Is undergrad OChem Text helpful in Pharmacy School?

[PharmDBee]

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To current pharmacy students:

I was wondering if it would be useful to keep my OChem text from undergrad. Would it be useful in pharmacy school or should I sell it back to the school for 150. I figured I could find most of the info online or in my pharmacy texts anyway.

Thanks

 

[njac]

haven't cracked mine once. I kept it just in case.

It may also depend on your particular school's med chem curriculum. where are you going?

 

[PharmDBee]

WVU

Not sure about their med chem curriculum

 

[fenixtnlfan]

I can't believe you can get $150 back on your book! I'm going to the wrong school apparently.

 

[njac]

I can't believe you can get $150 back on your book! I'm going to the wrong school apparently.

yeah, but did the OChem book at UofA even cost $150?

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Go Book Exchange on it....OChem books are useless to you in pharmacy school.

Organic chemistry is a completely different animal than the concepts needed for pharmacy school....like in vivo metabolism. The ONLY concepts that carry over with any importance are stereochemistry, pH/pKa, and hydrolysis. Erase everything else from your brain. Gannett and Griffith will give you handouts that tell you everything you need to know, anyway. You don't get into that stuff until the 2nd semester, anyway. Worry about Dr. Ma's physical chemistry course first....and his endless grunting and scary deep speaking voice (you'll see.)

 

[DoctorRx1986]

Go Book Exchange on it....OChem books are useless to you in pharmacy school.

Organic chemistry is a completely different animal than the concepts needed for pharmacy school....like in vivo metabolism. The ONLY concepts that carry over with any importance are stereochemistry, pH/pKa, and hydrolysis. Erase everything else from your brain. Gannett and Griffith will give you handouts that tell you everything you need to know, anyway.

For stereochemistry, will we have to assign "R" or "S" configuration to chiral molecules or will we simply have to understand, for example, that a certain drug, such as thalidomide, comes in two spatially different arrangements (enantiomers) and one induces a therapeutic effect while the other is a teratogen? What about meso compounds? I personally love the idea of how certain molecules can be achiral (ambidextrous), some chiral (right handed), and others chiral as well but left handed... 😍I find it amazing how such a minor difference in the spatial arrangement of a molecule can have a dramatic effect on its ability or lack of to induce cellular changes.

 

[fenixtnlfan]

yeah, but did the OChem book at UofA even cost $150?

Good question. I really don't remember now, but it had to be a least $100 used. I don't think I've ever been able to get more than $30 back on the expensive textbooks. I sell them on half.com now.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

For stereochemistry, will we have to assign "R" or "S" configuration to chiral molecules or will we simply have to understand, for example, that a certain drug, such as thalidomide, comes in two spatially different arrangements (enantiomers) and one induces a therapeutic effect while the other is a teratogen? What about meso compounds? I personally love the idea of how certain molecules can be achiral (ambidextrous), some chiral (right handed), and others chiral as well but left handed... 😍I find it amazing how such a minor difference in the spatial arrangement of a molecule can have a dramatic effect on its ability or lack of to induce cellular changes.

R/S is very important. It allows the makers of Xopenex to screw us all (among numerous other drugs.) And, thus, it IS actually something we did at WVU during the Spring of the first year in the intro Med Chem concepts course. In actual Med Chem, there is no looking at a molecule and labeling it or thinking through reactions, it is just learning how different chemicals and subtle changes in those chemicals affects the body pharmacodynamically - which most certainly includes stereochemistry. At WVU, you actually have to memorize the chemical structure and answer questions, be it about the drug structurally or therapeutically, about EVERY drug on the market. And the final in the second semester of Medicinal Chemistry is comprehensive for the entire year, to boot. An example of a question on an exam....say there will be 5 beta blockers given as choices. Four will be nonspecific beta blockers and one will be a beta-1 blocker. He will ask "Which of these has an effect that is mostly centered upon the cardiovasculature?" You have to know that beta-1 is cardio and you have to know what it looks like chemically. Get used to that. Questions that are two or more questions in one. It's annoying as hell somethimes. I know that all sounds incredibly daunting, but it's actually easier than it seems. I think I missed about 5 points the entire year....I'm a pharmacology and medicinal chemistry nerd though....so, yeah, whatever....

 

[S_R_N83]

Worry about Dr. Ma's physical chemistry course first....and his endless grunting and scary deep speaking voice (you'll see.)

I saw him while I was at my interview. I couldn't believe that was his voice!

 

[RxWildcat]

I had to pull my OChem book out for some of my med chem stuff, it sucked a lot

 

[WVUPharm2007]

I saw him while I was at my interview. I couldn't believe that was his voice!

Wait until you hear him tell life lessons in class. This one time he was explaining something...I forget what...then out of nowhere he tells us what became known as "The Parable of Winnie the Pooh." He says, "One day Winnie was walking down road. Then he came to bridge. He looked down into water and saw his reflection. Then it ALLLLL made sense. MMMMMMPH!!!" You know, that grunting noise he makes. Then he stopped for 5 seconds...I guess to let us "absorb" it....then he goes right back into teaching. It was one of the most bizarre, awkward things I've ever witnessed. And let me tell you....I have witnessed some ****ed up ****. I had a posse of Asians follow me around Toronto like I was a rock star....and that **** pales in comparison to some of the **** you see in Dr. Ma's class. I'm 100% serious. Do not miss that class. It's like going inside the head of a dude during an LSD trip sometimes. Sure, it's boring most of the time...but every once in a while...just...WOW.

Man, those were the good old days. Dr. Ma. That man is an institution. He's actually quite a brilliant man that brings a **** TON of grants to WVU. I'll tell you the huge secret to that class. Get the old tests....all he does is change the numbers around on the new ones. Everyone knows this...even the administration...it's just that nobody seems to care about this fact.

You know, I haven't slept in well over a day...I should probably get on that....jesus, just look at my post times...

 

[PharmDBee]

Go Book Exchange on it....OChem books are useless to you in pharmacy school.

Thanks for the advice. I figured it was pointless to keep. Plus when a friend said she got 150 for it, I really wanted to get rid of it.

Oh god... Dr. Ma. He was one of my interviewers. Can't wait for that next fall! 😀

 

[mattc_85]

I haven't used my OChem book but I have pulled out my OrgoCards a couple times.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Thanks for the advice. I figured it was pointless to keep. Plus when a friend said she got 150 for it, I really wanted to get rid of it.

Oh god... Dr. Ma. He was one of my interviewers. Can't wait for that next fall! 😀

Next year go to his office. I bet you $50 he will be playing solitaire in his computer chair with a HUGE smile on his face. Any arbitrary time of the day. All he does is teach and play solitaire.

 

[Twins fan]

Next year go to his office. I bet you $50 he will be playing solitaire in his computer chair with a HUGE smile on his face. Any arbitrary time of the day. All he does is teach and play solitaire.

This series of posts makes me wish I had applied to WVU!