Independent Study: Is it Viable?

[Fijj]

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I was wondering, could I independently study the organic chem for the MCATs or would I need a class?

 

[Blueprint MCAT Tutor]

That depends 100% on how good a student you are, whether you've got a knack for organic, and how much time you have to spend on it.

The short answer is "Yes".

The longer answer is: Yes, and you'll have one distinct advantage over the 'normal' route in that you won't be wasting time with non-MCAT material. You'll also have one big disadvantage - a lot of MCAT passages are based around experiments, and having spent lots of time in the organic lab gives you good 'science common sense' that helps you think about the information in the passage. Skipping organic chem class means missing out on some of that lab time.

The even longer answer is: yes and here's how you do it

1. Print out the AAMC science content outline (specifically the organic chem pages from BioSci).
2. Buy the EK and the TBR organic chem MCAT books

(lots of folks may disagree with me here, but I 100% think that buying pure orgo textbooks or review books is a waste of time. EK/TBR is all you need. My context for thinking this is: the orgo on the MCAT is so simple compared to a full college class that even review books are going to be more than you need. As an undergrad myself, I failed organic chemistry [not a euphemism, my organic chem test average was like a 50] and I still got a 12 in BS back in the pencil-and-paper days when orgo was 40% of the section. Remember, it's fundamentally a reading test.)

3. Start by working through the entire EK organic book. Don't do the quizzes at the back of the book.

Here, it's okay if you feel like you're not getting a lot of it. Just let it wash over you and try to get a feel for the language of organic chem and the general principles involved.

4. Then work all the way through the TBR book. Slowly and carefully. Treat it like a science class.
5. Go back and re-do the EK book, and finish by doing the quizzes at the back of the EK book.

This will take a ton of time, to be sure. But way less than a full year's worth of orgo classes, lectures, and labs.

Good luck! 🙂

 

[Fijj]

Thanks, actually I have about 6 months until I need to take the MCAT so I think I will be able to do this. My advisers state this is probably not the best idea, but I believe I can do well on it.

Edit: Will Princeton review be fine?

 

[mbaumann1123]

I self studied organic II. Totally regretted it on September 12. And I'm still regretting it as I prepare for January 25th. I got an A in organic I and Lab and took 1.5 months of organic II with a B average before I withdrew for the semester. Maybe you'll have better luck than me, I should have put in more time to studying organic than I did. Don't underestimate the amount of material! But I've heard of plenty of people who were successful self studying organic so maybe you'll be one of them! Try Organic Chrmistry as a 2nd language by Klein as a supplement. Good luck!

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

No, you are (almost) setting yourself up for fail if you haven't taken at least the first course of Organic Chem.

 

[RC4L]

No, you are (almost) setting yourself up for fail if you haven't taken at least the first course of Organic Chem.

This^ is a self fulfilling prophecy. You can absolutely can do fine on the mcat orgo without the class but you have to assess the cost. The orgo on the mcat is pretty basic and constitutes a very small portion of questions. It certainly would help to have the classes under your belt but in no way is it absolutely required. You will need to cover it in much more detail than someone who has taken the pre reqs which may hurt your prep if you don't have much time but considering your situation you could easily do it. I have taken 3 MCATs and have seen at most two passages and a handful of discretes in orgo. In addition, all of it was basic rxns, stereochem, lab techniques, and IR which are explained well enough in mcat prep resources to support you on the mcat. If you go through the Berkeley or TPR orgo books and learn it well, you will be just fine.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

Self studying the second semester might be doable, because at least you'd have the basics down from the first semester and you get the terminology. But to absorb an entire year's worth of organic chemistry via self-study sounds like an unnecessary disadvantage. Organic chemistry is something that takes time to master, because the information builds on previous information. It's also a subject where a good TA or tutor can help you save time. Self studying can be time inefficient, because if a small concept isn't set, then future concepts will be more challenging than necessary. There are people who self-study that do well, but I'd be willing to bet they are the ones who lucked out and got an MCAT with only one passage on the subject. If you're not so lucky and you get two or three passages on complicated reactions and/or experiments, then there's a very good chance it won't go well. If you have to take the MCAT before completing organic chemistry for timing purposes, can you at least audit an organic chemistry class at your college?

 

[SN2ed]

I agree with the posters saying it's not a good idea. O-chem is not only like learning a new language, it also involves a good deal of critical thinking. Additionally, unlike the other med school pre-reqs, people typically have no prior exposure to o-chem before college. I think it's this combination of characteristics that makes it a tough, sometimes game breaking, class for pre-meds.

Furthermore, trying to compress a year long course into half that time while having no background knowledge and without an experienced instructor is very risky. This is especially the case when you consider that you may very well have 3 o-chem passages and some discretes on your test.

Lastly, MCAT review books are just that, review books. They really aren't meant to teach someone from scratch.