Few questions

[nabilesmail]

Hey guys, I was wondering how similar the MCAT is to TBR O-chem passages. When reading the O-chem chapters it doesn't really seem like I memorize specific reactions at all. (Example, JUst finished Nitrogen chapter and didn't remember even 1 way to make an amino acid and the 14+ reactions in there lols. I haven't take O-chem 2 or Biochem yet so a lot of it is new.) However, I do pretty good on the O-chem passages. Here are my scores for phase 1/2


chapter 1 10 9
chapter 2 8 13
chapter 3 12 12
CHAPTER 4 10 11
chapter 5 11 14
chapter 6 13/14 12

I feel like I can figure out a lot just because I just read the chapter and I know what many of the passages are suppose to be about. However, I really have not memorized too many reactions (almost none lol) except for basics like sn1/sn2/e1/e2/ o-chem 1 stuff. I was planning on watching the whole series of Chad's videos for O-chem after TBR (while taking practice tests) and maybe reading the EK O-chem Book through in 3 or so days. Any advice on this? I really don't want o-chem to bring my scores down. I'll be taking Mcat May 31st and finished with content review on thursday.

For Bio, I also want to add more content review in. I did the EK 1001 bio book+ EK 30 min exams+ TBR for Bio. I averaged 70-80% in EK 1001, probably an 11 on the EK exams, and 60-70% in TBR (lower in the beginning, higher towards the end). i really want to do very very well on the section. I was thinking about reading the TPR Bio book+ doing TPR science wb passages for Bio and possibly o-chem while taking practice tests. Is this a good use of time? (I read EK, but sometimes I don't feel like its enough).

Also, I've gotten to about a 10 on VR (atleast according to the last 2 EK 101 verbals I took). Is it possible to still get this up a bit to maybe an 11 or 12 by game day?

Last but not least, how important are formulas? I've memorized the main ones that were used in my chem classes like equil/ph//gas laws/ etc... But I forget some physics/chem ones like electro chem equilibrim/ hydrostatic pressure, (pretty much the more specific equations). I haven't spent too much time memorizing equations because the TBR passages didn;t really stress them at all and I did great without them. Should I focus on memorizing them for the mcat?

Thanks!!! I appreciate it :]

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[bananaz]

I don't think you need to memorize o-chem reactions if you have a solid understanding of what's going on and why. Once you've developed that intuition then it's usually pretty easy to predict the results of anything that might show up on the MCAT, even if you don't know all of the specific mechanisms involved.

As for PS formulas, I found this PDF to be helpful in figuring out what to memorize: http://www.prep101.com/mcat/wp-content/uploads/ES_MCATPhysics.pdf

A lot of the equations on there can be derived from one another though so if you have a strong grasp on the concepts and how everything relates then you don't have to memorize so much.

 

[MedPR]

There are probably only a few mechanisms you might want to have memorized (aldol condensation, basic sn1, sn2, e1, e2, catalytic halogenation of alkanes, etc), but you definitely don't need to memorize all the mechanisms in the prep books. Knowing why they are happening is the most important thing. For example, almost all carbonyl reactions happen because the carbonyl carbon is electrophilic and planar. Knowing patterns and "why" is the most important part of orgo.

 

[virtuoso735]

There are probably only a few mechanisms you might want to have memorized (aldol condensation, basic sn1, sn2, e1, e2, catalytic halogenation of alkanes, etc), but you definitely don't need to memorize all the mechanisms in the prep books. Knowing why they are happening is the most important thing. For example, almost all carbonyl reactions happen because the carbonyl carbon is electrophilic and planar. Knowing patterns and "why" is the most important part of orgo.

Hmm...would you mind listing out all the reactions you think are the most essential?