Advice for Entering Biochem MSc./PhD after Phys. BSc.?

[ecneicScience]

I have a BSc. Honours Physics degree and I have summer research experience in Biophysics and Computational Chemistry. I want to enter a grad school program where I may use the basic physics that I've acquired throughout my undergrad degree, but where the focus is around biological function. The truth is that I feel I've taken enough physics courses in my life. I'm specifically interested in genomics as well as computationally modelling biomolecules, which has lead me to look at Biochemistry programs.

To anyone that is entered a biochemistry program (or any other interdisciplinary program) from a physics degree, did you do prior coursework to catch up? Did you feel like you were disadvantaged? Was there anything beneficial about having a physics background? Any recommendations for biochemistry grad schools that welcome physics backgrounds?

 

[wilsont23274]

I would definitely recommend doing prior coursework to catch up if you feel you need more knowledge in the areas relevant to the program you're aiming for. It is likely that there will be topics in biochemistry which you haven't covered in your physics degree, and having a good understanding of the fundamentals of biochemistry can be very helpful. It could also be beneficial to take specialized courses related to the specific area that you're interested in such as genomics or computational modelling. This way, you could demonstrate your commitment and interest in the field.In terms of the advantages of having a physics background, it may help you to approach problems from a different perspective than other students. Physics is highly analytical and mathematical, so a physics degree could help you to think outside of the box when tackling problems. Additionally, having experience in experimental techniques used in physics might give you an edge in the lab.As for specific recommendations for biochemistry grad schools, I would suggest looking at the research interests of professors at different universities and contacting them to get more information about their programs. Some universities may have interdisciplinary programs which combine physics and biochemistry. You can also look into individual courses offered at each school to see if they match what you're looking for.