Analytical chem under gen chem or organic chem???

[magnolia210]

I'm having trouble categorizing an analytical chem course I took for some secondaries. Should it be under gen chem, organic, or neither? There doesn't seem to be an "other chem courses" category.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[ShenanigansMD]

I'm pretty sure that's not orgo, I would say gen chem.

 

[idontcaureuknow]

I'm having trouble categorizing an analytical chem course I took for some secondaries. Should it be under gen chem, organic, or neither? There doesn't seem to be an "other chem courses" category.

There isn't an "other" selection so it counts as "general chemistry." Organic is the study of carbon based materials, so consider the "general chemistry" section as meaning "any chemistry that isn't primarily studying carbon." I know it is kind of confusing to put courses like P-chem under gen. chem., but that's the med school way I suppose.

 

[mehc012]

There isn't an "other" selection so it counts as "general chemistry." Organic is the study of carbon based materials, so consider the "general chemistry" section as meaning "any chemistry that isn't primarily studying carbon." I know it is kind of confusing to put courses like P-chem under gen. chem., but that's the med school way I suppose.

I never even heard of 'gen chem' before I started looking at med schools. There are so many different types of chem, it seems odd to classify them as just 'organic' and 'other', especially considering how few of them actually fall under the organic label.
General chem just sounds like...intro, which is a lame label to apply to things like inorganic, materials, polymer (though I always thought of polymer as organic), instrumental, physical, analytical, toxicology, medicinal, etc...

They should just call it 'other' if they're going to lump the cool stuff in under that label.

 

[idontcaureuknow]

I never even heard of 'gen chem' before I started looking at med schools. There are so many different types of chem, it seems odd to classify them as just 'organic' and 'other', especially considering how few of them actually fall under the organic label.
General chem just sounds like...intro, which is a lame label to apply to things like inorganic, materials, polymer (though I always thought of polymer as organic), instrumental, physical, analytical, toxicology, medicinal, etc...

They should just call it 'other' if they're going to lump the cool stuff in under that label.

Haha I know, as a chemistry major it sucked. Granted I didn't take anything too cool, Solid state is offered this fall, but i already graduated >.< . I only took 2 electives, both graduate, polymer and advanced organic. Polymer is fundamentally organic, but I absolutely loved living polymerization. RAFT is seeeexy.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

isn't there an inorganic chemistry designation in amcas?

 

[idontcaureuknow]

isn't there an inorganic chemistry designation in amcas?

I don't recall in AMCAS, but some secondaries use it. But what is inorganic chemistry? Usually it's utilized as an "other" chemistry designation. So more or less, med schools only designate chemistry as: Organic, Biochem(sometimes), other. P-chem isn't exactly "inorganic" chemistry but alas, that is what it gets classified as for application purposes.

 

[mehc012]

I don't recall in AMCAS, but some secondaries use it. But what is inorganic chemistry? Usually it's utilized as an "other" chemistry designation. So more or less, med schools only designate chemistry as: Organic, Biochem(sometimes), other. P-chem isn't exactly "inorganic" chemistry but alas, that is what it gets classified as for application purposes.

Inorganic usually deals a lot with transition metal chemistry...more d orbitals than you'll see most other places! It's really its own field. But then, I would also say that about materials, etc...

idontcareuknow: Agreed...living polymerizations = awesome. My favorite course was definitely Physical Organic, though; it was all about studying physical properties in order to elucidate reaction mechanisms for organic synthesis. It was just the right amount of physical chem - enough to see the cool benefits you'd get from understanding the concepts, but almost no hard math! I took a compacted gen chem, so I was free for electives after sophomore fall. Took almost exclusively organic chem courses, though because the inorganic/materials prof was into super-early classes and I was...not. And also because I like orgo best!