studying biochem for med school?

[yowhatup]

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So I am going to be starting med school in August, and I have only done the basic prereq's needed for admission into the MD program. Now I know, people say relax before going to med school, but I am scared and opened up a big medical biochemistry textbook that is used in M1 as a reference(it is not Lippincott.. its much bigger).

Now I know med school notes are very detailed, but I am still reading this book. I am reading the biochem sections of the book, and am just reading it. I am not trying to actively learn it nor am I taking notes. Just reading it, just to be like in med school, "Oh I have seen this before and KINDA get it". I am not really truly getting it (because I am passively reading it), but just learning it so that I recognize the subject matter and have a very brief idea of what the specific subject matter is about.

Is it normal that I am not really truly understanding it, and just am like yea I kinda get it, and I will truly get it (hopefully) when med school starts? I am also scared about what happens if I do not truly understand it when I am in med school? (So you memorize all of TCA cycle mindlessly, not truly understanding it is the situation I am it.. what to do?!)

 

[osumc2014]

So I am going to be starting med school in August, and I have only done the basic prereq's needed for admission into the MD program. Now I know, people say relax before going to med school, but I am scared and opened up a big medical biochemistry textbook that is used in M1 as a reference(it is not Lippincott.. its much bigger).

Now I know med school notes are very detailed, but I am still reading this book. I am reading the biochem sections of the book, and am just reading it. I am not trying to actively learn it nor am I taking notes. Just reading it, just to be like in med school, "Oh I have seen this before and KINDA get it". I am not really truly getting it (because I am passively reading it), but just learning it so that I recognize the subject matter and have a very brief idea of what the specific subject matter is about.

Is it normal that I am not really truly understanding it, and just am like yea I kinda get it, and I will truly get it (hopefully) when med school starts? I am also scared about what happens if I do not truly understand it when I am in med school? (So you memorize all of TCA cycle mindlessly, not truly understanding it is the situation I am it.. what to do?!)

Enjoy your summer off, they will be hard to come by later...I have heard studying before matriculation really doesn't help at all.

 

[yowhatup]

Enjoy your summer off, they will be hard to come by later...I have heard studying before matriculation really doesn't help at all.

i WANT to study because it is the only thing that can take away my anxiety... my fear is that I kinda get biochem right now, by passively reading it (like looking at the TCA cycle, and am like memorizing it without any understanding), in the hopes that when the same subject matter comes in med school I will be like, "yea I have read this and seen this before and kinda get it" and am hoping since I have seen it before that I can actually truly understand the subject material in med school based on the little intro I learned this summer.

 

[osumc2014]

i WANT to study because it is the only thing that can take away my anxiety... my fear is that I kinda get biochem right now, by passively reading it (like looking at the TCA cycle, and am like memorizing it without any understanding), in the hopes that when the same subject matter comes in med school I will be like, "yea I have read this and seen this before and kinda get it" and am hoping since I have seen it before that I can actually truly understand the subject material in med school based on the little intro I learned this summer.

Do you like biochem? if you do then go for it, if you don't I guess I'd try to sit in on lectures at your local school and try to understand it. But really you shouldn't be so anxious about it...you WILL learn it when the time comes.

 

[Ponger]

I wouldn't worry about trying to learn it now. I hear that any advantages some students have (by having taking a class as an undergrad) is erased in short order once in med school. Someone who took biochem as an undergrad is in no way guaranteed to do better than someone who didn't.

 

[SirGecko]

Aren't there like a ton of threads like this posted every year and the answer is always the same? (that you shouldn't try to learn M1 in the summer before M1)

I'd say don't worry so much. You are just getting yourself worked up for nothing. Find something fun and productive to do if you can't just sit around. (learn to knit, work out, do a coloring book, build a rocket, etc)

 

[Narmerguy]

I understand that the advice is pretty largely agreed upon that you shouldn't do anything but it's so hard for me to believe that none of your studying will give you an advantage before you start. It's just hard to accept.

 

[Rendar5]

I understand that the advice is pretty largely agreed upon that you shouldn't do anything but it's so hard for me to believe that none of your studying will give you an advantage before you start. It's just hard to accept.

there are maybe 2-3 questions on biochem on your step 1. There are maybe 3-4 anatomy questions on step 1. 1-2 histo questions. This is out of 350 questions, iirc. This is what you could study the summer before your MS1, or you can learn it during MS1. Do you really think a summerful of studying the same material that will be covered in the space of 1-2 weeks in med school is going to even get you 1 more question (0.3%) right on your boards 2 years from now? I highly doubt it.

You have time. Enjoy it. Soon, you will be studying again, learning the same material as everyone else in record time, the majority of whom have not learned any biochem beyond the basics. Not to mention the fact that med school biochem is compeltely different from college biochem.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Yep, I'm obviously on the "don't study" bandwagon. It's a huge waste of time, and you'll regret burning that time once you don't have any to burn, believe me.

 

[Ponger]

I understand that the advice is pretty largely agreed upon that you shouldn't do anything but it's so hard for me to believe that none of your studying will give you an advantage before you start. It's just hard to accept.

It's like a 10ft head start in a marathon. It's an advantage that'll evaporate quickly.

 

[Jolie South]

It's like a 10ft head start in a marathon. It's an advantage that'll evaporate quickly.

BINGO!!

Seriously, it really will make little difference in the grand scheme of things. As an example, I have a degree in microbiology and felt that it offered me little advantage except in the 1st lecture of the infectious disease series that talked about what a bacteria is.

The focus of subjects is different in undergrad. While you might know the language of the subjects, you'll still be studying to learn more clinical aspects.