Where can I take a Biochemistry Lab?

[chunkyfilms]

I'm registered to take a 3 credit Intro to Biochem lecture, but I'm looking to add a lab in the future just in case I need it. The school I'm taking it at doesn't offer a lab at all. They're going to start offering a 4 credit Biochem course during the winter but it will still just be a lecture course. I'm having trouble finding a place that offers just the lab by itself. Some of the schools I looked at require either lecture and lab be taken together, 2 semesters of biochem before taking a lab section, or Orgo 2 before taking Biochem lecture + lab together. Many of the med schools I've looked at and emailed accept a semester of Biochem in place of Orgo 2. Some don't require a Biochem lab. I've already taken Orgo 1 w/lab. Does anyone know of any schools that offer a biochem lab only (preferably in-person)? I'm in NYC.

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[Orangekiwi]

Can I ask why you think you'll need it? I'm not aware of any medical schools that specifically require a biochem lab. AMCAS considers biochem to be chemistry, so unless you're short a gen chem lab somewhere I don't think it should be an issue. A lot of people will tell you that biochem labs are long, tedious and boring, and they would be correct. They're also often difficult. Unless you're deeply interested in the techniques of protein purification, I wouldn't recommend it

 

[chunkyfilms]

Can I ask why you think you'll need it? I'm not aware of any medical schools that specifically require a biochem lab. AMCAS considers biochem to be chemistry, so unless you're short a gen chem lab somewhere I don't think it should be an issue. A lot of people will tell you that biochem labs are long, tedious and boring, and they would be correct. They're also often difficult. Unless you're deeply interested in the techniques of protein purification, I wouldn't recommend it

I have labs for Gen Chem 1, Gen Chem 2, and Orgo 1. It depends on the schools because some of the schools require a biochem lab. I'm planning on applying to DO schools too. Touro NY allows 4 hours of biochem to meet the 8 hours of organic chemistry, but 2 hours need to be a laboratory. NYITCOM requires 4 hours of biochemistry with lab if it's being used to replace Orgo 2. Mount Sinai requires a semester each of Orgo and Biochem with labs. PCOM is okay with 3 hours of biochem but they require 16 hours of chemistry so I'd be 1 hour short. The University of Central Florida requires Biochem w/lab if it is used to substitute Orgo 2. I could wait until winter to take the 4 credit Biochem course for the schools that require 4 hours but don't state that a lab is needed.

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[MyOdyssey]

I have labs for Gen Chem 1, Gen Chem 2, and Orgo 1. It depends on the schools because some of the schools require a biochem lab. I'm planning on applying to DO schools too. Touro NY allows 4 hours of biochem to meet the 8 hours of organic chemistry, but 2 hours need to be a laboratory. NYITCOM requires 4 hours of biochemistry with lab if it's being used to replace Orgo 2. Mount Sinai requires a semester each of Orgo and Biochem with labs. PCOM is okay with 3 hours of biochem but they require 16 hours of chemistry so I'd be 1 hour short. The University of Central Florida requires Biochem w/lab if it is used to substitute Orgo 2. I could wait until winter to take the 4 credit Biochem course for the schools that require 4 hours but don't state that a lab is needed.

Academic Requirements

Our first requirement: you must have the passion and drive to become a physician.

tourocom.touro.edu

How to Apply to the D.O. Program

New York Tech at nyit.edu

www.nyit.edu

MD Program Admissions & Requirements | Icahn School of Medicine

Learn more about the MD Program admissions & application requirements for the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, located in New York City.

icahn.mssm.edu

M.D. Admission Requirements – College of Medicine

med.ucf.edu

Or you could just take orgo 2 with lab. Finding a stand alone biochem lab course for credit will be difficult.

You might consider doing research for credit in a biochem lab, as opposed to a stand alone biochem lab course.

