<p>Hi, I've applied to Notre Dame and if accepted I'm really interested in going the pre-med track as a biochem major. However I've been hearing that its a really tough major and a lot of kids struggle to do well in it. I'm hoping to enjoy my college life along with the school work and I know I'll have to work hard in any major I choose but I don't want to burn myself out. Any advice or input?</p>
<p>Hi there! I’m currently a junior biochem major and am applying to medical school. 
The people you’ve been talking to have not been lying. It is a really tough major, one of the toughest at Notre Dame. If you want to go the easy way out, then do something like SCPP instead. However, here are my top reasons you should be a biochem major:</p>
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<li><p>The chem/biochem majors are a really tight knit bunch. There is a lot of support and people work together on problem sets all the time. People usually work in smaller groups, but, if the pset is particularly tough, we’ve had almost the entire class together working it out. Unlike some of the pre-professional classes (you’ll have to take some classes with them as a biochem), people aren’t fighting over grades. We all know how hard the major is and if someone is struggling, people will help them out. Also, there aren’t a ton of us, so we know pretty much everyone in the major. We even have parties (real ones, not the nerd fests my roommates imagine whenever I tell them I’m going to a chem/biochem party). This would be unheard of in SCPP or biology because there are just too many of them. People have also been known to bring treats to class for everyone and upperclassmen are often willing to offer their advice or lend out old tests and notes for studying.</p></li>
<li><p>Your medical school application. Your GPA will most likely take a hit (it’s a lot easier to get good grades in SCPP classes); however, medical schools will take into consideration that you go to Notre Dame and that you are a biochem major. Biochem majors tend to do better on the MCAT and have a higher rate of acceptance than the overall acceptance rate to medical schools. You will also have better opportunities for research and will usually have better relationships with your professors because of the small class sizes (think recommendation letters…).</p></li>
<li><p>You will learn more and be better prepared for medical school. There have been times when I’ve wanted to smack myself for picking biochemistry. Especially since so many of my friends are arts and letters/business and seem to have so much more free time on their hands… However, I like the challenge and I feel that biochemistry is the major that will best prepare me for medical school. It is tough, but medical school will be even more so and I’d like to be prepared, both with the strongest basis in science that Notre Dame can provide me with as well as with the capacity to handle the stress of medical school.</p></li>
<li><p>Above all, I am a biochem major because I love science. Medical schools want to see you pick a major you are interested in and to find something you are passionate about. If you like science and really want to learn it right, be a biochem major, not SCPP/ALPP. Not only will you get a chance to learn more, but you will be around people who love the science, instead of people who are only there to fight you for an A and get into medical school. There are times when I want to pull my hair out, but then there are the moments when suddenly everything makes sense and I realize how cool the subject really is and why I chose it in the first place.</p></li>
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<p>Lastly, if you are worried about burning out. It’s true, a lot of people drop out of the major; however, a lot of people are successful with it. And, as I mentioned before, we do still have time to party. I have had plenty of time to go out and enjoy college while still doing well in the major. I LOVE it here. Yes, you will have to work a lot and maybe even sacrifice a weekend night here and there to study, but I usually manage to go out at least twice a week and rarely do any work at all on Friday/Saturday nights. You won’t have as much free time as someone in A&L, but you won’t have to spend as much time on homework as the engineers do either. If you learn to manage your time, you can do well, be involved in campus activities, and still have some time to do whatever it is that you enjoy.</p>
<p>I’m getting a little rambly here, so I’ll leave it at that. But if you want more details or have any questions, let me know. Feel free to PM me also.</p>
<p>I kinda wanna smack myself for taking scpp XD. lol. I thought about doing biochem but the prospect of taking classes harder than orgo made my heart stop</p>
<p>So jkim, is scpp too hard or too easy?</p>
<p>lol its actually pretty easy except orgo. Orgo is naturally a difficult class and my professor blows so its a horrible combo for me</p>
<p>oh man is that a tough major you are getting yourself into. good luck.</p>