Is it possible to take the DAT without any Organic Chem?

[Dental Mom]

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I met a predental student who is taking the Kaplan in the summer then right after the DAT and has not taken any Organic chemistry yet. I saw the schedule for Kaplan and in the classroom they cover Organic for just few hrs....I'm taking Organic II now and I can't imagine not taking them and try to take the DAT. This is someone I just met and was just wondering if I should say something, keep quiet.....I never heard of it....😕

 

[adizzle87]

I would casually mention to the person that it would be hard. The Kaplan In-person classes I heard don't prepare you well. I would see if that person is at least scoring 20+ on OC. If not I would just say in passing that you found class much more helpful in learning OChem. Then its up to that student to make the decision though if it were me I would definitely take the class afterall it is a prereq.

 

[The Anhedonia]

if this person has the capacity and discipline to teach his or herself 20+ chapters of ochem, maybe. but the kaplan book is just a review, if you don't know the mechanisms, you'd be hard pressed to know what you are doing.

 

[doc toothache]

The DAT can be taken with or without having had organic but it is a question of how well he/she expects to do.

 

[Dental Mom]

Thank you for your tips. I'll mention it to the student 👍

 

[NyCzPeter]

I met a predental student who is taking the Kaplan in the summer then right after the DAT and has not taken any Organic chemistry yet. I saw the schedule for Kaplan and in the classroom they cover Organic for just few hrs....I'm taking Organic II now and I can't imagine not taking them and try to take the DAT. This is someone I just met and was just wondering if I should say something, keep quiet.....I never heard of it....😕

Its doable but I would bet that the orgo section will drag him down. I actually took the DATs without taking orgo 2 cuz I was in a rush. Biggest mistake ever.

 

[Dental Mom]

Its doable but I would bet that the orgo section will drag him down. I actually took the DATs without taking orgo 2 cuz I was in a rush. Biggest mistake ever.

Oh no! Sorry to hear that.

I just can't imagine doing it without any! I took Org I, Biochem and I'm finishing Org II this semester all with labs, and there's a lot to learn in an entire semester. This student wants to take Kaplan and 2 weeks later take the DAT?

There's so much to digest with organic. It's like another language!

 

[dentalmama]

I also took the DAT with only having taken Org I, but I got myself a tutor (actually the Kaplan instructor!) and worked on it for 6 weeks, with tutoring twice a week, just to learn what I needed to know for the Org DAT section. I ended up getting a 20 on that section! But at least I had a basis of understanding from Org I.

I don't find Ochem very hard, once you train yourself to think that way. Since the DAT doesn't test on everything you learn in the semester class, or even if your really understand the theory as to WHY the reactions occur, and since you only need to know a definite and specific set of reactions... YES, I think it is possible to learn it on your own! (with some help from a tutor to guide you as to what you specifically need to know for the test). BUT, this DOESN'T mean you can get an A in an ochem class, just that you CAN pass the DAT section with a 20+ if you know what specifically to focus on, and have had some basis or knowledge of organic reactions, so its not a total foreign language!

 

[bjhath]

The first time I took the DAT, I hadn't taken college bio or ochem. And my scores showed it: I got 16 in both. And I didn't get in that cycle. I spent so much time trying to learn those two subjects that I didn't spend much time studying other subjects; and those scores showed it as well.

It's possible, but not probable, that your friend will score well. Hopefully he/she is genius and will do well. Heck, even after two semesters of ochem, I still didn't do great on that section.

Without any prior coursework, Kaplan does not provide enough information to master the DAT. I tried to learn bio and ochem in 8 weeks from textbooks and didn't even come close to getting enough information into my head to do well on the DAT. Kaplan only scratches the surface of the material.

I met a predental student who is taking the Kaplan in the summer then right after the DAT and has not taken any Organic chemistry yet. I saw the schedule for Kaplan and in the classroom they cover Organic for just few hrs....I'm taking Organic II now and I can't imagine not taking them and try to take the DAT. This is someone I just met and was just wondering if I should say something, keep quiet.....I never heard of it....😕

 

[Dental Mom]

Thanks for the info guys. I don't like to step in in people's lives if you know what I mean. I don't know the student's GPA, but if I mention something I can always talk about your experiences. I hate when pre-med advisers want to cut your wings without even seeing your entire package! So I don't want to act like one of them ever! I also never say "I told you"....only to my kids!

Everyone is different and we all learn at different speeds. I'm above average speed after working hard for few semesters....

If the student goes on to take the DAT like this and gets a low score, I'll offer support and encouragement 👍 And if the score turns out to be high, DANG! I'll start eating what the students eats

 

[Heyitsryan]

Damn, I'm most definitely not looking forward to preparing for this examination.

 

[Dental Mom]

Damn, I'm most definitely not looking forward to preparing for this examination.

Hey why not? I can't wait! It's a major milestone on our way to dental school....when are you taking it?

 

[jfitzpat]

I agree that having no Orgo would be pretty crazy, but I took it without Orgo II and didn't think it was bad (I got a 20). I just memorized the reactions and taught myself the IR stuff. It helped that I finished Orgo I during December, studied over Christmas and then took the test at the start of January. The DAT didn't really go into the kind of detail demanded by the class (at least when I took it 3 years ago, I can't speak to if it has changed). That was my experience at least.

 

[bjhath]

If the student goes on to take the DAT like this and gets a low score, I'll offer support and encouragement 👍 And if the score turns out to be high, DANG! I'll start eating what the students eats

If the student scores low, offer support and make sure s/he sees it as a learning experience, not a failure.

Walking into the DAT the second time around, I knew exactly what to expect, which eased my worries and helped boost my confidence (beyond the fact I felt prepared academically).

 

[Jake8]

Orgo gave me the exposure so that when I went back to study for the DAT things made sense easier. I would be lying if I told you that I remembered any mechanisms from class, but the nomenclature stayed with me. For me Orgo is like learning another language. When you take breaks away from it you forget most of what you know, but each time you revisit it comes back faster and makes more sense.

To address the question though, yes you can take it without taking the class, but you will be hard pressed to understand it in the detail necessary to get a great score (20+). That said I bet if I gave my brother (arbitrary example) all the normal DAT aids and taught him orgo just from there he might pull an 18.

 

[Dental Mom]

If the student scores low, offer support and make sure s/he sees it as a learning experience, not a failure.

Walking into the DAT the second time around, I knew exactly what to expect, which eased my worries and helped boost my confidence (beyond the fact I felt prepared academically).

👍