This was a major hurdle for me as well, in that I did physics in college. You learn a few equations for a test, then just have to figure out which one to use and how to interpret the results. Different animal in med school, don't you dare try to learn underlying principles and just apply them! The basic main ideas are very important, but the bottom line is you have to just memorize the details. Once I just gave up on doing things the old way, and decided I have to memorize all the stuff things started coming a lot easier. I learned that I was my own worse enemy. Biochem majors look at a rxn going on and think: I have to memorize this. They use some "big idea" prinicples too, e.g. what kind of rxn is this?, What is it used for? They also understand that enzymes are reversible, leading to creation of ATP one way and hydrolysis the other. However, in the end they know when they see a rxn that they have to memorize it, and set themselves out to do so. For you, and formerly for me, I would think about the rxn, try to make sense of it, try to learn its concept, look for patterns. All these things are good, but will not permanently ingrain fatty acid synthesis in your head. Bottom line- don't fight it, just do it. Make it routine to memorize things. Its like doing a rectal exam, the sooner you just realize you have to do it and get it over with, the less annoying it really is.
