which biochem class to take?

[canis13]

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I'm currently enrolled in an undergrad biochem class, "Principles of Biological Chemistry", at Penn. The course is a 200-level course in the chemistry department, and it requires o-chem as a pre-req (well, you can take ochem concurrently, but I think that's the same thing, and the only other biochem class in the chem department is a 400 level that requires "Principles of Biological Chemistry" class as a pre-req). I thought this was definitely the course that I needed to take to fulfill the biochem requirement at Colorado State.

However, I just met with an admissions counselor at Penn's vet school today, and she told me that I am signed up for the wrong biochem course; instead I should sign up for "Cell Biology & Biochemistry" which is offered by the biology department, and has no pre-reqs as far as I can tell. She said that even though biochemistry is not a definite requirement for Penn, they prefer you to have taken it, and not only that, they want it to be taught with a biological focus/perspective rather than a chemical one and therefore the biology department class ("Cell Biology & Biochemistry") is the better one to take.

Given that Colorado State absolutely requires biochemistry (and a biochem course that has o-chem as a pre-req), and that Penn only strongly recommends it, my natural inclination is to stay enrolled in my current course, despite the Penn vet admission woman's feedback. But I'm just feeling really unsettled after this woman told me that I should consider dropping this class and taking the biology biochem instead and I just want to verify that this would be a bad idea if I want to apply to Colorado State.

Sorry if this question has been asked already. I would email Colorado State directly to ask them, but last time I tried emailing them, they never responded, and given that the first day of class was yesterday, if I need to switch, I should do it now.

 

[twelvetigers]

What's keeping you from wanting to switch if you're only one day in?

And, have you tried calling CSU?

 

[StartingoverVet]

1) My advice: take both. They are in different departments so take one now, one in the spring. Schools don't care when you take em, just that you are doing it. Stay with the biochem which is a required pre-req for some schools this semester, and then take the other one next semester.

2) If for some reason you are precluded: Is Penn your IS school? Based on your location I am guessing it is, in that case that is your best chance to get in somewhere. Listen to what they say.

3) If Penn is not IS, be aware that CSU is VERY hard (not impossible) to get in OOS. Don't kill yourself worrying about that one class if you aren't one of the most competitive applicants.

4) As you know, biochem is not a pre-req at Penn. Some people here have not taken it. If you are a great applicant Penn will overlook that. You better have plenty of other strengths though.

Still, take em both. It can only help you.

 

[hunterjumper12]

If it was me, I would take both. I am in a similar situation, as the recommended BioChem class for pre-vet students at my university is a 2000 level survey chemistry-based biochem class with no prereqs. Since all the schools I am applying to require a biochem course with organic as a prereq, I am taking a graduate level biology-based Biochem class this semester to meet the requirement.

But I agree with the previous poster; I would definitely take the biology-based biochem class, and if you are IS for Penn and OOS for CSU, I wouldn't worry too much about what CSU thought unless you really had your heart set on going there.

 

[canis13]

I really really don't want to take both; I'm doing a post-bacc non-degree seeking semester right now, and I have been planning that I'll be done with all of my coursework by December so that I can work full time in the spring (including having the freedom to move to a different area of the country in order to increase the jobs that I can apply to). And I really don't have a desire to take 2 biochem classes anyway; it just seems like overkill, especially given that you have to take biochem again in vet school anyway.
Penn is my IS, and I am well aware that my strongest chances for getting accepted are at Penn. I'm also aware that the OOS acceptance rate for CSU is something ridiculous like 2%. But, I plan on applying to CSU's DVM/MPH program (which Penn doesn't have), and although I have no idea what the acceptance rates are for DVM/MPH applicants, I'm hoping that it'll be slightly higher than 2% (although I really have no idea). But right now I'm committed to making myself the best applicant I can be for DVM/MPH programs at Tufts and CSU, and I'm trying to figure out if that overrides my desire to be the best Penn applicant possible (didn't think they would be mutually exclusive things, but apparently it is with regards to biochemistry...).

I'm not really sure how strong of an applicant I am; the Penn vet admissions woman today basically said that she wasn't really sure how to evaluate me as a candidate given that I haven't taken the GRE yet, and that I should maybe get more vet experience, but that if I wanted to apply this fall I might have a shot (I'm planning to apply next fall, though).
She said that if I were to take the chemistry biochem course, Penn admissions would definitely see that and count it, but that the biology based class is more ideal. So I'm trying to figure out whether the chemistry biochem course will be weighed the same as my neuroscience psych courses, whereas the biology biochem course would be seen more like my upper division microbio and genetics courses (i.e. not explicit pre-reqs, but very important classes). Or whether there's only a small difference to Penn between the two biochem courses.

Good call on calling CSU, I will call them tomorrow to see if they will accept the biology biochem course; but from re-reading their pre-req requirement information, it looks like only the chemistry biochem course will fulfill their requirements, meaning the biology one would disqualify me as an applicant....

 

[twelvetigers]

Then take the one that works for all the schools.

Don't worry about impressing Penn that much - I think you'll be a pretty impressive applicant anyway. Just my opinion though. 🙂

 

[canis13]

Thanks for the vote of confidence, TT, I definitely need it right now. Only need to crush the GRE, get another 1000 hours of experience, and hope they overlook my science GPA and I might agree with you on being an impressive applicant. Ha.

My mom had the same advice as you...call CSU tomorrow, but don't flip out too much about Penn's not-actually-a-requirement course suggestion, and to chill about the whole thing.

 

[twelvetigers]

No problem. 🙂

Are you applying to any other MPH programs besides Tufts and CSU, d'ya think?

 

[canis13]

As of now, no. Well, if I somehow miraculously get into Cornell, Minnesota, or Wisconsin, and decide to go there, I can apply to their MPH programs after I start vet school (Cornell has a deal with Minnesota's MPH program). For all of the other schools that have DVM/MPH programs, I either won't have the pre-requisites or the schools are located in a place that I can't imagine myself living for 4+ years (or both). But who knows...I still have another year, and I just got a copy of the VMSAR book so I will probably pour over that a bunch more in the coming year.

 

[canis13]

In case anyone comes upon the same problem as me and is reading this thread: Colorado State said that the biology department biochem course would not meet their requirements; they will only count biochem courses that have ochem as a pre-req.

I'm surprised that I'm the seemingly the first person to run into this conundrum on here. But I maybe think the admissions woman at Penn must've made this difference in biochem classes seem more important than it really is; after looking at Penn's required courses webpage, they don't even mention the word "biochem" anywhere, let alone make clear their preference for what type of biochem. So I'm happily staying put in my current class.