Learn Biochemistry Fast (2021) – willpeachMD (2024)

Biochemistry is no walk in the park. Using the excellent flashcard app Anki (a med school favorite), it can get a little easier.

Suddenly memorizing all those pathways doesn’t seem such a horrendous task.

Just as they’ve proven with their great anatomy decks, the Anki community can be relied upon again when it comes to covering biochem. Using the amazing r/medicalschoolanki as a source, I’ve put together this list of 3 of the best.

Note: I’ve also listed Anki plugins (you can download these for free via search in the app), file sizes and the years of upload too. Making it easier for you to find exactly what you need.

The Best Biochemistry Anki Decks

The 3 decks we’ll be looking at are:

  • Zanki Biochemistry
  • Adytumdweller’s Full Pixorize Deck
  • Lightyear Biochemistry

All of these decks come highly recommended among the med school anki community. So much so they each have their place on the community sidebar.

If you’re looking for more general biochemistry study tips then check out my article; How To Study For Biochemistry (The Ultimate Guide).

Let’s take a look at the decks!

Contents show

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Zanki Biochemistry

Learn Biochemistry Fast (2021) – willpeachMD (1)

Deck Type:General Biochemistry|Cards:2342 |Year of Upload:2020 |Required Plugins: Image Occlusion |Size: 3.2 Gb (Anking version)

Zanki biochemistry is probably the best known “gold standard” biochemistry anki deck. It’s been around a long time now and is constantly updated in various iterations. The version I’m recommending here is part of the Anking deck (something I’ve recommended many times before on this site).

The cards themselves are in cloze-format (fill in the gap) making them rapid to review. You can also quickly reference them alongside the media fields (Pixorize, First Aid for USMLE, Kaplan Biochemistry) of each card. There’s also a lot of helpful images added from around the web to help clarify the more challenging concepts.

You’ll have to download the entire Zanki deck to get started which can be annoying. From there though, especially with the hierachical tags enabled, you can isolate the biochemistry section itself.

Learn Biochemistry Fast (2021) – willpeachMD (2)

That’ll stop you getting confused with the other areas of Zanki.

Personally I can’t praise this deck enough. It’s the exact one I used to help smash biochemistry and many of the core concepts I memorized from doing it have stuck with me today (despite not keeping up with reviews!).

It’ll take you some time to get through it all – it’s 2342 amount of cards – but it’s very comprehensive.

You’d be hard pressed to fail a final after sailing through all of this.

You can download it from this page.

Adytumdweller’s Full Pixorize Deck

Learn Biochemistry Fast (2021) – willpeachMD (3)

Deck Type:General Biochemistry|Cards:1831|Year of Upload:2020 |Required Plugins: Hierarchical Tags 2 |Size: 324 Mb.

Adytumdweller’s Full Pixorize Deck came out with little fanfare in mid-2020 but has since caught on massively. Applauded for it’s meticulous attention to detail, it’s built to be used alongside the Pixorize learning resource.

As Pixorize is all about mnemonics and creating memory palaces with bright pictures, this deck takes full advantage of that, including each of the images used in the videos.

Many med students claim they can breeze through Pixorize much faster than any other resource. Just check out some of the statements from this previous Pixorize deck.

At 1831 total cards it’s smaller than Zanki’s biochem section and possibly more fun to run through too.

One particular nice feature is the way it’s organized and tagged. You’ll need the hierarchical tags plugin to take full advantage of this…

Learn Biochemistry Fast (2021) – willpeachMD (4)

The deck covers everything high yield in biochemistry.

I also ran through the first couple of sections to check it out myself (it’s been two years since I passed biochem and this deck wasn’t around then). Suffice to say it’s suitable to use even without Pixorize! The pictures are enough to make the cards (and the information) easy enough to remember.

Here’s an example…

Learn Biochemistry Fast (2021) – willpeachMD (5)

The fact is used the cloze-style (fill in the gap) format is another huge plus!

You can download it from this page.

Note: There’s also an immunology deck made by the same author based on Pixorize too.

