Rapid Review Biochem/Champe Biochem

[Atomic1000]

Hey guys. RR Biochem is not really all that popular here on the forum, but given that it is written by Goljan, there might be a few who have actually gone through it.

Two questions pertaining to the book:

1. Does not cover a few topics (lac operon, etc. comes to mind). Are those topics no longer important at all?

2. How predictive is the performance on the online questions that come with the book?

Anyone wth experience?

Also, what do those that have seen questions in Champe's book (Lippincott) think about the quality of questions as a learning tool?

Thanks.

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[laxman310]

Hey guys. RR Biochem is not really all that popular here on the forum, but given that it is written by Goljan, there might be a few who have actually gone through it.

Two questions pertaining to the book:

1. Does not cover a few topics (lac operon, etc. comes to mind). Are those topics no longer important at all?

2. How predictive is the performance on the online questions that come with the book?

Anyone wth experience?

Also, what do those that have seen questions in Champe's book (Lippincott) think about the quality of questions as a learning tool?

Thanks.

Depends for what.

Lippincott's is supposedly excellent to go through with your biochemistry course, but 600 pages is a lot to cover for boards review.

I bought RR biochem thinking Goljan=good, but personally didn't like the style that much, so its just been sitting on my shelf.

I'm using Kaplan's biochem by hansen, specifically the chapters on energy metabolism, and it is really good. I was dreading having to review biochem, but Kaplan simplified it and incorporated the relevant diseases.

 

[Atomic1000]

Depends for what.

Lippincott's is supposedly excellent to go through with your biochemistry course, but 600 pages is a lot to cover for boards review.

I bought RR biochem thinking Goljan=good, but personally didn't like the style that much, so its just been sitting on my shelf.

I'm using Kaplan's biochem by hansen, specifically the chapters on energy metabolism, and it is really good. I was dreading having to review biochem, but Kaplan simplified it and incorporated the relevant diseases.

Thanks. What I was actually interested in is coverage of boards relevant material. Lippincott is way too wordy, as many have noted, but I was wondering about the questions at the end of each chapter. Any suggestions welcome.

When you guys say Kaplan Biochem, what do you mean - the system review or the subject review?

 

[THE armada]

I've got a copy of the Kaplan Biochem notes copyrighted '02. Any reasons not to use this as my primary source and just depend on FA to supplement?

 

[TrapperJohnMD]

I've got a copy of the Kaplan Biochem notes copyrighted '02. Any reasons not to use this as my primary source and just depend on FA to supplement?

I was just "OK" in biochem 1st year -lippincott was my savior, and gave me a good foundation.

however, after reading kaplans biochem lecture notes slowly but steadily with a purpose, then going over the corresponding FA --and doing the review questions at the end of each kaplan chapter & following up with a set of qbank questions at the end of the day I was solid

The questions at the end of the lippincott chapters are too few and too easy, IMHO. You need a bigger sample that tests you from every conceivable angle on this subject --you'll get that from your qbank of choice.

I used the '04 edition of kaplan biochem notes and loved it (biochem was a asterisk on my STEP 1!).

 

[TrapperJohnMD]

Hey guys. RR Biochem is not really all that popular here on the forum, but given that it is written by Goljan, there might be a few who have actually gone through it.

Two questions pertaining to the book:

1. Does not cover a few topics (lac operon, etc. comes to mind). Are those topics no longer important at all?

2. How predictive is the performance on the online questions that come with the book?

Anyone wth experience?

Also, what do those that have seen questions in Champe's book (Lippincott) think about the quality of questions as a learning tool?

Thanks.

If you want a great quick and dirty molecular biology review go with the high yield cell and molecular biology from 1999. Quick read with the most high yield material, including lac operon, etc.

 

[McLaren]

RR is great, It took me some time, and I need to go through it again, some diseases and pathways won't stick..

 

[Atomic1000]

If you want a great quick and dirty molecular biology review go with the high yield cell and molecular biology from 1999. Quick read with the most high yield material, including lac operon, etc.

Thanks, TJMD.

I guess that makes RR biochem insufficient in information. Given the number of pages it is actually frustrating.

Anyone else out there to confirm/ refute that RR biochem is not enough?

 

[Lamborghini1315]

If you start early lipincott can be extremely helpful, you should try to just read the summaries during board prep time and whatever you annotated to first aid.

 

[the alchemist]

no lac operon in RR Biochem as far I see but then again, that's a topic in bacterial regulation of transcription and I think the majority, if not all, the biochem on the boards is for humans and are disease related. bacterial mechanisms only seem to be relevant in topics like toxin mechs (micro) b/c they cause human disease (eg - diphtheria toxin ADP ribosylates EF2 and thereby inhibits translation). RR is good for a review if you know most of the biochem though Kaplan notes (subject based book) for biochem might fill in the gaps better. their videos also help make some clinical connections with regards to biochem.

i'm not into champe/harvey b/c it is too wordy for my taste as well but some people like it.

in the end it boils down to what style you like your books written in and how strong your background knowledge is already. if u are weak in biochem, kaplan is good (maybe supplement with RR biochem if you already have it).