CHEM10006 Chemistry for Biomedicine
University of Melbourne · Level 1 · 12.5 points · Runs in 2026: Semester 1, Semester 2.
- Final exam 74%: exam-heavy
Is CHEM10006 hard?
CHEM10006: Harder. Not counted by Bachelor of Science, so it isn't on its lists. Makes it easier: First-year subject. Makes it harder: Reviewers say it’s hard (10 reviews), Reviewers say it takes a lot of time, Final exam 74%, 1 other hurdle task.
What you learn
First-year chemistry with a biomedical focus: bonding, carbon compounds, reaction rates, energy and the molecules of life.
After it you can
- Do basic lab experiments and write reports
- Explain what controls how fast a reaction goes
- Describe the structure of common biological molecules
What you need first
admission to B-BMED
What it leads to
- AGRI20038 Principles of Soil Science
- BCMB20002 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- BCMB20005 Techniques in Molecular Science
- BIOM20001 Molecular and Cellular Biomedicine
- BIOM20002 Human Structure and Function
- BMEN30009 Introduction to Biomaterials
- CHEM20011 Environmental Chemistry
- CHEM20018 Chemistry: Reactions and Synthesis
- CHEM20026 Principles of Chemical Biology
- CHEN20010 Material and Energy Balances
- CHEN20012 Fundamentals of Chemical Engineering
- FOOD30008 Advanced Food Analysis
- GEOL30004 Geochemistry
- MIIM20002 Microbes, Infections and Responses
- PHRM20001 Pharmacology: How Drugs Work
- VETS20019 Frontiers in Veterinary Science
Careers
Helps toward: Biochemist, Chemical engineer
How it’s assessed
Tests 6%, Assignments 20%, Final exam 74%
Student reviews and ratings
Summarised from 10 students on StudentVIP (2017–2025)
- Most reviewers (2017-2025) called it fast-paced and much harder than Year 12 chemistry. The first weeks feel familiar, then organic chemistry speeds up sharply.
- Each topic builds on the last, so falling behind hurts. The common advice: do every tutorial question and past papers, as almost anything can be examined.
- Those who kept up often scored well (several H1s), and many found the content interesting and useful for later chemistry and biomed subjects.
A summary of public reviews, not scored here.
Taken this subject? Rate it anonymously (difficulty, workload, marking, would you recommend it) and leave a tip for next year's students. Rate CHEM10006
Quick answers
- When is CHEM10006 offered?
- Runs in 2026: Semester 1, Semester 2.
- What do I need before taking CHEM10006?
- Needs admission to B-BMED.
- Does CHEM10006 have a final exam?
- Yes, the final exam is 74% of the mark. Assessment: Tests 6%, Assignments 20%, Final exam 74%.
- Is CHEM10006 hard?
- From 10 student reviews on StudentVIP: Most reviewers (2017-2025) called it fast-paced and much harder than Year 12 chemistry. The first weeks feel familiar, then organic chemistry speeds up sharply.
- What do students say about CHEM10006?
- Most reviewers (2017-2025) called it fast-paced and much harder than Year 12 chemistry. The first weeks feel familiar, then organic chemistry speeds up sharply. Each topic builds on the last, so falling behind hurts. The common advice: do every tutorial question and past papers, as almost anything can be examined. Those who kept up often scored well (several H1s), and many found the content interesting and useful for later chemistry and biomed subjects.
- Can I take CHEM10006 as breadth?
- No, it isn’t listed as breadth for any course.
- What can I take after CHEM10006?
- 16 subjects need it first, for example AGRI20038, BCMB20002, BCMB20005, BIOM20001.
- Can I rate CHEM10006?
- Yes. If you've taken it, rate it anonymously on this page (difficulty, workload, marking, would you recommend it) and leave a tip for next year's students. Averages show once 3 students have rated it; tips are checked before they appear.
Source: University of Melbourne Handbook 2026
Always confirm in the official Handbook.
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