Questions on Biochem Major

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AntiHouseMD

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Hey guys. I looked at some older threads, but didn't find anything that matched my question. If I missed anything, I'm sorry. Right now, I'm trying to decide which major to declare for college, and I'm really interested in biochemistry. I'm looking to either go the PA route, toxicology, or something involving the environment (pollutants and health, etc.).

I looked online for opinions from those who were biochemistry majors, but really didn't find anything related to medicine. So, I was hoping to get some perspectives from some of the people here who majored in biochem to see what they thought of it, things like whether they had time for EC's, volunteering, how the classes were, etc. I included the course requirements from my top choice, if that helps. Thanks for any advice!

Required for the Biochemistry Major
BI 151 - General Biology Credits: 4
BI 153 - General Biology Credits: 4
BI 223 - Genetics Credits: 4
BI 225 - Cell Biology Credits: 4
CH 103 - General Chemistry Credits: 4
CH 107 - General Chemistry Credits: 4
CH 204 - Organic Chemistry Credits: 4
CH 206 - Organic Chemistry Credits: 4
CH 301 - Quantitative Analysis Credits: 3
CH 302 - Physical Chemistry I Credits: 4
CH 325 - Biochemistry I Credits: 4
CH 327 - Biochemistry II Credits: 4
CH 410 - Coordinating Seminar Credits: 2 each semester
MA 109 - Calculus I Credits: 4
MA 111 - Calculus II Credits: 4
PY 210 - College Physics I Credits: 4
PY 211 - College Physics II Credits: 4

And:
select at least one additional 300 or 400 level Biology or Chemistry laboratory course.

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I took all of those classes and still found time for ECs, so we can safely lay that issue to rest. For what it's worth I enjoyed most of those classes (as much as they can be enjoyed anyway), but of course everyone has their own preferences.
 
My only advice is to make sure you understand that biochemistry is much more chemistry than biology. I was hoping/expecting an even mix of biology and chemistry when I chose biochem, and nothing could be further from the truth. Of course it depends on your school's particular degree requirements, but go in with the expectation that your upper level classes will likely be chemistry focused. I hated the last year of classes because I had to take a bunch of in-depth chemistry stuff (p-chem, analytical chem, etc.) that I really didn't care about. It bored me and made it extremely difficult to study.

With respect to "having time" to do stuff, I wouldn't worry about that. Every science major is going to be more intense than others (except perhaps for engineering), so I don't think that's a reason to choose one over the other.

Good luck.
 
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In addition to the information mentioned above, biochemistry requires a good grasp of your gen chem and organic chem concepts to understand your upper level courses. The con of the major is that, depending on your school, you require much more memorization than other science majors...I think it's one of the more detail oriented majors by nature since you're looking at the mechanism and not really just the function of how some chemistry works in life. Understand what each of the sciences studies and what level of depth the science occurs. If you want more conceptualizing and all-encompassing, definitely go with cellular biology.

But, like many other subjects, excluding math, you just require a couple hours a day devoted to reviewing your information from that day and remaking a synthesized review sheet. Going to class may be not great or fun, but it makes you get one pass of the information. Writing general concepts in class is another pass. And then the synthesizing makes you get the important third pass that creates questions.
 
Oh biochem is the best! And yes it's really more like biochem, as you might expect being that you're required to take pchem.

EDIT: This was my 420th post teehee
 
Biochem major also, and yes, the emphasis is on the chem side. However, my major required bio electives so it was pretty much a moot point. Biochem is considered to be the hardest natural science, but still, its natural science. Plenty of time for ECs
 
Majored in biochem. Your curriculum looks comparable to mine. I did a handful of ECs every semester and worked several jobs on campus concurrently by the last few years. I wasn't into sports, but I found it very manageable to stay on top of the curriculum, take a minor in a non-science area, and stay active in 3-4 clubs with the jobs.

Don't plan on dating much, though. :-]

Also, my biochem was slanted harder toward molecular biology than chemistry, but I also took some extra science electives in addition to the core.
 
Wow, there's a huge difference between your biochem major and mine. Yours sounds like bio major + anal chem, biochem II, and pchem. We have the same requirements + 5 additional biochem classes (lipids, nuc acids, proteins, etc), unless if I derped up and failed to see that.
I had time to work, volunteer, be active in a sorority and have somewhat of a social life, but I also did spent a lot of hours studying at the library. My classes are really enjoyable, and yeah, they're more chem/enzyme pathway/mechanism based than regular bio courses. I've definitely noticed that some teachers make an effort to relate it toward human processes&diseases, but some don't. Some also emphasize pharmacology, which is really fun, imo. I guess I should say that my biochem was more molec bio based than chem based though.
If you're more into the why&how things work vs knowing the general scope of things, biochem is for you.
 
Those are roughly the same requirements for a biochem major at my university, and a few seem to find a way to get into med school each year.
 
