MCAT without Organic Chemistry !!

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SonnyC

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I'm a postbac. premed student...I have taken all the prereq. but two semester of Organic Chemistry. I'm planning on sitting MCAT in Sept.
and self studying OChem. Also, taking Kaplan.

Can anyone suggest me of what should I do to prep. for the OChem section ?

Thanks.
 
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Hmmm, I wouldn't recommend it, b/c since you are thinking about taking the MCAT in September, I presume you are not applying this year. I'd suggest taking one organic chem class at the min, if at all possible. What's the rush?
 
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I think you will be ok, but it will take more reading than Kaplan books.

I highly recommed Organic Chemistry As a Second Language by Klein. My orgo teacher suggested vol. I and II and they helped me master the basics and do well in my classes. It is in a very easy to read format and they are really small short books.

The MCAT tests *very* basic concepts and vol I will go over almost everything you need to know (Sn1, Sn2, E1, E2, formal charges, Lewis structures, etc.) except for Aldol, Claissen, and some other basic reaction that your Kaplan book will go over. If you don't get these before the MCAT they will definitely help you with Orgo in the Fall.

Best of luck to you. 🙂
 
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jochi1543 said:
Hmmm, I wouldn't recommend it, b/c since you are thinking about taking the MCAT in September, I presume you are not applying this year. I'd suggest taking one organic chem class at the min, if at all possible. What's the rush?
Click to expand...


I'm actually planning on applying for Fall'08....or else I'll have year and half if I apply for 09...I know it's seems like i'm kinda rushing..but I'm planning to study for atleast 5-6 hours a day for MCAt giving emphasis on OChem...:scared:
 
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SonnyC said:
I'm actually planning on applying for Fall'08....or else I'll have year and half if I apply for 09...I know it's seems like i'm kinda rushing..but I'm planning to study for atleast 5-6 hours a day for MCAt giving emphasis on OChem...:scared:
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You'll be applying super-late if you take the MCAT in September - the scores won't be available until October. Unless you have like a 4.0, I'd wait - lots of people with very good stats have a terrible experience just because they apply late in the year. So basically, what you are doing here is shooting yourself in the foot by 1) not having the same pre-reqs that 95% of your fellow test-takers (who will determine your curve) have 2) applying really late and severely diminishing your chances.

I personally took the MCAT w/o orgo, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else if it is at all possible to take orgo first. Considering your MCAT is already scheduled very late in the year, you'd fall into that category.
 
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In general, if you have a good understanding of substitution, nucleophiles, electrophiles, and SN1 vs SN2, then you can understand a lot of organic chemistry.

But I do agree with the above poster, taking the MCAT in september is really going to hurt you. At the earliest, you will get your results and have a complete application by october since it takes 30 days for MCAT results.
 
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I honestly believe that you just need a rudimentary understanding of organic chem. I have taken both semesters of orgo in school, but i didnt learn a thing - not kidding....i never studied hard for it at all. And all I did was read the kaplan orgo section like twice, and got a good handle on the orgo notecards by kaplan

COnsidering the mcat only tests SN1, SN2, E1, E2, activation/deactivation, a few named reactions, and a few oxidation reagents here and there, you will be fine if you thoroughly study the kaplan books, and if you do lots of practice passages in o-chem. That's where my real learning was.

If you are considering applying for Fall 08, i suggest you still give it a shot - anything can happen, and if money is not a big issue, then go for it. there's no point sitting around for 1.5 years, then IF you dont get in the first time you apply (for F09), then you may have to take the MCAT again....so just apply anyway..if you get in, you get in, if you dont you try again. Make sure you apply to schools within your range, as its pointless to apply to hard-reach schools for F08 cuz they only accept cream of the crop of those that apply late.

hope that makes sense. I know many ppl will disagree on my take on you applying for F08, but honestly, you will never know unless you give it a shot and apply atleast to a few schools.
 
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In general it isn't a good idea to take the MCAT before finishing all the prereqs. You can do it and still do well, but you need to teach the material to yourself. And in all honesty, it would be difficult to learn all the O. chem you need to know for the test between now and September.

There's nothing preventing you from doing it, but if you decide to take lots of AAMC practice tests and make sure you're okay with those scores.
 
