Academics
Faculty: Dr. Martin Schmidt, Dr. Wayne Wilson, Dr. Tom Mueller
Ingredients:
Lectures by Biochemistry faculty
Lecture handouts (DMU generously provides these for free & delivers them to
your mailbox)
This course consists of:
5 section exams
1 cumulative final exam (will be counted twice if that score can replace a lower
score from one of the 5 section exams)
Recipe for Success (from the kitchen of Garrett Melick & Audris Fan):
For many of you, this will likely be one of your toughest classes of first year, if not THE toughest. Even if you took Biochemistry as an undergrad, do not overlook this course. Lectures are taught at the medical professional level and not at the Ph.D. level -- Thank goodness! There are very interesting clinical correlations that make the learning worthwhile and that much more exciting. Don’t be scared by how thick the handout packet is -- it’s a fairly easy read. The amount of material covered in the course can be overwhelming, so be prepared to take exams every other week. DO THE OBJECTIVES! They provide a good outline of what the exam will focus on. DO THE PRACTICE TESTS AS WELL! Questions will occasionally come directly from there!
Compared to the other exams, the first evaluation is extremely light in terms of course material, so really try to take advantage of it. The second and third exams have historically been the hardest ones, so make sure you keep up with the material -- I wrote down the pathways for about an hour each night before going to bed, and that seemed to work out pretty well. The second and third exams covering macromolecule metabolism are most difficult for people because of the amount of content that needs to be integrated, so flowcharts may be your best tool, especially for those of you that are visual learners. The fourth exam covers biochemical genetics. Many would agree that the concepts are much easier to understand than those covered in the previous two exams so, again, be sure to take advantage of this one. Finally, you have a comprehensive exam at the end of the course, so be sure to keep your notes up to date -- it may take some time to find out what works for you, so adjust your old study guides accordingly and don’t be afraid to ask for help from the many tutors available. Good luck!
BIOCHEMISTRY / MOLECULAR GENETICS (4.5 credit hours)
7