 

[Orangekiwi]

Do you have any ability to take orgo 2? I think there are some schools that require that as well- ultimately if you have to make a choice biochem is probably a more useful one, but there are a lot of foundational concepts to biochemistry that you usually learn in orgo 2, and if your biochem class is mechanism heavy you might struggle. Do you have a strong understanding of ketone, aldehyde, alcohol and carb. acid rxns? What about nucleophilic acyl substitutions? You might be able to memorize your way through biochem but its definitely way easier and infinitely more enjoyable if you understand the chemistry that underlies it, and I can't imagine myself having had that without orgo 2.

 

[chunkyfilms]

Or you could just take orgo 2 with lab. Finding a stand alone biochem lab course for credit will be difficult.

You might consider doing research for credit in a biochem lab, as opposed to a stand alone biochem lab course.

I could just take Orgo 2 w/lab but more schools are requiring biochem sometimes in place of Orgo 2. So I'd be taking an extra class. I already graduated so taking these classes is getting expensive out of pocket. I didn't think about a biochem lab research credit. Thank you for the suggestion. I will look that up now.

 

[chunkyfilms]

Do you have any ability to take orgo 2? I think there are some schools that require that as well- ultimately if you have to make a choice biochem is probably a more useful one, but there are a lot of foundational concepts to biochemistry that you usually learn in orgo 2, and if your biochem class is mechanism heavy you might struggle. Do you have a strong understanding of ketone, aldehyde, alcohol and carb. acid rxns? What about nucleophilic acyl substitutions? You might be able to memorize your way through biochem but its definitely way easier and infinitely more enjoyable if you understand the chemistry that underlies it, and I can't imagine myself having had that without orgo 2.

I have the ability to take it but it's more expensive. More schools are requiring Biochem (more frequently over Orgo 2) and its heavy on the MCAT so I thought it would be better to just skip Orgo 2. It's one less class I'd have to take. I will say that while I was going back to look at the biochem requirements to reference to you here I saw that many of the schools on my list now say that 3 hours of biochem is fine, some say lab is preferred but not required, and others just say one semester of biochem. So maybe I'll be fine at a good number of schools.

From the syllabus:

Lesson 1: Atoms; Life; Water
Lesson 2: Protein composition, structure, and function
Lesson 3: Enzymes; Carbohydrates; Lipids
Lesson 4: Membranes; Signal transduction pathways; Digestion
Lesson 5: Metabolism; Glycolysis; Acetyl CoA
Lesson 6: The Citric Acid Cycle
Lesson 7: Nucleic acid structure and DNA replication
Lesson 8: RNA synthesis, processing and regulation
Lesson 9: Protein synthesis

The course assumes that the students are familiar with basic biology and chemistry.

 

[MyOdyssey]

I have the ability to take it but it's more expensive. More schools are requiring Biochem (more frequently over Orgo 2) and its heavy on the MCAT so I thought it would be better to just skip Orgo 2. It's one less class I'd have to take. I will say that while I was going back to look at the biochem requirements to reference to you here I saw that many of the schools on my list now say that 3 hours of biochem is fine, some say lab is preferred but not required, and others just say one semester of biochem. So maybe I'll be fine at a good number of schools.

From the syllabus:

Lesson 1: Atoms; Life; Water
Lesson 2: Protein composition, structure, and function
Lesson 3: Enzymes; Carbohydrates; Lipids
Lesson 4: Membranes; Signal transduction pathways; Digestion
Lesson 5: Metabolism; Glycolysis; Acetyl CoA
Lesson 6: The Citric Acid Cycle
Lesson 7: Nucleic acid structure and DNA replication
Lesson 8: RNA synthesis, processing and regulation
Lesson 9: Protein synthesis

The course assumes that the students are familiar with basic biology and chemistry.

A lot of medical schools still require 2 semesters of orgo. Prepare yourself to apply to as wide a range of schools as you can by taking orgo 2.

 

[chunkyfilms]

Several CUNY schools as well as SUNY on LI offer separate Biochem Labs as a quick google search indicated with few examples below
CUNY: City College, Lehman, Hunter, Queens
SUNY: old westbury and stony brook

I already looked up those schools. The labs are listed as a separate section but you must register for lecture concurrently. Lehman requires 2 semesters of biochem before taking their Biochem course.