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jochi1543 said:
Hmmm, I wouldn't recommend it, b/c since you are thinking about taking the MCAT in September, I presume you are not applying this year. I'd suggest taking one organic chem class at the min, if at all possible. What's the rush?
Click to expand...

Taking the MCAT in September would be no different than taking it in August when the paper version was administered. You still get your scores back in October.
 
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AWhitehair said:
Taking the MCAT in September would be no different than taking it in August when the paper version was administered. You still get your scores back in October.
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I think the situation is quite different these days, because there will have been so many more opportunities to take it before September. Before, schools may have waited longer, but now they'll have a ton more applicants with their scores already done by August/September. Besides, in the paper days, people oftentimes took their test in August the year before they applied, thus still able to apply early.
 
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AWhitehair said:
Taking the MCAT in September would be no different than taking it in August when the paper version was administered. You still get your scores back in October.
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cant remember if i read it on these forums or somewhere else online, but apparently med schools are allowed to start sending out ACCEPTANCE letters beginning Oct 15. So by taking the mcat in september, u wont even have ur mcat score back while people are already getting accepted. Im signed up for Aug20th right now and although its not that late, i still feel a little worried about it.
 
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I feel your pain, Im taking the mcat on friday, also without ochem. I scored 11 on BS on my last 3 aamc cbt tests, then a 10 before that. Im an econ major with only 6 labs. It was fu**ing horrible but you can get it down.

Best quote Ive ever seen on this site, also study advice:
"You need to learn to savor the pain"
 
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SonnyC said:
I'm a postbac. premed student...I have taken all the prereq. but two semester of Organic Chemistry. I'm planning on sitting MCAT in Sept.
and self studying OChem. Also, taking Kaplan.

Can anyone suggest me of what should I do to prep. for the OChem section ?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Yes. You should wait and take the MCAT next year AFTER completing a year of organic, and apply for 2009. Seriously, dude(tte), you're playing with fire. I know that all five or six people out of 30,000+ on SDN who did what you're contemplating and came out with fine scores on the MCAT are about to come post here and say how if they could do it, you could too. But 99.999999% of people who try it will fall flat on their faces. It's a d*** fool thing to do; you're taking a curved test against people who have completed all four pre-reqs plus a prep course besides. Better to wait a year and get all your ducks in a row than have to overcome a crappy MCAT score and retake next year anyway.
 
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Tensyle said:
I honestly believe that you just need a rudimentary understanding of organic chem. I have taken both semesters of orgo in school, but i didnt learn a thing - not kidding....i never studied hard for it at all. And all I did was read the kaplan orgo section like twice, and got a good handle on the orgo notecards by kaplan

COnsidering the mcat only tests SN1, SN2, E1, E2, activation/deactivation, a few named reactions, and a few oxidation reagents here and there, you will be fine if you thoroughly study the kaplan books, and if you do lots of practice passages in o-chem. That's where my real learning was.

If you are considering applying for Fall 08, i suggest you still give it a shot - anything can happen, and if money is not a big issue, then go for it. there's no point sitting around for 1.5 years, then IF you dont get in the first time you apply (for F09), then you may have to take the MCAT again....so just apply anyway..if you get in, you get in, if you dont you try again. Make sure you apply to schools within your range, as its pointless to apply to hard-reach schools for F08 cuz they only accept cream of the crop of those that apply late.

hope that makes sense. I know many ppl will disagree on my take on you applying for F08, but honestly, you will never know unless you give it a shot and apply atleast to a few schools.
Click to expand...

Thanks...I'm already enrolled in Kaplan..I'm relaly gonna take your suggestion...I'll take any other suggestion on studying for MCAT since I have only 2 months left.
-thanks..
 
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lacrossestar86 said:
I feel your pain, Im taking the mcat on friday, also without ochem. I scored 11 on BS on my last 3 aamc cbt tests, then a 10 before that. Im an econ major with only 6 labs. It was fu**ing horrible but you can get it down.

Best quote Ive ever seen on this site, also study advice:
"You need to learn to savor the pain"
Click to expand...


hi
how did it go ?? did you take any prep course like Kaplan or anything ??
if you did, would you mind sharing how did you do on the first Diagnostic test ?
thanks...
 
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