Lightyear Biochemistry

Learn Biochemistry Fast (2021) – willpeachMD (6)

Deck Type:General Biochemistry|Cards:1870|Year of Upload:2020 |Required Plugins: Image Occlusion, Hierarchical Tags 2 |Size: 1.1 Gb.

The Lightyear biochemistry is deck is similar to Zanki in that it makes up a small part of a much larger deck. There’s also a lot of overlap and some of the cards here have found there way into Anking’s latest overhaul.

For users of Board and Beyond though (the video series all Lightyear decks are based on) this deck is a really great choice. It syncs perfectly with the biochemistry module of the course and you can unlock the relevant cards as you go.

For those who don’t use Boards and Beyond though it’s still a good deck to memorize the fundamentals of biochemistry. Unlike Zanki a lot of the cards are in a more ‘contextual’ format too – where you’re expected to do more than simply complete the cloze (fill in the gap).

It’s also another deck that’s routinely updated.

You can download it here.

Recommended Biochemistry Flashcard Resource

If you’d prefer to keep your flashcards analog and aren’t a fan of digital, then I’ve got you covered.

Lippincott Illustrated Reviews Flash Cards are the best set for your needs. The illustrations are top notch, the facts are on point and you don’t need any electronic hardware or software to make them work for you.

Recommended BiochemistryTextbook Resource

To supplement your flashcard-based learning it pays to have a good biochem textbook on hand to better contextualize your learning.

My favorite resource (that I used to ace biochemistry) was BRS Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Genetics.

Note; I’m not a fan of Lippincott’s Biochemistry textbook here (the flashcards are 1000x better). The book is just too dense…

BRS’ review is far more straight to the point. It’s organised into easily digestible bullet points and has top-tier diagrams (very important when it comes to biochem).

Related Biochemistry Flashcard Questions

Top Tips For Using Anki Biochemistry Flashcard Decks

Here are a few things you might want to keep in mind in order to maximize your experience using these decks. Although they’re intended for these particular biochemistry ones the tips could be extended to any other flashcard deck!

  • Pick and stick: instead of switching from one deck to another pick one and run with it to the end. That way you’ll eliminate distraction and you’ll have properly road tested the app. Not doing this, and constantly switching decks, is one of the biggest mistakes med students make when it comes to using Anki.
  • Browse keywords: use the Anki browser to search key terms that you’re covering in lectures, classes, books or whatever and unlock them from there. There’s no point going through everything systematically when your class schedule is going in a different order.
  • Understand first: before you use these decks to memorize core biochemistry concepts make sure you understand them first. These should be used as revision for a second pass of the material. It’ll help retention too.
  • Review, review and review: to really get the most out of these decks you’ll need to keep on top of your reviews. That means doing them every day in the run up to your finals.

Why Use An Anki Biochemistry Deck?

The quick answer is to save time. The second best answer is that the work has already been done for you – and in these decks cases so well that you don’t need to worry you’d do a better job.

I’m not saying they guarantee success but the time you could save by using them certainly could!

Where to Find More Anki Biochemistry Decks

The best place to keep up to date about great new user generated biochemistry decks is the r/medicalschoolanki community. If something makes the graduation to the sidebar then you know it’s going to be good.

Related Anki Questions

If you’re not familiar with Anki, I recommend checking outThe Anking YouTube channel.

This offers many useful tutorials and tips for Anki users. It’s primarily designed for med students but the content is just as good for students in other fields.

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Here’s a good primer (as well as a good intro on what they offer) below…

How Do I Add Plugins To Anki?

You can plugins, such as the hierarchical tags and image occlusion ones mentioned in some of the decks above, by going to tools > add-ons > get add-ons

Alternatively press ctrl + shift + A on your keyboard.

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From there, go to “browse add-ons” and copy the code of the plugin you want into the field here.

The code for image occlusion is 1374772155. For hierarchical tags it’s 594329229.

It’s that easy.

Why Do I Have To Go To Reddit To Download?

Reddit is where these decks are uploaded and shared. The original users deserve accreditation and the opportunity to be thanked for their hard work.

The files for these decks are hosted in these threads created by the deck’s creator.

