Required classes vs Recommended classes

[Meyermeddoctor]

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Is Biochemistry a required or recommended course for Medical school. I am seeing different answers I would like to know if there is a more definitive answer.

 

[Blueprint Med School]

Required for most if not all. Every single school I applied to required biochem.

Kevin W, MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

 

[KnightDoc]

It is school specific as in the MSAR listing. Some schools allow/recommend Biochem on place of Ochem II. Some schools require it, some recommend it. However, as an advisor I would say this should be considered a required course for premeds for three reasons
1) since some schools require it and you do not want to self limit your schools when apply
2) It is really a foundation course for medical school as you get the proverbial firehouse of this when you start
3) it is a vital course for MCAT

This^^^. It's probably the single most important class for the MCAT. THAT's the definitive answer, regardless of whether any school calls it required, recommended, or optional.

 

[MyOdyssey]

Is Biochemistry a required or recommended course for Medical school. I am seeing different answers I would like to know if there is a more definitive answer.

I agree with what @gonnif said. I recommend taking orgo I and orgo II before taking biochem as those two classes help lay the foundation for biochem.

If you have time, I'd recommend taking a second semester of biochem even though no medical school requires it because that's how important it is to success on the MCAT.

 

[TragicalDrFaust]

A note since it’s been brought up: Was a biochem major and biochem I was helpful on the MCAT. Biochem II is an overview of how major types of molecules (sugar, protein and fat) and broken down, stored, built up and converted into one another. The class is spent memorizing a bunch of cycles and tallying up how much energy everything takes and makes. It’s nice to have an overview but the level of detail is total overkill for the scope of the MCAT and medical school.

 

[KnightDoc]

I agree with what @gonnif said. I recommend taking orgo I and orgo II before taking biochem as those two classes help lay the foundation for biochem.

If you have time, I'd recommend taking a second semester of biochem even though no medical school requires it because that's how important it is to success on the MCAT.

Have you taken the MCAT yet? I didn't see anything on it, either in practice or on the real deal, that I couldn't handle with just one semester of biochem. If not, where are you getting your information from?

With all due respect, and I was guilty of this as well when I was even more overeager than I am now to be helpful, it's not good to give specific advice based on things you think you picked up on the internet where you have zero first hand knowledge. Recommending how to prepare for the MCAT when you haven't done so yourself would be one of those things. 🙂

 

[MyOdyssey]

Have you taken the MCAT yet? I didn't see anything on it, either in practice or on the real deal, that I couldn't handle with just one semester of biochem. If not, where are you getting your information from?

With all due respect, and I was guilty of this as well when I was even more overeager than I am now to be helpful, it's not good to give specific advice based on things you think you picked up on the internet where you have zero first hand knowledge. Recommending how to prepare for the MCAT when you haven't done so yourself would be one of those things. 🙂

Some in this thread found more advanced Biochem courses/readings to be helpful:

131 & 132 BB scorers : how in-depth did you know everything?

Question in title

forums.studentdoctor.net

 

[KnightDoc]

Some in this thread found more advanced Biochem courses/readings to be helpful:

131 & 132 BB scorers : how in-depth did you know everything?

Question in title

forums.studentdoctor.net

Again, and I really should be the last person in the world to call you out for this, because I did it myself repeatedly when I was at your stage of the game, but just repeating what others have said and calling it your own adds zero value to the conversation if you have no actual knowledge. Do it enough times, and you will lose whatever credibility you have.

If you haven't done ALL of the things you are telling others to do (Orgo 1&2, Biochem 1&2, preparing for and successfully completing the MCAT), you really should not be making recommendations as though you know what you are talking about, based on nothing more than your distillation and evaluation of other people's posts. People seeking help and reading your posts might not realize you actually have less experience than they do, and are actually a pre pre premed who has only just begun the journey.

Take it from me, I was guilty of doing the very same thing, and it's taken me actually going through the process to fully understand what everyone criticizing me was talking about. I totally get wanting to help and be part of the conversation, and there are certain areas where you can pick up enough through research and osmosis to make valuable suggestions to people looking for help, without having the experience. Doling out advice on things like what classes to take, preparing for and taking the entrance exam, preparing for and going on interviews, writing essays, etc. are not among them.

My suggestion would be pointing people to other people's posts if you find them particularly insightful rather than adopting them as your own and posting as though you are speaking from experience when you are not.

 

[MyOdyssey]

Again, and I really should be the last person in the world to call you out for this, because I did it myself repeatedly when I was at your stage of the game, but just repeating what others have said and calling it your own adds zero value to the conversation if you have no actual knowledge. Do it enough times, and you will lose whatever credibility you have.

If you haven't done ALL of the things you are telling others to do (Orgo 1&2, Biochem 1&2, preparing for and successfully completing the MCAT), you really should not be making recommendations as though you know what you are talking about, based on nothing more than your distillation and evaluation of other people's posts. People seeking help and reading your posts might not realize you actually have less experience than they do, and are actually a pre pre premed who has only just begun the journey.

Take it from me, I was guilty of doing the very same thing, and it's taken me actually going through the process to fully understand what everyone criticizing me was talking about. I totally get wanting to help and be part of the conversation, and there are certain areas where you can pick up enough through research and osmosis to make valuable suggestions to people looking for help, without having the experience. Doling out advice on things like what classes to take, preparing for and taking the entrance exam, preparing for and going on interviews, writing essays, etc. are not among them.

