Just got accepted. First year jitters setting in. How much biochem/ochem should I review before Fall?

[catbeans]

I struggled in biochem over the summer but ended up passing with an A due to a GRACIOUS curve in the course. Particularly never understood determining pKa and determining pH of different amino acids. Does anyone have any great resources for studying this or will this be reviewed during first year?

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[JaynaAli]

There is no need to study prior to vet school. Enjoy your time off. Things you need to know will be taught or you can review them as they come up.

 

[Trilt]

I will more strongly say:

DO NOT DARE OPEN AN O CHEM OR BIOCHEMISTRY BOOK (/video, reference, etc) THE SUMMER BEFORE VET SCHOOL.

you are going to be fed information through multiple fire hoses soon enough. take your time of to breaaathe and relax and do something fun.

 

[battie]

Don't study. I don't even remember having to do legit biochem math for pka or pH while I vet school.

 

[DVMDream]

The only things to study are the inside of your eyelids, or the scenery of some nearby hiking trails, or that fun book you've been wanting to get lost in but have been too busy to read, or the menu of your favorite restaurant, or the fun things you do with friends/family, etc, etc.

Absolutely zero school work. Nada. Zip. Zero. I don't even remember pKa or figuring out pH of amino acids (that's a thing?). Yeah seriously these didn't come up in vet school.

 

[TheDogFather]

Don't bother reviewing anything. Realize that vet school is all about quantity over quality. Perhaps 30% of what you cover during your four years in school will have any clinical relevance. The rest is pretty much filler. Much of what you will "learn" can be regurgitated on a test and then forgotten. Two suggestions though: if an instructor tells you to try to understand overarching concepts and not worry about details, you'd best try to memorize as much trivia from as many Power Point slides as you can. Sort of a corollary to that suggestion: if you want to prepare for vet school lectures, browse the internet for a detailed set of Power Point slides on any random topic: finance, aviation, cooking, art, history, auto mechanics--whatever. Memorize them. The next day, pick another topic and do the same, then return to another set of slides on the first topic. Repeat for a week or two. Multiply both the number of topics and the length of study by five or six and you will get a pretty good idea of your first couple of years of vet school.

 

[TheGirlWithTheFernTattoo]

I would also strongly recommend not studying ahead of time. Take advantage of your last bit of time before vet school to try some hobbies and do some fun things you've always wanted to do, since your schedule may very well not allow it in vet school. I have a large amount of regret for the amount of cool opportunities I gave up in my pre-vet days thanks to my neurotic focus on getting in to vet school.

Literally nothing from o-chem every showed up in my vet school curriculum that I can remember. As for biochem, they didn't expect any of us to remember much of it so they reviewed all the stuff they actually cared for us to know. For the chemistry pk stuff, they again didn't expect us to remember it so we were taught from scratch and to a much lesser degree than the undergrad courses.

Also spoiler: as a 4th year I have now re-forgotten basically all of that biochem/ochem/chem stuff I had to do in first year. Still doing well on clinics, hasn't really impacted me. You'll be fine.

 

[Red147]

To echo everyone else here - please please please do not study. IF doing something to prepare will help you calm your jitters the only thing I can suggest is to prepare your study stuff. For example, if you plan to use Anki or good notes etc - you could just make sure you know how to work those things (but also be ready to be VERY flexible with how you study in school because it will likely change). Otherwise engage with your hobbies because you will miss them when school starts!

 

[CalliopeDVM]

Don't study ahead of time -- especially OChem or Biochem! If you're excited and feel like you have to study something, learn and get comfortable with medical terminology. You'll use that far more often than chemistry!

 

[that redhead]

What’s an amino acid?



Just kidding. Like others have said, no need to study ahead of time. They’ll teach you what they want you to know. Enjoy this time!

 

[gottadvm]

lol ... take all that biochem and orgo and go run your car or tractor over it. You won't/don't need it anymore/ever again (unless you decide to do a phd or something in those areas).

 

[turnandburn]

Don't study. Bask in your acceptance and enjoy life!

 

[Hannah Nelson]

I struggled in biochem over the summer but ended up passing with an A due to a GRACIOUS curve in the course. Particularly never understood determining pKa and determining pH of different amino acids. Does anyone have any great resources for studying this or will this be reviewed during first year?

Definitley enjoy your summer!!! We review what we need to about relevant basic sciences in classes!

 

[Drjc1977]

I struggled in biochem over the summer but ended up passing with an A due to a GRACIOUS curve in the course. Particularly never understood determining pKa and determining pH of different amino acids. Does anyone have any great resources for studying this or will this be reviewed during first year?

Just take it easy and relax. Enjoy the free time. You will know soon enough of what you need to know. Though biochemistry may have been a challenge for you, you have learned more than you think. So be nice to yourself.