Pre-Med Q&ACategory: Scheduling and ClassesBiochem courseloafd
AvatarA. asked 3 years ago

Is 16-17 credits with biochem a large load to take And handle along with the usual research and extracurriculars.
biochem-4 crefits
physiology bio 225- 4 credits 
Bio 222- 4 credit
psych 280- 4 credits
 

1 Answers
AvatarIsabel answered 3 years ago

Hey! Thanks for the question.
While 16 credits is a manageable load while taking biochem in general, I would not recommend taking more than 2 STEM classes in one semester. If you have the flexibility to push one or two of these classes back a semester, I would do your best to split them up because they are all known to be time-consuming.
Biochem is definitely a time-consuming course that requires many hours of studying and memorization. For me, it felt like a step up from the time I spent studying from 100- and 200- level bio/chem courses. In addition, biochem is a huge chunk of the MCAT and the most applicable to med school, so doing well in this class is important! For that reason, it could be especially beneficial to postpone this class and take it the semester before you take the MCAT.
I actually took physiology (225) and biochem (310) together last fall semester and I found that the time studying required felt over-bearing in combination with all my extra-curriculars. I ended up dropping biochem early in the semester and plan to retake it when I have more time to focus on mastering the content.
That being said, the rest of your schedule looks good and will give you a great foundation for future semesters.
Good luck! Feel free to reach out again, either through this Q&A or online advising hours, if you have any further questions! We would be more than happy to help you plan future semesters.
Isabel, PMH advisor

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