Toughest Biology Class?

[BlueCow]

So far biochemistry look like the toughest class I have taken so far. The material is quite challenging but very interesting.

Anyone want to add to this? Are there classes in medical school tougher than biochemistry?

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[Maxprime]

Anyone want to add to this? Are there classes in medical school tougher than biochemistry?

Besides medical biochemistry? 🙂

I'm often told Neuroanatomy is the toughest (at least first year class).

 

[TMP-SMX]

Embryology is a pain in the ass since we had histology and anatomy at the same time. As an undergrad I had developmental biology and that was probably the hardest class I ever took.

 

[Maxprime]

Embryology is a pain in the ass since we had histology and anatomy at the same time. As an undergrad I had developmental biology and that was probably the hardest class I ever took.

For me, I loathe histology & embryology so I'd pick one of those two. I'm a neuro grad student, so I think that's the easiest class. 🙂

It sounds cliche and obvious, but the hardest class is usually the topic you don't enjoy.

The hardest I've ever taken was 'Enzymol Protein Chemistry' at the graduate level. I wasn't a bio undergrad so my sample size is small. But this class was freaking brutal - learning the structure of enzymes (numbered residues and all) and then having to show mechanisms (orgo-style) of the reactions. Awful.

 

[VoiceofReason]

The toughest class really be the one you're least interested in. I find graduate level biochemistry much easier to understand and retain than introductory economics.

 

[Phenol312]

Hardest bio class i have ever taken is Advanced Developmental Biology. Cross listed grad class at my school. My premed adviser actually gave a few lectures in the class and told me that the class has a reputation for ruining premeds lives. The material itself wasnt difficult but the exams were nightmares...instead of having clear cut multiple choice questions it would just be the same answer with terms reversed or switched up like "development starts rostral or caudal" so it really made you second guess yourself. Plus it doesn't help when the professor contradicts himself regularly in lecture and has chicken scratch handwriting 🙄

Something like 3 in 5 undergrads fail ... that being said ill take my C and run with it heh.

 

[Maxprime]

I find graduate level biochemistry much easier to understand and retain than introductory economics.

I cannot disagree with you more. Of course, I can probably assume you were a bio major? I was Econ/Math - intro micro & macro were awesome!

 

[VoiceofReason]

Yeah I was implying that I was very uninterested in economics and very interested in biochemistry, thus econ was difficult for me and biochem was pretty easy.

 

[Maxprime]

Yeah I was implying that I was very uninterested in economics and very interested in biochemistry, thus econ was difficult for me and biochem was pretty easy.

I managed to gather that subtlety. 🙂

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Genetics

 

[EBI831]

wow, am i the only person who loves histo? guess so. i've heard pharm is the hardest actually. but as people say, i've heard the hardest is whatever you dont find interesting enough to read thru/listen to.

 

[patrickd223]

So far biochemistry look like the toughest class I have taken so far. The material is quite challenging but very interesting.

Anyone want to add to this? Are there classes in medical school tougher than biochemistry?

I am only a junior in undergrad but i think you have a misperception about medical school. It isnt that the material is harder, it is just that there is so much of it.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Undergrad, I hated molecular biology. It was probably the most medical-school-like class I took. Not extremely hard material, but a lot of memorization. Tons of transcription factors and enzymes and subunits, and what order they would associate in. A lot of work for little reward (that is, I didn't really learn much that I could apply to biological sciences).

 

[SoFlaKnight]

Undergrad, I hated molecular biology. It was probably the most medical-school-like class I took. Not extremely hard material, but a lot of memorization. Tons of transcription factors and enzymes and subunits, and what order they would associate in. A lot of work for little reward (that is, I didn't really learn much that I could apply to biological sciences).

You beat me to it...Completely agree, TURR-IBLE class...at least Biochem will be remotely useful someday🙄

 

[0Complications]

wow, am i the only person who loves histo? guess so. i've heard pharm is the hardest actually. but as people say, i've heard the hardest is whatever you dont find interesting enough to read thru/listen to.

I loved Pharm, same with neuro anatomy, etc..

But I will give it to whoever said they couldn't stand economics. I loathed that class. Ugggg. Same with Sociology... talk about a flaccid science.

 

[emttim]

I loved Pharm, same with neuro anatomy, etc..

But I will give it to whoever said they couldn't stand economics. I loathed that class. Ugggg. Same with Sociology... talk about a flaccid science.

Amen. I find it appalling that sociology even considers itself a "science" of any kind....talk about a bunch of BS that someone somehow managed to sell to the education system as a legitimate field of study (which it's not).

 

[eclipsey]

You beat me to it...Completely agree, TURR-IBLE class...at least Biochem will be remotely useful someday🙄

+3

I had a fantastic professor though, which made the material a little more bearable. It was still pretty ridiculous.

 

[Cytotoxic]

Why all the molecular bio. hate? I guess I've grown accustomed to/enjoy it since virtually every bio class at my undergrad. is molecular bio-based (gen. bio aside).

 

[doinmybest5840]

I didn't think biochemistry was really difficult, so much as a lot of processes and information to learn. I've only taken it in undergrad though (it's a class taught to both undergrads and pharm students), so I don't know how different it will be in medical school.

 

[PsychPremed]

Amen. I find it appalling that sociology even considers itself a "science" of any kind....talk about a bunch of BS that someone somehow managed to sell to the education system as a legitimate field of study (which it's not).

