Is Orgo 2 needed for the MCAT?

[kerenza]

Cell Bio or Orgo 2 for the MCAT?

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[Doctor-S]

Cell Bio or Orgo 2 for the MCAT?

Just curious ... have you taken a Biochemistry class?

Cell biology and Orgo2 are both fair game on the MCAT.

 

[Gurby]

I didn't take Orgo 2, got a 519 and a pile of II's. It's not necessary for the MCAT, and most schools no longer require it. I would only take it if required for your degree program.

 

[efle]

Iirc, the majority of the Orgo covered by the MCAT is from Orgo I but there are some topics from II that are fair game. Some medical schools require a year of Orgo though, so are you asking because you might not take it at all, or just trying to figure out when to take the MCAT? If the latter, you can easily teach yourself the Orgo II stuff you'd need to know from MCAT prep books.

 

[lexswift]

Biochemistry is more important but at many schools you need to take Orgo 2 before Biochemistry. I'd say Cell Bio is a better option for the MCAT.

 

[aldol16]

Carbonyl chemistry, which is usually covered in Orgo II, is an essential part of biochem (though it's not particularly difficult and so can be self-taught). There are a limited number of purely organic ways to form C-C bonds - mainly carbonyl chemistry or Diels-Alder and nature only chose one. So you should understand the basics of carbonyl chemistry - that will help with understanding the chemical logic behind biochemical pathways.

 

[TheBiologist]

as the guy said above carbonyl chemistry is a big topic in orgo 2 which I know is in my princeton and kaplan books (and on Khan).

Another thing is some biochem synthesis were taught at the end of my orgo ii class which appeared in my books as well (synthesis of amino acids, mutarotation mechanism for sugar etc.)

I have seen plenty of schools start waiving orgo 2 if you take biochem, and I'm sure you'd still do fine on the mcat without it

 

[libertyyne]

There is no class that is required prior to the MCAT. Go look up how people actually study for the mcat on the MCAT forum.

 

[YeezusRice]

Iirc, the majority of the Orgo covered by the MCAT is from Orgo I but there are some topics from II that are fair game. Some medical schools require a year of Orgo though, so are you asking because you might not take it at all, or just trying to figure out when to take the MCAT? If the latter, you can easily teach yourself the Orgo II stuff you'd need to know from MCAT prep books.

What about biochem?


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[efle]

What about biochem?


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Similar. It's required at a lot of schools, and very useful to take before the test, though people do have success after teaching themselves a subject area out of prep books.

 

[aldol16]

Similar. It's required at a lot of schools, and very useful to take before the test, though people do have success after teaching themselves a subject area out of prep books.

I would caution against anyone reading this and thinking that they are the exception to the rule - i.e. that they can perform well just by self-studying and not taking the course.

 

[efle]

I would caution against anyone reading this and thinking that they are the exception to the rule - i.e. that they can perform well just by self-studying and not taking the course.

Honestly I found it easier to learn the physics from the prep books than my class! You have to devote more time to that area because it's new instead of review, but I don't think you need to be special to use an MCAT book to learn it.

 

[Lawpy]

Cell Bio or Orgo 2 for the MCAT?

I don't think you need any courses to do well on the MCAT. You can do well with self-study, good discipline, strong reasoning skills, smarts, and confidence.

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

I have the examcrackers study package and the entire year of orgo is in there. And I was told by multiple counselors at my school to take cell bio before MCAT.

 

[efle]

I was told by multiple counselors at my school

Be very careful listening to prehealth advising, they are often misinformed or have old information. Myself and a sibling have been told things like "you can take that prereq [Physics] abroad" and "med schools don't care that much about research"

Cell bio isn't even a prereq! You can 100% prepare for the MCAT just off Chem, Bio, Ochem, Physics, Biochem, Psych, and Socio intro level classes!

 

[Summerlax2016]

I self studied for the MCAT without taking orgo 1, orgo 2, or biochem (only had a PT combined gen. chem and orgo/biochem as a freshman, and then a chem 1/ chem 2 as a sophomore).

I spent a great deal of time focusing on these areas to make up for it. Scored a 513 (128/126/130/129). It is very doable but takes a ton of work.

 

[JB50]

There is no class that is required prior to the MCAT. Go look up how people actually study for the mcat on the MCAT forum.

you're serious?

 

[libertyyne]

you're serious?

I am. Never tool biochem or psych classes . BB 130- psych-131
IMHO, need to buy prep books designed for the mcat and practice. Classes teach with a different focus.

 

[JB50]

I am. Never tool biochem or psych classes . BB 130- psych-131
IMHO, need to buy prep books designed for the mcat and practice. Classes teach with a different focus.

Ehh, I would recommend taking the classes needed for medical school and then doing practice questions to learn how to apply that knowledge learned in those classes needed for med school to MCAT specific questions.

To each his own! lol

 

[libertyyne]

Ehh, I would recommend taking the classes needed for medical school and then doing practice questions to learn how to apply that knowledge learned in those classes needed for med school to MCAT specific questions.

To each his own! lol

Everything you need to know about the subject tested on the exam can be learned from a good mcat book. The added benefit is that there is no superfluous info that you would find in a class. I was a non trad who did significantly better 6+ points above my original 30 right after college. But you are right everyone's mileage may vary.

 

[ATPsynthase123]

Cell bio more than organic 2. My MCAT had like 1 organic section on it.


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[JB50]

k

 

[medic0114]

I am. Never tool biochem or psych classes . BB 130- psych-131
IMHO, need to buy prep books designed for the mcat and practice. Classes teach with a different focus.

agreed, never took a psychology/ sociology course and scored a 131 on the psych portion. Just used the prep course material, had study discipline, and took many, full length MCAT tests

 

[JB50]

agreed, never took a psychology/ sociology course and scored a 131 on the psych portion. Just used the prep course material, had study discipline, and took many, full length MCAT tests

That's also the newest section and probably the easiest. It's basically rote memorization and being familiar with the scientific method.


To the majority of pre-meds reading this thread, just take the fricken classes that you have to take anyway going through undergrad and apply that to the MCAT. Will be a win win so youre familiar with the concepts going into med school + familiar with it during MCAT studying.


However, for older non-traditionals, I can totally understand just studying the material. 95% of us are taking it while in or just out of undergrad.