Is IB chemistry for me?

[Miya0o0o]

Hello everyone, I need your help and advise on a problem I am facing. I will be starting the IB course next year summer and I don't know whether to choose chemistry or not. My first choice for uni is to go into medical school. I love biology but i dislike chemistry. I always ask myself that do i really want to go into medicine and do chemistry for a longer time if i dont enjoy it. Will chemistry be a nightmare for me in IB? I am thinking of doing Biology, Maths and Chemistry at higher level but will these choices be too stressful for me to handle. I wouldn't want this to affect the points i get at the end of the exams. So please help me out!

Edited December 13, 2009 by Miya0o0o

[__inthemaking]

If you're going into medicine, even if you don't take chem now, you will need to take it all throughout university. I'm not a huge fan of chemistry either but chem HL wasn't that hard, it's better to develop a solid background now in high school.

My school didn't give us the choice, but I would've went with bio, chem and maths at HL if I could've so I highly recommend it.

[Tilia]

Well, personally I find chemistry fairly easy, but a lot of my classmates don't. If you take it, you will have to spend time on it, since it does require effort. If you want to do medicine you'll have to do it, I'm afraid.

However, if you really want to do medicine, I think you should be able to endure it, since you have a goal to strive towards and that always makes things easier. You can always try chemistry and then switch if you don't like it.

[biochem]

Those choices will have you working, sometimes several deadlines might be in the works and due on the same day, but overall the choices you have made will critically aid in your path to med school. So I say do it.

chemistry will be lots of work, and what others dont understand is, that it will take a lot of problem solving. Thats the only way you can do it and be successful. Practicing your problem sets.

so do it if you are serious about the career choice and want to work (which you should if you are pre-med interested)

[Miya0o0o]

Thanks a lot guys! You have no idea how much easier things seem in my head now due to your comments!

[Dreamer94]

I took chemistry at the begining of the year, and halfway through the quarter I dropped. I seriously could not take it anymore. The nature of Chemistry, I found, was extremely different than biology. Chemistry is more of a problem solving course, just like biochem said, and requires a lot of time to grasp the concepts, whereas, in biology, all you had to do is memorize them (in my view).

So, unless you like Chemistry, I don't recommend it. Then again if you need it for medicine that's a completely different thing. Even if you will suffer throughout these two years, it's much better than to learn it now and get a head start than learn it later.

Edited December 13, 2009 by Dreamer94

[Austin Glau]

Dreamer94

Chemistry is more of a problem solving course

Yes, that is why I found it somewhat difficult. Not only do you need it for medicine, but You would also need it for crime investigation, microbiology, ect. It is quite difficult if your learning is not oreinted towards the problem solving. You also have to memorize a lot (at least in my class). But as long as you get the core concepts, and you know how to apply them, chemistry shouldn't be difficult.

[Miya0o0o]

Thanks! Ya i guess you all are right with problem solving aspect of chemistry. I am up for chemistry then!