Biochemistry forms the basis of all life sciences including clinical sciences. Physiological functions are indeed the manifestation of the underlying biochemical reactions. The advances in the field of Medical Science is simply overwhelming and obviously, biochemistry occupies the central place in this endeavour. The Profession of clinical chemistry is rapidly merging with other disciplines in laboratory Medicine. In the background of this rapid growth it has become essential that biochemistry is taught in the correct perspective to the students in Medicine. But in reality, biochemistry is taught with total contempt and quite naturally is learnt very casually. Recently there has also been a move by the Medical Council of India (MCI) to cut down the hours of teaching as well as the faculty in biochemistry in Medical colleges. This certainly is a retrograde step.

Biochemistry by definition is the chemistry of life and life is a system of cooperative enzyme catalyzed reactions. Understanding life in molecular terms is quite absorbing. Of course, it is to the credit of a teacher to make the subject come alive and perhaps to inspire the student to devout themselves to an indepth study. In the context of teaching biochemistry in Medical Colleges, the teacher needs to enlighten them with the molecular basis of life processes in normal health and in different disease conditions. The relevance and importance of the subject in Medicine should be clearly identified. Teaching of biochemistry presently followed in Medical Colleges deals, generally with the chemical and structural details of biomolecules and their metabolic fate with very little or no discussion on the physiological or pathological relevance. Further, it has been a classroom teaching. The knowledge gained by this traditional method is hardly retained till the clinical teaching starts in the later years and at this stage there is very little scope for the student to understand the molecular basis of different clinical conditions.

Teaching biochemistry with poor clinical exposure does not do any Justice to a medical student and in this way they neither learn the chemistry of life nor the chemical basis of pathology. Exposing the student to less than the whole story is not fair. The beauty of the subject lies not in the fact that something occurs but in why it occurs. Understanding why?, makes the subject lively. Orientation to understand the molecular basis of normal and/or abnormal functioning of an organ system needs to be initiated aggressively. A good following of biochemistry helps a better learning of the other branches of medicine and vice versa. Biochemistry in Health science cannot be taught and learnt in isolation. A thoroughly integrated approach with an emphasis on the recent trends in clinical science and clinical chemistry should be encouraged in medical colleges.

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