Taking biochem, o-chem and biology together?

[ajswiss]

I would love some advice from anyone who has done this or is doing this. I am taking physics and math this year, will be taking chemistry over the summer and next year I hope to take biochem, ochem, and biology at the same time. I am wondering if this might be too much to take at once. I'll be taking the mcat at the end of next year and want to be as prepared as possibly. I will be applying to med school that spring/summer (my 'junior year') and am also trying to make sure my application is strong at that point. Would taking other classes besides biochem be more beneficial? Ethics perhaps? My #1 school choice is OHSU, is that matters at all.


Thanks so much for your time and any advice you can provide!

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[Handyman73]

I guess it depends a great deal on your past performance. That sounds like a potentially bad load, though, so I would be careful. I tried a similar load in college after switching majors and did not do all that well.

My biggest failure in college was trying to pack everything in and finish on time. If you can do it and get "As", then do so. If you cannot, spread it out, get some more extracurriculars, enjoy life and apply a year later.

If you are impatient, go overboard and don't do well in those classes, you will spend years trying to make up for it. (Trust me, I know!)

 

[NukeQuazar]

I hope to take biochem, ochem, and biology at the same time.

General biology and organic chem are usually prerequisites for biochem. My biochem professor says something like "I hope you remember from organic chemistry..." during almost every lecture. Also, the pathways you learn in biochem are all introduced in bio. I think you would be lost in biochem, and have a really hard time doing well in o.chem while taking two other lab science courses...

 

[akinetopsia]

I know at my school most courses have prerequisites aside from the basics, i.e. for animal or plant biology, you have to have cell biology, and for biochemistry you have to have cell bio, animal bio, and organic chemistry I & II completed-and for organic you need to have gen chem I & II completed-the exception is if you have the permission of the instructor. It does sound like a heavy load to me.

I'm taking gen chem I, cell bio and a & p this semester and it hasn't been that bad once I got back into the swing of things after being out of school for several years (graduated in 2003). You know what you are capable of, and if you think you can handle it, go for it, but don't sabotage your chances by taking on more than you can handle at a time.

 

[ajswiss]

Thanks for your input, everyone. At my school biochem only has a chemistry prerequisite. But after further consideration, I think it does seem too heavy a course load. I suppose I am just being impatient- it's tough not to be! But I think extending my BS an extra year will enable me to make my application stronger than if I tried to pack it all in! Being a non-trad, and entering the game so late anyway, I feel alot of pressure (from myself only) to move ahead to the next phase asap!

Thanks everyone!

 

[Handyman73]

IMO, this is a wise decision on your part. Slow and steady wins the race. Give yourself every possible chance to get the best grades you can....

Good luck!

 

[erskine]

I took biochem, ochem, and a biology class at the same time. It wasn't fun, but it's definitely doable if you're committed.

How good are you at memorization? Ochem is one of the hardest undergraduate courses and they throw tons of new reactions and concepts at you in every lecture. Not to mention that the labs are pretty intense as well.

At my school biochemistry also entailed a lot of memorization (all twenty amino acids, sugar structures up to 10C chain and all their conformations, all these damn catabolic and metabolic intermediaries, and so forth...) But if you're willing to put in the hard work it's definitely doable.

 

[njbmd]

I would love some advice from anyone who has done this or is doing this. I am taking physics and math this year, will be taking chemistry over the summer and next year I hope to take biochem, ochem, and biology at the same time. I am wondering if this might be too much to take at once. I'll be taking the mcat at the end of next year and want to be as prepared as possibly. I will be applying to med school that spring/summer (my 'junior year') and am also trying to make sure my application is strong at that point. Would taking other classes besides biochem be more beneficial? Ethics perhaps? My #1 school choice is OHSU, is that matters at all.


Thanks so much for your time and any advice you can provide!

You are going to find out whether this plan is workable in a very short period of time (about the time of your first exams). You can only go as fast as you are able to do well. Trying to speed through this process but getting mediocre grades is a "kiss of death". You get one shot not to "screw the pooch" so make sure you have a back-up plan in case your ambition gets the best of you. If you get everything done and score well on the MCAT then your plan worked but bail and have a back-up at the first sign of trouble.

 

[engineeredout]

Taking all three doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense. Forget that its a difficult course load, but general bio and orgo make the foundations for biochem. Orgo and bio together maybe, but not biochem at the same time.