<p>I'm a high school senior who is interested in going to a medical school after undergraduate.
I'm undecided between bio and biochem.
I like bio, the part about human, cell, molecules, etc. (NOT ecology)
I also enjoy chem, but I don't know that much about it yet.</p>
<p>So my questions are,</p>
<p>How much emphasis would be put on ecology if I chose to take biology (hopefully very little..)?
and
Would I be able to study cells and development in a considerable amount if I chose biochemistry?</p>
<p>I realize colleges have different courses for the same major, but please tell me in general.
If this is hard to answer, can you write a summary of what biology and biochemistry majors usually study?</p>
<p>Biology programs vary widely between institutions, so that’s really not something that can be answered the way you are asking. Look at the Biology and Biochemistry (if there is one) departments in the colleges you are considering. Some schools have multiple biology departments and some may have multiple tracks for biology majors. You just have to slog through and read the requirements.</p>
<p>Sounds like you are interested in developmental and cell biology. Most biology or biochemistry tracks offer flexibility. I bleieve a biology major would take ecology mainly as a part of the gen bio sequence same for biochem. Biochemistry has more chemistry courses which you really need chemistry to understand cells or really anything in biology. You will also probably take microbiology and immunology, genetics, cell bio as well as general, organic, biochemistry, and some physical chemistry and general physics.</p>
<p>In general, most biology programs, at least at larger Universities, tend to be heavy on molecular/cell/genetics/developmental related and lighter on ecology/field/environment related. There is a lot more research money going into the former than the latter, and colleges like faculty to bring in big research grants. But every school is different.</p>
<p>If you go in Biochem, you will be highly prepared for medical school. You are well-rounded in the the biological and chemical sciences. A lot of my classmates in medical school regret they were not so well-rounded, since some of these classes come up again.</p>