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[Edit: if there is some moderator-approved way to cross post this to Biology Stack Exchange and/or Chemistry Stack Exchange, you might get some good additional feedback.]


It is a great question. I don't have a perfect answer, but let me give it a shot.

It is a great question. I don't have a perfect answer, but let me give it a shot.

[Edit: if there is some moderator-approved way to cross post this to Biology Stack Exchange and/or Chemistry Stack Exchange, you might get some good additional feedback.]


It is a great question. I don't have a perfect answer, but let me give it a shot.

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  1. Googling math textbook for biochemistry gives almost nothing. However, if you Google math textbook (or refresher math textbook) for biology or math textbook for chemistrychemistry, you will get a lot of choices. [I looked at each list.]

  2. This is the one I liked the best:

E. Do 7 and 8 (descriptive statistics and CIs). Your course is going to end up having a stats theme. Which is WAY better than a calculus theme! These are not engineers. Even Ph.D. students in the biological sciences at R1 unis are (in general, in general) math averse. Any thesis they do (if they do) will need at least CIs and p values. And the entire bio/pharma field is very stats suffused (despite not being very good at it), given the requirements for getting FDA New Drug Applications done.

F. Skip 9 (Probability) and 10 (Chi scores and the like, t scores, ANOVA, etc.) The first is too foundational, but not really used in their work. The latter is nice, but a bit hard...and honest this part of a stats course always becomes a blizzard of forumulasformulas. Plus you don't have time.

And...no, absolutlyabsolutely NO predator/prey despite it being biological (albeit not biochemical). Yes...it's a pretty problem and "cool". But too hard. And not related to antibody protein folding. No ODEs. No systems of ODEs.

All in all...I would emphasize ease, positivity, and a good experience, with great student feedback forms about how they loved Mr./Ms. NotaMathematician...and how the summer was great bonding with the other students. High sugar to medicine ratio!

P.s. I don't have an M.S. in biochem, but have a BS/MS/Ph.D. in chemistry and have taken an upper undergrad course in biochemistry (enzyme/protein emphasis) AND one in molecular biology (nucleic acid emphasis). And worked for decades in/around pharma and biotech. I sorta know these people. [Also, I DID look at the required course list for the MS Biochem at Michigan and at Georgetown, what came up Googling...and I thought about what math would be needed based on the course title...which was generally close to zero.!]

  1. Googling math textbook for biochemistry gives almost nothing. However, if you Google math textbook (or refresher math textbook) for biology or math textbook for chemistry, you will get a lot of choices. [I looked at each list.]

  2. This is the one I liked the best:

E. Do 7 and 8 (descriptive statistics and CIs). Your course is going to end up having a stats theme. Which is WAY better than a calculus theme! These are not engineers. Even Ph.D students in the biological sciences at R1 unis are (in general, in general) math averse. Any thesis they do (if they do) will need at least CIs and p values. And the entire bio/pharma field is very stats suffused (despite not being very good at it), given the requirements for getting FDA New Drug Applications done.

F. Skip 9 (Probability) and 10 (Chi scores and the like. The first is too foundational, but not really used in their work. The latter is nice, but a bit hard...and honest this part of a stats course always becomes a blizzard of forumulas. Plus you don't have time.

And...no, absolutly NO predator/prey despite it being biological (albeit not biochemical). Yes...it's a pretty problem and "cool". But too hard. And not related to antibody protein folding. No ODEs. No systems of ODEs.

All in all...I would emphasize ease, positivity, and a good experience, with great student feedback forms about how they loved Mr/Ms NotaMathematician...and how the summer was great bonding with the other students. High sugar to medicine ratio!

P.s. I don't have an M.S. in biochem, but have a BS/MS/Ph.D. in chemistry and have taken an upper undergrad course in biochemistry AND one in molecular biology. And worked for decades in/around pharma and biotech. I sorta know these people. [Also, I DID look at the required course list for the MS Biochem at Michigan and at Georgetown, what came up Googling...and I thought about what math would be needed based on the course title...which was generally close to zero.]

  1. Googling math textbook for biochemistry gives almost nothing. However, if you Google math textbook (or refresher math textbook) for biology or math textbook for chemistry, you will get a lot of choices. [I looked at each list.]

  2. This is the one I liked the best:

E. Do 7 and 8 (descriptive statistics and CIs). Your course is going to end up having a stats theme. Which is WAY better than a calculus theme! These are not engineers. Even Ph.D. students in the biological sciences at R1 unis are (in general, in general) math averse. Any thesis they do (if they do) will need at least CIs and p values. And the entire bio/pharma field is very stats suffused (despite not being very good at it), given the requirements for getting FDA New Drug Applications done.

F. Skip 9 (Probability) and 10 (Chi scores, t scores, ANOVA, etc.) The first is too foundational, but not really used in their work. The latter is nice, but a bit hard...and honest this part of a stats course always becomes a blizzard of formulas. Plus you don't have time.

And...no, absolutely NO predator/prey despite it being biological (albeit not biochemical). Yes...it's a pretty problem and "cool". But too hard. And not related to antibody protein folding. No ODEs. No systems of ODEs.

