Curriculum

Students who have not taken a biochemistry course prior to medical school are strongly encouraged to do some preparation in advance of the Applied Biochemistry course, as noted below.

In the Q1 (Autumn Quarter, First Year) Biochemistry course, fundamental concepts of metabolic biochemistry will be presented while providing an introduction to the application of biochemical principles and facts to clinical medicine.  Basic biochemistry concepts will be reviewed and reinforced through clinical applications and problem-solving approaches.  Specific topics to be covered include metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids and nucleic acids, and the integration of metabolic pathways.   The course focuses on clinical applications of biochemistry principles, and some prior coursework in biochemistry is assumed.  Students who have not taken biochemistry as part of their undergraduate curriculum may benefit from consulting one of the following resources prior to beginning this course.

Textbook of Biochemistry with Clinical Correlations by Thomas M. Devlin (7th edition) (ISBN 978-0470281734).  This book focuses on biochemistry in a medical context and includes numerous clinical vignettes.

Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry by David L. Nelson and Michael M. Cox (6th edition) (ISBN 978-1429234146).  This classic biochemistry textbook covers biochemistry and metabolism more broadly and with more chemical detail than does Devlin.

Please note:  Both of these books are available from Amazon or other book retailers (including university bookstores).  Earlier editions of both books are also widely available and may be substantially less expensive.  The content of the books has changed very little over the past two editions and students can use the earlier editions for adequate preparation.

Applied Biochemistry Final Exam: The final exam will take place on the morning of Friday 11/20/15.