Thanks for all of the advice so far! It is really helpful, and feel free to add anything else. I think I'll go for biochemistry, given the fact that I'm interested in the biological mechanisms and chemistry in general.

Technopoly, is the dating thing just because you won't have enough time? I don't want to sound naive, and I'm willing to work hard to do well. I just want to keep as many options as I can open while in college, although I'll still probably declare as a biochemistry major.
 
My curriculum is similar to yours but I have an extra semester of pchem and microbio. I don't have to take gen bio and instead jump to cell and genetics. I recommend taking physio and anatomy if you have time. Imo, majoring in biochem is the samething as majoring in any other natural science in terms of time commitment is concerned.
 
Also, Biochem is the most badass of all natural science majors.

It at least gives somewhat of a challenge, compared to lame regular bio majors.
 
I graduated in May majoring in biochem and got a minor in chem by just taking required classes for my major. With that I agree there is slightly more chemistry involved with the major. However my biochem 1 and 2 classes along with the molec bio given thro the biochem department were the most enjoyable classes I took as an undergrad. It tied chem (gen and organic) together with all the biology classes I took. It all began to make much more sense as to why we are required to take all the chemisties and biologies.

I played football at an NAIA school for 1 year and then was a member of a top 10 D1 school for a semester. After football ended I worked as a MA for a year and a half and was a member of several clubs and volunteered some. So you will have time for EC stuff as long as you are not lazy and don't mind consistently sacrificing a lot of free time and sleep.

Are there easier ways to get to medical school? Of course. Would I change the route I took? As long as I get in and feel better prepared from the difficulty of my major while I'm in medical school, I wouldn't change a thing.
 
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Required for the Biochemistry Major
CH 302 - Physical Chemistry I Credits: 4
MA 109 - Calculus I Credits: 4
MA 111 - Calculus II Credits: 4
PY 210 - College Physics I Credits: 4
PY 211 - College Physics II Credits: 4

Does your college have more than one version of Physical Chemistry? If not, you should find out if they recommend more math than they require. Calculus III and/or O.D.E.s the semester before might really help you out!
 
Does your college have more than one version of Physical Chemistry? If not, you should find out if they recommend more math than they require. Calculus III and/or O.D.E.s the semester before might really help you out!

If I'm not mistaken, biochemistry majors only have to take P-Chem I. Chemistry majors, on the other hand, have to take both PChem I and PChem II. I don't know if that was what you meant, but that's what I believe it is.
 
This Biochem major seems a lot easier than what my school offers. Considering most of courses you take will be for premed prerequisite anyway, I don't see why it would be the big deal.

FYI though, try not to define yourself too clearly... some bio faculty dislike biochem students because they see them as chemistry students, and vice versa for chemistry (but more with bio faculty disliking chem people). I had couple friends who were chemistry and changed to biochemistry after analytical (as Cole said about chemistry that "you don't care about" - so true)... something to think about, biochem isn't as glorified as some folks make it.
 
This Biochem major seems a lot easier than what my school offers. Considering most of courses you take will be for premed prerequisite anyway, I don't see why it would be the big deal.

FYI though, try not to define yourself too clearly... some bio faculty dislike biochem students because they see them as chemistry students, and vice versa for chemistry (but more with bio faculty disliking chem people). I had couple friends who were chemistry and changed to biochemistry after analytical (as Cole said about chemistry that "you don't care about" - so true)... something to think about, biochem isn't as glorified as some folks make it.

Exactly just tell them you're pre-med. Then they'll both dis/like you equally.
 
I took all of those classes and still found time for ECs, so we can safely lay that issue to rest. For what it's worth I enjoyed most of those classes (as much as they can be enjoyed anyway), but of course everyone has their own preferences.
Likewise, and I also stacked a physics major and a biochem lab course on it. You'll be fine.
 
The biochem at my school is exactly the same as chem, but biochem have to take like 2 extra electives.
 
Where the hell is Calculus 3 on that list?! Might as well be majoring in arts.
 
I'm biochem as well....

Why do biochem majors have to take Cal III? For analytic chem?
And how close to a math minor will you be with the math courses required for biochem?
 
I'm biochem as well....

Why do biochem majors have to take Cal III? For analytic chem?
And how close to a math minor will you be with the math courses required for biochem?

In my school calc 3 is a prerequisite for pchem
 
I'm biochem as well....

Why do biochem majors have to take Cal III? For analytic chem?
And how close to a math minor will you be with the math courses required for biochem?

Always wondered why there were BICH majors in my calc III class. Dunno why yall need it.

FYI for TAMU a math minor still needs 3 classes past calc III
 
I'm biochem as well....

Why do biochem majors have to take Cal III? For analytic chem?
And how close to a math minor will you be with the math courses required for biochem?