All in all...I would emphasize ease, positivity, and a good experience, with great student feedback forms about how they loved Mr./Ms. NotaMathematician...and how the summer was great bonding with the other students. High sugar to medicine ratio!

P.s. I don't have an M.S. in biochem, but have a BS/MS/Ph.D. in chemistry and have taken an upper undergrad course in biochemistry (enzyme/protein emphasis) AND one in molecular biology (nucleic acid emphasis). And worked for decades in/around pharma and biotech. I sorta know these people. [Also, I DID look at the required course list for the MS Biochem at Michigan and at Georgetown, what came up Googling...and I thought about what math would be needed based on the course title...which was generally close to zero!]

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https://www.amazon.com/Maths-Scratch-Biologists-Alan-Cann/dp/0471498351https://www.amazon.com/Maths-Scratch-Biologists-Alan-Cann/dp/0471498351

And...no, absolutly NO predator/prey despite it being biological (albeit not biochemical). Yes...it's a pretty problem and "cool". But too hard. And not related to antibody protein folding. No ODEs. No systems of ODEs. No

No linear algebra (you almost NEVER need a matrix in the real world or in their sort of courses...I didn't even see it in much more technical slantslanted chemistry and engineering). Yes...I know the mathies love it. But just say no. (They also love Spivak and recommend..NO. Let it to kids struggling with Stewartbe used by people doing theoretical stats. You don't need it for daily work in the life sciences (or even in practical biochem process engineering).

I would not bother reviewing trigonometry (too basic AND rarely needed) either. They probably could use a refresher on the quadratic equation, but it isn't in the book. And, meh, just skip it. They are supposed to know it and can look it up if needed. They probably aren't great at algebra, given they went in this (descriptive, spatial) science slant instead of in the chem engineering track. So, just...just don't struggle changing that.

All in all...I would emphasize ease, positivity, and a good experience, with great student feedback forms about how they loved Mr/Ms/? NotaMathematician...and how the summer was great bonding with the other students. High sugar to medicine ratio!

P.s. I don't have an M.S. in biochem, but have a BS/MS/Ph.D. in chemistry and have taken an upper undergrad course in biochemistry AND one in molecular biology. And Iworked for decades in/around pharma and biotech. I sorta know these people. [Also, I DID look at the required course list for the MS Biochem at Michigan and at Georgetown, what came up Googling...what came up whenand I Googledthought about what math would be needed based on the course title...which was generally close to zero.]

https://www.amazon.com/Maths-Scratch-Biologists-Alan-Cann/dp/0471498351

And...no, absolutly NO predator/prey despite it being biological (albeit not biochemical). No ODEs. No systems of ODEs. No linear algebra (you almost NEVER need a matrix in the real world or in their sort of courses...I didn't even in more technical slant). Yes...I know the mathies love it. But just say no. (They also love Spivak and recommend it to kids struggling with Stewart.)

I would not bother reviewing trigonometry (too basic AND rarely needed) either. They probably could use a refresher on the quadratic equation, but it isn't in the book. And, meh, just skip it. They are supposed to know it and can look it up if needed. They probably aren't great at algebra, given they went in this (descriptive, spatial) science slant instead of in the chem engineering track. So, just don't struggle changing that.

All in all...I would emphasize ease, positivity, and a good experience, with great student feedback forms about how they loved Mr/Ms/? NotaMathematician...and how the summer was great bonding with the other students. High sugar to medicine ratio!

P.s. I don't have an M.S. in biochem, but have a BS/MS/Ph.D. in chemistry and have taken an upper undergrad course in biochemistry AND one in molecular biology. And I sorta know these people. [Also, I DID look at the required course list for the MS Biochem at Michigan and at Georgetown...what came up when I Googled.]

https://www.amazon.com/Maths-Scratch-Biologists-Alan-Cann/dp/0471498351

And...no, absolutly NO predator/prey despite it being biological (albeit not biochemical). Yes...it's a pretty problem and "cool". But too hard. And not related to antibody protein folding. No ODEs. No systems of ODEs.

No linear algebra (you almost NEVER need a matrix in the real world or in their sort of courses...I didn't even see it in much more technical slanted chemistry and engineering). Yes...I know the mathies love it. But...NO. Let it be used by people doing theoretical stats. You don't need it for daily work in the life sciences (or even in practical biochem process engineering).

I would not bother reviewing trigonometry (too basic AND rarely needed) either. They probably could use a refresher on the quadratic equation, but it isn't in the book. And, meh, just skip it. They are supposed to know it and can look it up if needed. They probably aren't great at algebra, given they went in this (descriptive, spatial) science slant instead of in the chem engineering track. So...just don't struggle changing that.

All in all...I would emphasize ease, positivity, and a good experience, with great student feedback forms about how they loved Mr/Ms NotaMathematician...and how the summer was great bonding with the other students. High sugar to medicine ratio!

P.s. I don't have an M.S. in biochem, but have a BS/MS/Ph.D. in chemistry and have taken an upper undergrad course in biochemistry AND one in molecular biology. And worked for decades in/around pharma and biotech. I sorta know these people. [Also, I DID look at the required course list for the MS Biochem at Michigan and at Georgetown, what came up Googling...and I thought about what math would be needed based on the course title...which was generally close to zero.]

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