Biochemistry Fundamentals
- HMX
Group Enrollment Option A program that is a popular choice for organizations and institutions to purchase in bulk.
Learn why human health is dependent on chemistry, and what that means for clinical care.
- Online; Instructor-Paced
Lessons from the courses are released weekly and remain available until the courses end, so you can work at your own pace.
$1,025
Multi-course bundle pricing is also available. The student price for an individual course is $800 and cannot be combined with course bundles.
Certificate
There are two certification levels, based on participant scores: Certificate of Achievement; Certificate of Completion
10 Weeks, 4-6 Hours/Week
Most people can expect to spend around 40-60 hours total, but this depends on your baseline knowledge and how carefully you take notes.
On This Page
Overview
Understanding biochemistry is an excellent foundation for learning all of biology, but it can be difficult to make sense of the complexity of biochemical systems.
In this foundational course, you will learn about the principles governing the interactions of individual molecules, and how those same principles apply at the scale of cells and organisms. Along the way, you will see how biochemistry intersects with human disease and clinical care. Engaging, interactive lessons will help you gain an in-depth understanding of biochemistry and equip you for future work in health care and related sectors.
Learning Objectives
- Understand fundamental principles of energy and thermodynamics, and the importance of enzymes in biochemical pathways
- Learn about cellular specialization and how cell functions are explained by the chemical properties and structure of biological molecules
- See how foundational concepts apply in real-life scenarios and clinical settings
Participant Types
Pre-med students; Current medical students; Health care professionals working in R&D, product management and strategy, sales, and marketing
About the Course
HMX online courses bring complex material to life through engaging biomedical visualizations, clinical applications, and true-to-life scenarios paired with lectures from Harvard Medical School faculty and leading experts.
Who Should Apply
This foundational course is appropriate for pre-med and current medical students interested in building their foundational knowledge of medical science, as well as professionals in health care and related fields who need a fundamental understanding of biochemistry – including those working in R&D, product management, strategy, sales, marketing, and other roles.
Course Format
Most people can expect to spend around 40-60 hours total, but this depends on your baseline knowledge, how carefully you take notes, and how seriously you take the assessments. Lessons from the courses are released weekly and remain available until the courses end, so you can work at your own pace. The course wraps up with a final exam administered the final two days of the session.
Group Enrollments
HMX courses are ideal for organizations looking to train teams or larger groups. Group pricing is available, making it a cost-effective investment in team development.
Faculty
HMX courses are led by Harvard Medical School faculty, working in collaboration with a multi-disciplinary team of experts in biomedical visualization, assessment, and the science of learning to create a unique learning experience that will stay with you.
Kevin S. Bonham
PhD
- Lecturer in Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School
- Assistant Professor of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine
Ole-Petter ("OP") Hamnvik
MB BCh BAO, MMSc
- Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
- Program Director, Endocrinology Fellowship, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Marie E. McDonnell, MD, Lecturer on Medicine, Harvard Medical School / Endocrinologist, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Eli Miloslavsky, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School / Rheumatologist, Massachusetts General Hospital
HMX Faculty Perspectives
Why do you think it’s important for health care professionals to learn biochemistry?
"To be able to provide effective medical care to patients, health care professionals need to first understand how the human body functions in health and in disease. To truly gain this understanding, you need to master what happens at the smallest functional units of the body – the cells and the molecules within them – and how these small units aggregate into a functional human body. In a way, biochemistry is the core of medicine; health care providers rely on an understanding of biochemistry in most of their routine tasks." -Ole-Petter (“OP”) Hamnvik, MB BCh BAO, MMSc
From Our Learners
Hear from HMX students as they share their experiences learning online with Harvard Medical School.
"[This course] would be very helpful for students who are struggling with the concepts in class, mainly because the strength of the HMX program is that it explains difficult concepts in more easily understandable language."
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