biochemistry has a little bit of everything. In regards to the the difficulty of organic chemistry, its not that bad of a course. My only regret is underestimating the class. If i could do it all over again, I would definitely not take a science heavy course load, while taking ochem II. I got an A-, B for ochem I and II respectively.

OP ≠ You. In all seriousness, class rigor vary depending on the school. At my school, organic chemistry is the bane of every pre-med's existence, while biochemistry is an easy B. Like I said, if OP's passion lies with biochem., he should be a biochem. major. Your passions aren't universal.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

Don't major in something because you feel you'll be advantageous position your first year. Firstly, biochemistry/biochemical engineering is a GPA killer - seeing as the med. school application process is a numbers game, you may want to reconsider. If your passion truly does lie with biochemical engineering, by all means do as you please. Worry about undergrad, first. Biochemistry/Organic chemistry is required most medical schools (if not at all) at the undergraduate level. You can be a ceramics major, yet STILL have to take orgo + biochem to matriculate.

Best of luck!

You make a very good point, I do love the Biochemistry side of sciences but that is a given for ME because I like all sciences for the most part. I was told that if I wanted to major in something useful and informative to what I am going into, that Biology would be my best bet to major in. I want the best advantage to getting into Medical school. I don't care if volunteering 1000+ more hours would raise my chances of acceptance by only .1%, I will do anything in my power to take every opportunity I can. I love these forums and I believe with all of you mentors, friends, and fellow advisers I will have the greatest chance of being accepted.

 

[ktran17]

OP ≠ You. In all seriousness, class rigor vary depending on the school. At my school, organic chemistry is the bane of every pre-med's existence, while biochemistry is an easy B. Like I said, if OP's passion lies with biochem., he should be a biochem. major. Your passions aren't universal.

I didn't intend for my post to be conveyed as a "you should major in biochem". I was simply just stating why I liked biochem. I intended to only advice the OP about my ochem endeavors.

 

[Cambino]

You make a very good point, I do love the Biochemistry side of sciences but that is a given for ME because I like all sciences for the most part. I was told that if I wanted to major in something useful and informative to what I am going into, that Biology would be my best bet to major in. I want the best advantage to getting into Medical school. I don't care if volunteering 1000+ more hours would raise my chances of acceptance by only .1%, I will do anything in my power to take every opportunity I can. I love these forums and I believe with all of you mentors, friends, and fellow advisers I will have the greatest chance of being accepted.

Your major has nothing to do with chances for being accepted/interviewed. Each year, medical schools review/interview/accept a very broad spectrum of majors. Additionally, meeting the pre-reqs for med. school is preparation enough; hence why the pre-reqs exist initially.
Most medical schools require:

2 semesters of General Biology
2 semesters of General Chemistry
2 semesters of Organic Chemistry
2 semesters of Physics
Many schools require Biochemistry and specific math courses.
You should look up specific schools and their respective requirements. Safe bet would be taking statistics and up to Calc II. I think some top-tier require Calc III.

 

[ktran17]

I'm not too sure about any schools requiring calc III. However, John Hopkins requires calc II.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

Your major has nothing to do with chances for being accepted/interviewed. Each year, medical schools review/interview/accept a very broad spectrum of majors. Additionally, meeting the pre-reqs for med. school is preparation enough; hence why the pre-reqs exist initially.
Most medical schools require:

2 semesters of General Biology
2 semesters of General Chemistry
2 semesters of Organic Chemistry
2 semesters of Physics
Many schools require Biochemistry and specific math courses.
You should look up specific schools and their respective requirements. Safe bet would be taking statistics and up to Calc II. I think some Ivy League require Calc III.

Once again good point but I was aware of this already. I once read that some schools look for non-medical related majors such as business or accounting for example. But OU does not require Biochemistry, but the requirement's page has a side note saying that Biochemistry is highly recommended before applying. I am going to try and double major in business.

 

[Cambino]

I'm not too sure about any schools requiring calc III. However, John Hopkins requires calc II.

6. Additional requirements for the HST Program In addition to all the above requirements, the HST curriculum requires that students be comfortable with upper-level mathematics (through differential equations and linear algebra), biochemistry, and molecular biology. This is usually demonstrated through upper level course work, but other approaches may satisfy these requirements. In addition, one year of calculus-based physics in college is required.

At my school, calculus-based physics has a pre-requisite of calculus III.
Indirect requirement, I suppose.

http://hms.harvard.edu/admissions/default.asp?page=requirements

 

[DKTacts]

Your major has nothing to do with chances for being accepted/interviewed. Each year, medical schools review/interview/accept a very broad spectrum of majors. Additionally, meeting the pre-reqs for med. school is preparation enough; hence why the pre-reqs exist initially.
Most medical schools require:

2 semesters of General Biology
2 semesters of General Chemistry
2 semesters of Organic Chemistry
2 semesters of Physics
Many schools require Biochemistry and specific math courses.
You should look up specific schools and their respective requirements. Safe bet would be taking statistics and up to Calc II. I think some Ivy League require Calc III.

Yall understand that the "Ivy League" only really pertains to undergrad right? That med school is a whole 'nother ball game?

 

[Cambino]

Yall understand that the "Ivy League" only really pertains to undergrad right? That med school is a whole 'nother ball game?

Absolutely right.
'Top-tier' would be much more appropriate.

 

[ktran17]

This is off topic, but I really like your avatar DK

 

[OrdinaryDO]

Yall understand that the "Ivy League" only really pertains to undergrad right? That med school is a whole 'nother ball game?

Yes sir, but either way I am not aiming for a Top Tier college for Medical School. As nice as it would be to make it into a Top-Tier I just can't afford it and I have 3 colleges I am dedicated to choosing one. Not to mention I still have time to go into a Top-Tier college to specialize if I feel the urge to in the future.

 

[Forca Barca]

Don't major in something because you feel you'll be advantageous position your first year. Firstly, biochemistry/biochemical engineering is a GPA killer - seeing as the med. school application process is a numbers game, you may want to reconsider. If your passion truly does lie with biochemical engineering, by all means do as you please. Worry about undergrad, first. Biochemistry/Organic chemistry is required most medical schools (if not at all) at the undergraduate level. You can be a ceramics major, yet STILL have to take orgo + biochem to matriculate.

Best of luck!

Thats not completely true. There is a difference between someone who takes one science class a semester and someone who has 3 a semester aka science majors. Majoring in dance is NOT like majoring in Biochem.
Im a biochem major and i love every bit of it and i was told that it was a huge advantage by an admission advisor at WSU SOM

 

[OrdinaryDO]

Thats not completely true. There is a difference between someone who takes one science class a semester and someone who has 3 a semester aka science majors. Majoring in dance is NOT like majoring in Biochem.
Im a biochem major and i love every bit of it and i was told that it was a huge advantage by an admission advisor at WSU SOM

Do Med schools take into account if you happen to load sciences for that semester, for instance if I were to take 4, level 2000 science classes. Would they look into the schedule difficulty or would they just take it as your fault for over scheduling hours?