how detailed to know organic reactions

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echoyjeff222

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What type of questions are usually asked relating to specific mechanisms (e.g. like the ones found in book 2 of TBR?) I'm wondering if it's more "predict products" or would I need to know the intricacies of the reaction mechanisms as well? Just need to know how much I need to review the reactions and how to review the reactions (making flashcards)! If I do well on the passages from TBR, is it safe to say that i'll be OK?

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Complete toss up. I got an A in orgo I (still need to take orgo II) and was completely befuddled by the reactions they were asking about on the June 21st MCAT. Further, none of the study matierals covered some these reactions either...

Imagine a 12-15 step mechanism incorporating several different reaction types (some of which you've never heard of before) and trying to answer convoluted questions....what you need to know is a crap shoot apparently..
 
I reviewed orgo in the study materials everyone talks about on SDN. I can only assume this includes reactions included in most orgo 2 classes.

I firmly believe no amount of orgo studying could have prepared me properly for what was found on the June 21st test.
 
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Agreed. It is such a toss up. I've seen questions asking about an intermediate in a mechanism...... albeit, a very basic mechanism.

Yes, and like what @yanks26dmb said, they will have a whole passage with a reaction and it's mechanism that looks extremely complicated. I recommend going to the questions immediately and find the information you need to search for in the passage.
 
Well f**k

and after 40 hours of studying per week for 4.5 months straight and A's in orgo lecture and lab that's exactly how I felt when I encountered the two monster orgo passages on the 6/21 BS section of the MCAT. Sometimes theres just nothing you can do.
 
This is a problem with SDN. It's understandable to encounter a passage that totally stumps you, but at the same time venting or expressing that concern SDN is unnecessarily psyching everyone else out, which just adds to the anxiety most people have. And it's been said many times before. Your post-MCAT thoughts don't necessarily correlate with your performance. It's quite possible you did very well. Another thing to mention, a great deal of organic reactions are covered in organic II (though the reactivity is generally the same trend over and over). It's highly likely the reason why you struggled with that passage was because you didn't take orgo II.
 
This is a problem with SDN. It's understandable to encounter a passage that totally stumps you, but at the same time venting or expressing that concern SDN is unnecessarily psyching everyone else out, which just adds to the anxiety most people have. And it's been said many times before. Your post-MCAT thoughts don't necessarily correlate with your performance. It's quite possible you did very well. Another thing to mention, a great deal of organic reactions are covered in organic II (though the reactivity is generally the same trend over and over). It's highly likely the reason why you struggled with that passage was because you didn't take orgo II.

I understand what you're saying, but having been on this forum long enough, I know for a fact many posters with orgo II under their belts found the same two passages overly difficult.
 
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