Biochem and Organic Chemistry same year?

Student Lounge College Life
1

<p>So I spoke with a pre-med advisor a few days ago and they suggested that I could take organic chem I and II in the same year I take biochem. Is this possible, or would the workload be far too hard?</p>

2

<p>go for it</p>

<p>10char</p>

3

<p>I've taken biochem and pchem in the same semester as organic lab...just don't slack off.</p>

4

<p>At my school you need a year of organic before you take biochem I. A lot of people do biochem and P chem at the same time but I don't think organic and biochem together is a good idea. This semester in organic II we do a lot of mechanisms that, according to my professor, resemble important concepts that we will encounter in biochem. If I were you I would see how organic goes first.</p>

5

<p>^^ Same way at my school, Biochem is an advanced upper level course and requires 2 semesters of O-chem and a couple other Bio courses as prerequisites. Unless your school's version is a watered down (very basic, for non-majors) biochem course, I wouldn't attempt taking it with O-Chem.</p>

6

<p>Both semesters of organic chem were pre-reqs to biochem at my school as well.</p>

7

<p>It depends on the work load and how easy it is for you to grasp the concepts of biochem and organic chemistry. If it's easy for you to understand then it may not be a bad idea to go for both classes in the same semester granted that you are dedicated to your studies. If you struggle with those classes, maybe you shouldn't take them both in the same time frame and allow yourself to really focus on one at a time. You should do what feels comfortable for you.</p>

8

<p>At my school, you need one semester of organic before you can take biochem. It's not unusual for people to take second-semester organic and biochem simultaneously, though--I have a friend who is doing it now. According to her, biochem is way easier than organic is.</p>

9

<p>Like the above have said, it would depend on whether your school allows it. Mine makes you take 2 semesters of OChem as well as Cell Biology and Genetics with a recommended intro Biology course before the student begins the BIOL series. If it's allowed (and I doubt it; especially at Hopkins) then it would just depend on how passionate you are about chemistry and how easily it comes to you.</p>