EK Organic Chemistry Review

[DoctorSaab]

I just finished reading almost 2 lectures of EK Organic. This thing is watered down like crazy! Is this really all we need? The 30 min lecture exams seem really hard too.

Any advice on how much time should we be devoting to O-chem?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

I just finished reading almost 2 lectures of EK Organic. This thing is watered down like crazy! Is this really all we need? The 30 min lecture exams seem really hard too.

Any advice on how much time should we be devoting to O-chem?

From all of the practice tests that I have taken so far (Kaplan/EK/AAMC,) the stuff that is in the EK book is all you need.

I actually found the lecture exams to be challenging, but not really that hard (I ended up with 13s on most of them)

O-chem makes up about 1/3 (maybe a little more) of the BS section, but the O-chem that is tested isn't really that in-depth. It's just like the rest of the MCAT -- applying the basics to situations that might not look immediately familiar (i.e. all of the monster molecules.) Just know the stuff in the EK book, work lots of practice problems, and you should be fine.

Good Luck,

Jota

 

[DoctorSaab]

Cool, thanks.

I didnt feel like going over the TPR organic. Way too much info.

 

[HunterGatherer]

It's funny but yes this little book is all you need. watch how the MCAT is covered on AAMC exams and that should give you confidence. MCAT orgo is oversimplified from what you generally learn in class. None of the other subjects are like this so it is weird.

The first 3 chapters are rather complete. Learn ALL of the flash cards as well!!

Don't neglect the lab stuff:

You will want to get a solubility chart. This is a common orgo procedure not covered well in the EK book. I got one from my pavia lab book.

You may want to go over tests(Tollens, permanganate,etc.). Got this info from ochem 1&2 lab material.

I think you should take a look at how they presented calculating degrees of freedom. For some reason I'm thinking that it was missing something.

memorize OH peaks and c=o peaks for IR

understand how to read NMR, coupling, and basic peacks like aromatic, methyl ketone,etc. NMR has been popping up on MCAT lately

EK Orgo is great but you should go over various tests for compounds and solubility since EK does not cover these topics.

 

[DoctorSaab]

Would you know a place (maybe some site), or some book (like TPR?) that covers such tests?

Thanks

 

[rgerwin]

I love the EK orgo book. After a long absence from college, it was extremely helpful, and I've had no problems on the practice test so far, EK and AMCAS.

 

[HunterGatherer]

Would you know a place (maybe some site), or some book (like TPR?) that covers such tests?

Thanks

My Pavia textbook covered it. The link below and the attachment should cover all the solubility and functional group tests.

http://www.wellesley.edu/Chemistry/...ndix/ClassificationTests/aldehyde_ketone.html

 

[shantster]

I've just finished reading through the stuff in the Kaplan big book for orgo and I've done the EK orgo book previously. I think the only reason that the Kaplan book is so much bigger is that it goes into detail over all these reactions that you aren't going to memorize since there's no point. I skimmed through a lot of it since the EK book covered so much information in a much better manner. The only thing that I needed to go through more indepthly in the Kaplan book was doing extractions to isolate products since I just didn't understand it too well in the EK book.

 

[DoctorSaab]

Thanks!!