I took an intro to sociology class and the first thing the professor said was, "Sociology is indeed a science, and we are NOT psychologists." Well as a psych major I was just rolling my eyes--who do these people think they get all their empirical data from?? If anything, they should be thankful for their psychology colleagues. Also, note to anyone who wants to bash psychology as a science--I've heard every argument already! 😉

 

[novastorm]

I loved neuro. My vote would go to immunology or population genetics(the stats in that class make me want to jump off a bridge).

 

[blurry]

Immunology was one of the tougher biology classes for me. Not that it was difficult to understand, but the ridiculous amount of material that needed to be known, combined with the very specific questions that came up on insanely long exams, made it no easy feat.

 

[AlexMorph]

Immunology was one of the tougher biology classes for me. Not that it was difficult to understand, but the ridiculous amount of material that needed to be known, combined with the very specific questions that came up on insanely long exams, made it no easy feat.

I second this.

 

[Depakote]

Embryology is a pain in the ass since we had histology and anatomy at the same time. As an undergrad I had developmental biology and that was probably the hardest class I ever took.

Agreed that embryo is a pain.

I'll say anatomy too, it's interesting, but the volume will make your head explode.

 

[MWK]

Immunology was one of the tougher biology classes for me. Not that it was difficult to understand, but the ridiculous amount of material that needed to be known, combined with the very specific questions that came up on insanely long exams, made it no easy feat.

I just finished up our Immuno class- taught by the guy who does it at our med school, same book, etc (we place less emphasis on disease). Hardest class I've taken in the bio dept, but it was so DAMN fascinating that I loved studying it. I thought our Cell/Molecular Bio class was boring garbage, but I'm sure it laid the groundwork for Immuno and other stuff so I guess it was worth it.


Ecology is tough because all the teachers are insane and hate pre-health students (95% of Bio people these days).

 

[BlueCow]

I didn't think biochemistry was really difficult, so much as a lot of processes and information to learn. I've only taken it in undergrad though (it's a class taught to both undergrads and pharm students), so I don't know how different it will be in medical school.

I felt trying to comprehend how the protein folds in 3D, the mechanism of catalyzing a reaction, and predicting how it could possibly work was quite challenging. The fact that how can each enzyme has a particular shape for each particular reaction and that it interacts with each other in a perfect pattern amazes me. It questions the idea of evolution from a disorder system to an order system. I felt as if life is a perfect well designed system that has been thoroughly tested from an unknown creator.

 

[Cytotoxic]

I felt as if life is a perfect well designed system that has been thoroughly tested from an unknown creator.

👎

 

[novastorm]

👎

*Gets a fire hose and puts this out before it gets out of hand*

 

[drgop1]

Microbiology kicked my Butt!! Learning the names of so many insignificant creatures is not FUN! I barely made the B! God Bless the Curve😀

 

[da8s0859q]

*Gets a fire hose and puts this out before it gets out of hand*

No joke.

Biochem was a bit rough for me but not TOO terrible; taking neurobio next semester, so we'll see.

 

[novastorm]

No joke.

Biochem was a bit rough for me but not TOO terrible; taking neurobio next semester, so we'll see.

Neurobiology is great...you should enjoy it a lot, I absolutely loved it, lots of stuff to memorize though so be wary.

 

[SoFlaKnight]

Agreed that embryo is a pain.

I'll say anatomy too, it's interesting, but the volume will make your head explode.

+3

After Molec. Bio, Human Clinical Embryological Development and Malformations was a close second in difficulty. We were given old USMLE questions for our exams, and the tests would be curved a good 20-30+ points-so nobody truly earned an A. I think the reason Embryo is so rough for most, is due to the fact that no one is really aware of the content beforehand (as opposed to most other science classes). It's basically the developmental study of an alien organism.

 

[novastorm]

+3

After Molec. Bio, Human Clinical Embryological Development and Malformations was a close second in difficulty. We were given old USMLE questions for our exams, and the tests would be curved a good 20-30+ points-so nobody truly earned an A. I think the reason Embryo is so rough for most, is due to the fact that no one is really aware of the content beforehand (as opposed to most other science classes). It's basically the developmental study of an alien organism.

Our neurobiology is taught at the medical school. They slip in clinical questions in for fun.

 

[gujuDoc]

So far biochemistry look like the toughest class I have taken so far. The material is quite challenging but very interesting.

Anyone want to add to this? Are there classes in medical school tougher than biochemistry?

I've heard that many people consider Gross anatomy to be one of the worst classes of first year med school and second year it just depends on what you are strong or weak in but anything related to Renal system is supposed to be the worst from what some UMiami students say.

Some people find second year tougher because its dealing with what happens when the body becomes ill whereas first year deals more with what happens when its in tact.

A lot of pathology type of stuff in second year at a lot of places.

Biochem in med school is more focused towards understanding key regulatory steps, knowing what happens when defects occur in these key regulatory enzymes, etc. Less of the tracing carbon kind of stuff undergrad biochem is made up of. I found grad school biochem (same ppts as med students use) to be much easier then undergrad biochem where we had to memorize every single structure and know how to trace carbons and solve useless log equations with a log table instead of calculator in less amount of time.

 

[DoctaJay]

Plant Biology hands down 🙂. The lack of interest almost destroy my GPA that semester .

 

[TheRealMD]

Any class that doesn't truly interest you. This hopefully explains my A in biochem but my B in anatomy where the prof made it truly horrible to set foot in his class. Biochem was harder too but I enjoyed working hard at it.