Post-Bac Biochemistry

[GeorgeFoster]

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So I got my degree in 2006 and now I have decided to pursue an MD. Fortunately, although I was not pre-med or a science major, I do have most of the basic requirements for med-school in my transcript thanks to beginning my undergraduate career thinking I wanted to be an engineer and a good load of AP credits.

I never took Biochemistry, however.

So, being without a pre-med adviser I am curious as to how exactly big a deal this is? I know only a handful of schools require it...

I can take biochemisty at a summer program through Loyola Univ. in Chicago, and i was thinking this might be a good chance to show my stuff (my performance in most of my college science classes will be dubious since much of it is math, most are AP credits and I didn't really apply myself in organic since it was merely a pre-req for bioengineering program.)

However, it is also 2000 dollars, which is 4 months rent money for me. I've also heard from a friend in podiatry school that the class is largely worthless since you'll cover the same things in medical school.

Thoughts anyone?

 

[Lshapley]

Your AP credits won't work for med school admission. They want you to take the actual college courses which are considerably more difficult than the AP exams and your high school courses. Sorry. You will have to take them all again before you even start talking about biochem.

 

[relentless11]

I can take biochemisty at a summer program through Loyola Univ. in Chicago, and i was thinking this might be a good chance to show my stuff (my performance in most of my college science classes will be dubious since much of it is math, most are AP credits and I didn't really apply myself in organic since it was merely a pre-req for bioengineering program.)

I agree with the poster above, AP credit will not work, even for math. So if ANY of the pre-med pre-reqs were waived due to AP credit, then you would have to take them again. Which classes were waived?

There MIGHT be some exceptions though assuming you did a bioengineering program. You should have taken a few extra quarters of calculus, and differential equations, so that should be OK for the math requirement. However courses like general biology, zoology, botany (for the year of bio) is harder to get around with since they have labs, and not many upper division science courses are comparable to these classes.

In regards to biochemistry, I wouldn't really take the advice from a podiatry student since you want to apply to medical school. Each professional program (and each school for that matter) have their own way of teaching (e.g., problem based learning). Besides a little bit of extra knowledge isn't a bad thing. It actually may show that you can "handle the subject" rather than be a waste of time re-learning it if you get into medical school. Additionally, some schools such as the UC med schools require an upper division science class, which includes biochemistry.

This of course doesn't include the whole thing about the MCAT, which does cover biochemistry (protein structure and function, and metabolism). So it only helps, rather than hurts. I am however surprised that you didn't take biochemistry for those bioengineering requirements. They were certainly part of the biomedical engineering pre-reqs here. That whole "bio" part kinda requires some exposure to biochem.

 

[GeorgeFoster]

Well, in regards to the AP credit, from what I've read it seems that many schools will accept AP credit if it was accepted by your undergraduate institution (See Brown's Admission Requirements). And are also especially welcoming of credit for college Calc I and II if you've supplemented with up to Calc III and differential equations.

But after LShapley's dramatic proclamation I started looking more closely and have found a couple schools on my preliminary lists that don't state their approach to AP credit and a couple that are sticky on the Bio issue. I suppose I will have to investigate further on that issue, thanks for the heads up.

And I suppose I never ended up with Biochemistry since I dropped out of bioengineering my junior year in order to study abroad, if only I had stuck around another semester.

And for the MCAT, when I took it I didn't really notice anything biological that wasn't covered in my Campbell's text from AP bio. Maybe I was aided by taking Cell/Molecular sophemore year. Also, I have no desire to take the MCAT again, so that issue is moot.

But I guess my original question is, a lot of schools say taking Biochemistry is recommended, well, how strongly is it recommended? Should I consider it required if I don't have published papers/spent a year researching vaccines, yadda yadda yadda.

 

[nursejessy]

Check out the med schools you want to apply for and see if they require biochem. If they don't require it I wouldn't take it.

The med school i want to apply for requires biochem. it's so complicated to take a class at a university if you already have a bachelors and aren't working towards a degree program. I'm going to take it at a jr.college. If you get a good grade it really doesn't matter where you take it. Also, it's $12/unit, very affordable.

 

[Law2Doc]

I never took Biochemistry, however.

So, being without a pre-med adviser I am curious as to how exactly big a deal this is? I know only a handful of schools require it...

I won't talk to the AP credit issue. But if a school doesn't require biochem, it doesn't require biochem. Many nonsci folks get into med school with only the barebones prereqs, i.e. no biochem, and do fine. If a school wants you to take it for admission, they would make it a prereq. (and as you have noted a handful do).

 

[nursejessy]

I won't talk to the AP credit issue. .

Majority, if any med school will not take AP credits to fulfill pre-req's.