Hi, can anyone from this program describe this program to me?
If you're from just biochem or biochem:biomed, I would love to hear opinions from both like in terms of workload, how is it compared to other programs, what you learn in this program, labs, etc, etc

Thanks!

Hey VoyozooT,

Questions about difficulty, workload, etc are quite common for biochem students, so here's just a copy+paste of a response I've given to several other prospective biochem students. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

Originally Posted by kennet526

I love biochemistry. You essentially use chemical approaches to answer biological questions at the molecular level. In terms of marks, I think the average CA in my year was around 8.5-88ish. I'm not sure if most students in biochem got 11/12 in both first year chemistry classes, but I wouldn't be surprised since biochem attracts students who have a pretty strong understanding of chemistry.

It's hard to say if your marks will "improve" based on the program you choose because that's entirely up to you. There isn't a ridiculously high jump in difficulty from level 1 science to level 2 biochemistry, but if you you slack off and take your foot off the gas pedal your marks will drop. I pretty much tell this to all students interested in entering the biochemistry program and worrying that their marks will drop: if you put in a fair and genuine amount of work into your classes, you'll get a Dean's Honour List GPA (>9.5). In terms of the courses, here's my quick rundown of them:

Biochem 2L06: Easy, but don't underestimate it. The class average was around 85%. Out of the 18-20 labs we did throughout the year, only one of them lasted four hours. They're usually 2-3 hours long.
Biochem 2B03: It's pretty much pure memorization. The group project and exam makes this class a double digit grade class (10,11,12).
Biochem 2BB3: I loved proteins before this class and hated them afterward. The content is dry and the weekly quizzes are wordy. I got a 9 in this class but probably could have pulled off an 11 if I did better on the first assignment.
Organic Chemistry 2OA3: Hard class. Put a lot of work into it and you can get a good mark (I suck at organic chemistry and I pulled off a 10 here)
Organic Chemistry 2OB3: Very hard class. Lots of reactions and mechanisms to know. The exam for this class was probably the hardest I've written at University.
Chem Bio 2P03: Not too hard. The midterms have two types of questions: computation (i.e. calculations) and theory (statement) questions. The former are easy if you know the formulas, the latter are a bit tricky. The group project and homework assignments make this a double digit class though.
Biology 2B03: Easy class. Double digit.

When I say "easy", I mean if you genuinely study 4-6 days before the midterm/exam, you will get a good mark. When I say "hard", I don't mean give up all hope because it's impossible to get a good grade: I just mean that I found the class challenging.

In terms of workload, yeah there is a lot. You definitely won't be deprived of a social life, but you will need to put a lot of effort into your schoolwork. I was a Community Advisor in residence during my second year and I found time for academics and CA duties (my marks actually went up in first term).

I was wondering, on the biochemistry site, it says that biochem/biomed is part of health sciences..
does that mean we graduate with a bhsc diploma?

Nope. It's a weird dynamic: you get a BSc, but the department is technically both Faculties.

I was wondering why people said first year is the hardest year, and things go easier after first year. Does anyone in this program feel that way??

Its not necessarily the content that gets easier; its that you get more used to it. The ability to manage your time with extra curiculars etc. In my opinion; highschool --> university is a VERY BIG transition.. so its just that academics in that transitions can spell disaster for some ppl

I just finished my 2nd year in biochem... and I can tell you that there is a lot of workload compared to first year...
its suppose to get better for 3rd year for people in core... however for those in the specialization, the workload would probably remain the same due to pre-reqs like 3rd year orgo, and lab courses

the thing is weird with biochemistry... although our graduate program is part of the health sci faculty, the undergrad is not
still a bachelor of science