Final Thoughts: The Best Biochemistry Anki Decks

Using active recall and spaced repetition, in the form of excellent anki decks, is just one piece of the med school puzzle. Just because lot’s of students swear by them doesn’t mean they’re the only way.

But hopefully some of the above suggestions can help!

If you enjoyed this post, you might find the following articles useful:

  • 11 Best Accredited Online Biochemistry Courses!
  • How Many Med Students Use Anki? (What Students Get Wrong About Anki)
  • Pathoma Vs Board And Beyond: What’s Best To Use In Med School?

Image Credit: @visidis at Unsplash

Learn Biochemistry Fast (2021) – willpeachMD (8)

Will

Born and raised in the UK, Will went into medicine late (31) after a career in journalism. He’s into football (soccer), learned Spanish after 5 years in Spain, and has had his work published all over the web. Read more.

Learn Biochemistry Fast (2021) – willpeachMD (2024)

FAQs

How many hours a week should I study for biochemistry? ›

How much time should you be studying per week? Research suggests that students should spend approximately 2-3 hours, per credit hour, studying in order to be successful in their courses. STEM classes often require 3-4 hours, per credit hour, of studying to be successful. Think about how you normally study.

What is the hardest part of biochemistry? ›

Chemistry involves more problem solving and calculations. The hardest part of biochemistry is memorizing the Kreb cycle and glycolysis.

Why is biochemistry so tough? ›

One aspect that makes biochemistry and molecular biology difficult is that they draw on knowledge from other disciplines – most heavily from biology, which provides the relevance; but also chemistry, which provides the molecular understanding; and to a certain extent mathematics and physics (see Figure 2.2).

How to study biochem efficiently? ›

Taking Help of Flashcards and Study Guides to Revise Different Topics and Information. Flashcards and study guides are valuable tools for biochemistry study. They allow students to condense complex information into digestible, portable formats, facilitating active recall and reinforcement of key concepts.

Does biochemistry require a lot of math? ›

The advanced courses required for the Biochemistry major are demanding and require a strong background in chemistry, physics, and mathematics. Biochemistry majors are typically students with excellent performance in the introductory courses in these subjects.

What is the average grade in biochemistry? ›

The average GPA in the Biochemistry major is 3.16. A minimum GPA requirement for most graduate school programs is 3.00.

Is biochemist a stressful job? ›

Biochemists tend not to find their jobs stressful, which likely contributes positively to career satisfaction.

Is biochemistry harder than psychology? ›

However, I know just how hard it is to get this job, plus finding jobs with a psychology degree is limited. Biochem on the other hand, I know is harder than psychology but it seems to be more open to jobs and pays pretty well too. I just don't want to do either degree and end up regretting it.

What is the hardest biology major? ›

Molecular and cell biology is another broad major, focusing on basic molecular principles and cellular systems. Course requirements include calculus, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and biology labs. The laboratory and cellular focus is what makes this major so challenging.

Which is harder, physiology or biochemistry? ›

Physiology is harder than biochemistry when you learn them for the first time. But when it comes to Step 1 prep, Biochemistry is significantly harder to review. The reason is probably that all second year curriculums reinforce your knowledge on physiology, but not so much on biochemistry.

Which is harder, biochemistry or computer science? ›

Although biology and organic chemistry are much harder then CS anything, they can be learned in school and from school resources only. No one expects you to already come in already knowing how to code or configure linux. If you are good students willing to work, you will learn them, period.

How hard of a class is biochemistry? ›

Biochemistry can be a challenging subject for many students because the material is broad and complex. It's a multidisciplinary science that calls for expertise in a variety of fields including chemistry, biology and mathematics. I've found that biochemistry subjects can feel ethereal and difficult to visualise.

Are biochemistry majors happy? ›

Overall, biochemistry students rate their satisfaction with their degree a 3.3 out of 5.

Is biochemistry an easy major? ›

“Given that biochemistry is an inherently interdisciplinary subject, a student will likely be taking many seemingly unrelated courses in their first couple years and finding direction or purpose in studying biochemistry may not be easy in the beginning. THIS IS NORMAL.

How long does it take to study biochemistry? ›

3 years, full-time.

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