My suggestion would be pointing people to other people's posts if you find them particularly insightful rather than adopting them as your own and posting as though you are speaking from experience when you are not.

What do you think of the advice from the thread I posted? Do you take exception to any of it?

I’ve graduated college and am in the midst of intensive MCAT prep by the way including taking actual released old exams.

 

[TragicalDrFaust]

Some in this thread found more advanced Biochem courses/readings to be helpful:

131 & 132 BB scorers : how in-depth did you know everything?

Question in title

forums.studentdoctor.net

The problem here is marginal returns. A whole class that could potentially hurt your GPA to know a pathway cold that’s given to you in the question stem anyway? So you save 5 seconds on the MCAT at the expense of a 400 level 4.0 credit class. I’ve no doubt that taking analytical chemistry helped my score to a small degree also, but I wouldn’t recommend taking that if you don’t have to either. And have no doubt that starting college as an English major before I switched to biochem helped my CARS score but is that a sensible recommendation for everyone? Absolutely not. The benefit to my score was low considering that it added an extra year to my time in undergrad. I say this to be helpful, distinguishing high yield from low yield will be crucial when you get to medical school.

 

[MyOdyssey]

The problem here is marginal returns. A whole class that could potentially hurt your GPA to know a pathway cold that’s given to you in the question stem anyway? So you save 5 seconds on the MCAT at the expense of a 400 level 4.0 credit class. I’ve no doubt that taking analytical chemistry helped my score to a small degree also, but I wouldn’t recommend taking that if you don’t have to either. And have no doubt that starting college as an English major before I switched to biochem helped my CARS score but is that a sensible recommendation for everyone? Absolutely not. The benefit to my score was low considering that it added an extra year to my time in undergrad. I say this to be helpful, distinguishing high yield from low yield will be crucial when you get to medical school.

I understand. Bio and chem majors have to take upper level bio and chem electives regardless. My general advice is to choose electives with a mind to helping with the MCAT.

I suspect 132 scores in C/P, B/B and P/S require doing well on questions testing low yield topics.

 

[TragicalDrFaust]

I understand. Bio and chem majors have to take upper level bio and chem electives regardless. My general advice is to choose electives with a mind to helping with the MCAT.

I suspect 132 scores in C/P, B/B and P/S require doing well on questions testing low yield topics.

The goal for the average premed isn't a perfect score. To redirect to my original objection to your comment and the topic of this thread, there's no reason to assume OP or the average reader of this thread wants a perfect score and is willing to spend time and possibly sacrifice their GPA taking difficult, low yield classes to earn it. Taking electives to enhance an MCAT score isn't an effective strategy except in the case of high yield courses that will help fill a graduation requirement anyway (biochem I, genetics, microbiology) and are taken right before the MCAT. Retention will likely be poor if these elective classes are taken over 2-3 years before the MCAT.

If you are aiming for a 99.99th percentile score, you're better off taking a reliable MCAT prep course in the 3-6 months leading up to the test date.

Edit: apologies for going off topic, I've nothing else to say re: MCAT and hope anyone reading will apply critical thought to all advice given, including mine, before they register for any classes

 

[Deltasidearm]

getting off the MCAT tangent back on to the OP’s question. Since many medical schools require it, it should be considered a required course for premeds.

To add to this, my med school covers 2 semesters of biochem within 8 days. Tackling that and its relevance to pharmacology and disease processes is significantly more manageable when you've been exposed to and learned the content before. And while we don't have to know things in as much detail as my undergrad courses (i.e. chemical structures not necessary), you might be surprised how much we detail we do need to know.

 

[KnightDoc]

What do you think of the advice from the thread I posted? Do you take exception to any of it?

I’ve graduated college and am in the midst of intensive MCAT prep by the way including taking actual released old exams.

My bad. I just assumed, since you said in another thread that you planned on applying in the 2023-24 cycle, and since you have been so active here for so long, that you were a sophomore in college. So, if you already graduated, what have you been up to since 2015, and, given how deep into this you are, why are you waiting another 2 years to apply?

Also, since you are in the midst of intensive MCAT prep, did you take two semesters of biochem, and, if so, are you finding it to be a big help as you go through the old exams? If so, you should have said so when I called you out. If not, why did you give the advice you gave, just because someone in another thread thought it would be a good idea?

TBH, I really didn't understand the thread you are asking about, and found it difficult to follow, so I have no opinion one way or the other. Yes, the more you know, the smarter you are, and the better you are at marathon standardized tests, the better you will do on the MCAT. 🙂 Beyond that, I don't know what to say.

@TragicalDrFaust is spot on with respect to the perfect being the enemy of the good. Not only with the MCAT, but with everything. If that's what's holding you back, you're never going to apply, because there is always going to be something that you don't have that will make you a stronger candidate if only you took an extra year to get it.

Different prep strategies work differently for different people. Some people prepare for a few weeks using nothing other than AAMC material and easily score 520+. Others take it multiple times, over multiple years, preparing each time for months on end, with or without professional help, and struggle to break 500.

 

[deleted1114112]

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