Best books and resources for Medical School Biochemistry and the Biochemistry NBME 2024
We know that getting a consensus on the best books and resources for any given class can be difficult. Asking friends, searching SDN, and consulting seniors can provide a confusing mixed bag of advice.
Turns out, we've done the work for you. Compiled below are comprehensive recommendations on the best books and resources. Click here to find out how we ranked each resource as well as a description of the tiers used. Happy studying!
Highest Yield — The best biochemistry book for medical school
Lippincott's Biochemistry — Ferrier
The medical school biochemistry gold standard; Lippincott's Biochemistry is an outline based textbook that breaks biochemistry in easy to digest portions. Writing is clean, concise, and straight-forward with helpful illustrations and diagrams. Each chapter ends with high yield study questions which should be reviewed before in-house exams. The most popular biochemistry text for medical students, for good reason. Recently updated with new chapters and 200+ review questions on their website.
Lange Biochemistry and Genetics Flash Cards — Baron & Lee
Flashcards with vignettes on the front side and the disease name and characteristics (the biochemical defect, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, treatment and prognosis, and other facts). A quick way to review biochemical pathology during down time. Some space on the front of cards to annotate further material.
Next Steps
BRS Biochemistry — Lieberman & Ricer
Condensed outline-based review text that works well to quickly review biochemistry topics instead of scouring through Lippincott's paragraphs. The review questions at the end of every chapter are especially high yield; the book is worth it for those questions alone which do a good job of emulating NBME biochemistry questions.
If you have time
High Yield Biochemistry — Wilcox
Small and short at 128 pages, outline based true review text. Should not be used as the primary text for the course but great to have on hand during the last week of studying prior to the NBME to do a quick refresh of all concepts on hand.
First Aid for the Basic Sciences — Le & Krause
While this text covers a number of the basic sciences including anatomy/histology, behavioral science, embryology, microbiology, immunology, and some pathology and pharmacology, the majority of the book is devoted to biochemistry and microbiology. Not a great text to actively learn from but a great resource to rapidly skim through biochemistry concepts. A good text to have in preparation for Step 1 and getting in the habit of annotating key concepts during first year.