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Department
of Chemistry
Earlham College
Richmond, Indiana
47374-4095
Phone: (765) 983-1309
Department of Biology
Earlham College
Richmond, Indiana
47374-4095
Phone: (765) 983-1210
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Biochemistry
This interdepartmental
major offers an alternative to students who are interested in both
biology and chemistry. The interface of biology and chemistry has
become extremely important as an area of research with applications
in areas such as pharmaceuticals, medicine and biotechnology. An
example of the importance of this field of study is the completion
of the sequencing of the human genome. This accomplishment marks
the beginning of an exploration to identify and determine the function
of the various genes, which will require a large number of scientists
that have strong backgrounds in both chemistry and biology.
During the
course of study, students not only gain a strong foundation in cell
biology, molecular biology and chemistry, but also encounter specialized
topics such as mechanisms of cancer. One goal is for students to
understand specific molecular interactions and reactions that occur
in living organisms and their consequences.
The biology
and chemistry interdepartmental major is particularly attractive
to pre-health science professional students and to students who
plan to pursue graduate study in biochemistry or cellular/molecular
biology.
Many students
who major in the Biology/Chemistry Interdepartmental Major elect
to pursue advanced work in health-related fields, including attending
medical and veterinary school. Medical programs that graduates have
been accepted into include: Baylor, The Ohio State University, University
of Cincinnati, Case Western, Dartmouth, Medical College of Ohio,
Yale, Indiana, John Hopkins, St. Georges, and the universities
of Maryland, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, and Washington. A number of
students have elected to pursue M.D.Ph.D. programs at these
schools. Veterinary schools that our graduates have attended include
Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan State, Kentucky, Tuskegee, and University
of California, Davis. Graduates of the Biology/Chemistry Interdepartmental
Major have also pursued graduate work at: Chicago, Washington University,
Yale, Harvard, Indiana, and the universities of Minnesota, Colorado,
Pennsylvania, and Minnesota. We have also had majors choose to work
in industry directly after Earlham.
The Program
A student
wishing to pursue the Biology/ Chemistry Interdepartmental Major
should contact a Biology or Chemistry faculty member as soon as
possible. Many of the courses are sequenced so that enrolling in
the introductory Biology and Chemistry courses early in a students
career is critical to maximizing options in the junior and senior
year. Careful planning is particularly important when a student
wishes to participate in a semester long off-campus program. Our
students have participated in a variety of off-campus opportunities,
including the Oak Ridge National Laboratories, Scotland, Kenya,
and London programs. Most students take a minimum of CHEM 111,
CHEM 221 and BIOL 112 in their first year at Earlham.
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