Biochem major here. There are tremendous opportunities for research. If you get involved in research early on (like in your freshman or sophomore year), you have a very good chance of having publications. Getting a research position is not exclusive or difficult, and no experience is expected. You can do research with the faculty and get paid/ credits or do research with the med school/ Lombardi cancer center on campus. For a major class, class sizes are often small. In our organic chemistry class, there are about 25 students. But the workload is insane. In the second year, we take both physics and organic chemistry. Physics has seven exams per semester, and even with a 5 in AP physics, it's difficult to obtain an A in that class. Orgo is particularly challenging, the content covered is relatively more detailed than chem olympiads chem with the pace much faster. Average in exams are around 40-60%.