The school I'm looking at is slightly changing their minors right now, so I'm not exactly sure. With the biochemistry courses, though, I should only be three classes away from a math minor. I was actually leaning towards that route, but I figured that it wouldn't be a good idea since a math minor really doesn't help with back-up plans for medicine. I was thinking more along the lines of accounting/business/finance, although I would enjoy math a lot more.

Also, I don't know if this helps. This is at a liberal arts college, and I have 32 class slots to fill. The biochemistry major takes up 18 classes, and I may take two additional biology courses for medical requirements. Don't know how many slots I need for liberal art requirements.
 
Always wondered why there were BICH majors in my calc III class. Dunno why yall need it.

FYI for TAMU a math minor still needs 3 classes past calc III

Whoop go aggies!

Fish camp is in less than two weeks....pretty excited
 
Does your college have more than one version of Physical Chemistry? If not, you should find out if they recommend more math than they require. Calculus III and/or O.D.E.s the semester before might really help you out!
From my experience:
No need to do take a diff-EQ class for PCHEM. Calc III was definitely helpful, but not absolutely needed. Just encouraged.
 
Did a biochem minor with a bio major. Your curriculum looks similar. The way I did it was to basically guarantee I'd be eligible anywhere.
 
Yeah, biochem is often just fluffed with virtually all prereqs for medical/dental/pharm school. At least at my school, on top of that, there was one biochem series, a lab section, and a list of electives to take 3 classes in. You could use research credit, or take classes in like microbiology, molecular bio, etc.

To be honest, biochem isnt impossible. At least where Im from, its more like an interdisciplinary degree, than a degree with a particular focus. To some extent, its like a "premed degree" that ACTUALLY is a degree.

we do have pchem required, but its most gen chem revisited. thermo, quantum. blah. don't need to ace the classes, just stay afloat for the heavy hitters. upper div molec bio classes are fun to take, and easy to score high marks in.
 
FYI though, try not to define yourself too clearly... some bio faculty dislike biochem students because they see them as chemistry students, and vice versa for chemistry (but more with bio faculty disliking chem people). I had couple friends who were chemistry and changed to biochemistry after analytical (as Cole said about chemistry that "you don't care about" - so true)... something to think about, biochem isn't as glorified as some folks make it.

At my school the chem people look down on the biochem people (biochem is considered by a lot of chem majors as a really easy class, which it is compared to most chem courses), the biochem people look down on the bio people, and the bio people look down on the social sciences :p I think it really depends on the culture at your school--specifically which types of students tend to go into which programs.

From my experience:
No need to do take a diff-EQ class for PCHEM. Calc III was definitely helpful, but not absolutely needed. Just encouraged.

Calc III was a prereq for our chem pchem (more math based) but not biochem pchem. I think without familiarity with spherical coordinates, gradients, double/triple integrals etc., 2nd sem pchem would be a real b*tch...
 
Calc III was a prereq for our chem pchem (more math based) but not biochem pchem. I think without familiarity with spherical coordinates, gradients, double/triple integrals etc., 2nd sem pchem would be a real b*tch...

Oh i agree. but i was talking more about pchem1. calc 3 did help
 
Oh i agree. but i was talking more about pchem1. calc 3 did help

Oh then I def agree. Pchem1 is a breeze, at least in terms of math (1 being thermo & 2 being qm, since some do it the other way around). Diff eq would be entirely excessive for thermo.
 
Just for comparison's sake, I'll put up the school's chemistry major. Don't know which one looks better for medicine and for possible back-up careers in toxicology, environmental health/science, or something else. I'll see what you guys think. Chemistry has three less class requirements than biochemistry.

Chemistry (Transitional)
Required for the Chemistry Major (15 Courses)
ALL MAJORS MUST TAKE:
• CH 103 General Chemistry I
• CH 107 General Chemistry II
• CH 204 Organic Chemistry I
• CH 206 Organic Chemistry II
• CH 301 Quantitative Analysis
• CH 302 Physical Chemistry I
• CH 304 Physical Chemistry II
• CH 305 Inorganic Chemistry
• CH 410 Coordinating Seminar
• MA 109 Calculus I
• MA 111 Calculus II
• PY 210 College Physics I
• PY 211 College Physics II

• Plus two electives (please see note below for recommendations)
Note: CH 325 Biochemistry I and CH 417 Chemical Instrumentation are strongly recommended for students planning
to continue on with graduate school and they are required for students seeking an ACS certified degree.
CH 307 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry and MA 211 Calculus III are no longer required.
 
Technopoly, is the dating thing just because you won't have enough time? I don't want to sound naive, and I'm willing to work hard to do well. I just want to keep as many options as I can open while in college, although I'll still probably declare as a biochemistry major.

Between the coursework, jobs, and ECs, I did not have time for much socializing. I should also say that a major life-changing event occurred for me while I was in school and so I wasn't in a good emotional place for that either.

I think once you start taking classes, you will have a good idea of what other things you can handle on top of the coursework. The coursework and jobs were my first priority, then interests, then social stuff.
 
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