Post-Bac Premed Course Descriptions


CHE 540. Principles of Chemistry I
Introduction to the fields of organic, physical, and inorganic chemistry including atomic structure, molecular structure, chemical bonding, common types of reactions, stoichiometry, and acid-base chemistry. Laboratory work will support theoretical principles.
Lecture and laboratory on an accelerated pace; 4 credits. Enrollment limited to post-baccalaureate premedical students.
Summer 1 Term. Ahmed-Schofield, Gulian, Tate.

CHE 541. Principles of Chemistry II
Second semester of PBPM chemistry sequence including kinetics, thermodynamics, equilibrium, reaction mechanisms, acid-base chemistry, galvanic and electrolytic cells, redox reactions, electrochemistry, and nuclear chemistry.
3 hours lecture, 3 hours laboratory; 4 credits. Enrollment limited to post-baccalaureate premedical students. Prerequisite: CHE 540. Fall semester. Greco, Sibley, Ahmed-Schofield.

CHE 636. Organic Chemistry I
Chemistry of the compounds of carbon with emphasis on the relation of molecular structure to chemical and physical behavior. Topics covered include functional groups, nomenclature, structure, bonding, isomers, conformations, chirality, reactions that proceed through ionic mechanisms, and structure elucidation using NMR, MS, and IR. Specific reactions covered include acid-base, nucleophilic substitution, elimination, oxidation, reduction, carbon-carbon bond formation reactions, carbonyl addition, and acyl transfer. Laboratory work includes appropriate techniques, synthetic and analytical methods.
Lecture and laboratory on an accelerated pace; 4 credits. Enrollment limited to post-baccalaureate premedical students.
Prerequisites: CHE 540. Summer 2 Term. Ahmed-Schofield, Greco, Schultz.

CHE 637. Organic Chemistry II & Biochemistry
This intensive and accelerated course fully integrates organic chemistry and biochemistry topics. It covers chemistry of carbonyl groups, amines, amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids, and radical reactions.  The biochemistry topics covered include protein structure, purification, and analysis; enzyme kinetics and inhibition; allosteric proteins including hemoglobin; glycolysis; gluconeogenesis; pyruvate dehydrogenase, TCA cycle; electron transport chain; ATP synthase; signal transduction; glycogen degradation and synthesis; pentose phosphate pathway; fatty acid oxidation; reactive oxygen species and antioxidants.
4 hours lecture and 3 hours laboratory; 5 credits. Accelerated course pacing. Enrollment limited to post-baccalaureate premedical students. Prerequisites: CHE 636. Spring Term. Ahmed-Schofield, Greco, Schultz.

PHY 542. Principles of Physics I
The course is the first half of the Principles of Physics sequence, which focuses on reasoning from fundamental principles and problem-solving skills. In the first semester, we focus on principles involving motion, force, and energy. Students will learn to use mathematical models for these principles; observe and measure many physical phenomena; and analyze problems by identifying the correct model and using it to derive solutions. Topics include Newtonian mechanics, kinematics and dynamics of linear and angular motion, gravity, energy and momentum, fluids, and thermal physics. This course will use algebra and trigonometry as tools in developing the universal language of physics, but emphasis will be on intuitive understanding and visualization of various phenomena in nature governed by physical laws.
3 hours lecture, 3 hours laboratory; 4 credits. Enrollment limited to post-baccalaureate premedical students. Fall semester. Yoder.

PHY 543. Principles of Physics II
This course is the second half of the Principles of Physics sequence that emphasizes how to reason from fundamental principles to draw conclusions about how the world works. Topics in this semester include simple harmonic motion, mechanical and electromagnetic waves, acoustics, the nature of light and color, electricity and magnetism, and geometrical and physical optics.
3 hours lecture, 3 hours laboratory; 4 credits. Enrollment limited to post-baccalaureate premedical students. Prerequisite: PHY 542. Spring semester. Yoder.

BIO 547. Biology and Biomedical Sciences I
This 5-credit intensive biology course for post-baccalaureate students covers the fundamentals of biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, and microbiology. The course provides an understanding of cell structure, both prokaryotic and eukaryotic, and gene expression, followed by a thorough study of the principles of inheritance, genetic disease and mapping, and gene therapy/engineering. Also included are investigations of pathogens, cancer, and evolution. Fundamentals of biochemistry integrated as a foundation for CHE 637 in the spring.
Enrollment limited to post-baccalaureate premedical students.
4 hours lecture, 3 hours laboratory; 5 credits. Prerequisite: CHE 540, CHE 636. Fall semester. Lenkowski, Garaycochea, Hiller, Van Breukelen.

BIO 548. Biology and Biomedical Sciences II
This 5-credit continuation of Bio 547 will cover comparative aspects of physiology and as it generally relates to humans, including disease-related topics. The lab component includes histology and anatomy explored through mammalian dissection. Course topics include: Development; Metabolism; Endocrinology; Digestion; Respiration and Gas Transport; Cardiovascular & Circulation; Nervous system; Muscle types; Renal Function; Immune System; Neuropsychology & Behavior.
Enrollment limited to post-baccalaureate premedical students. 4 hours lecture, 3 hours laboratory; 5 credits. Prerequisite: BIO 547. Spring semester. Lenkowski, Garaycochea, Van Breukelen.