Just how much organic chemistry is on the MCAT?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

BNSN

Full Member
10+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2006
Messages
603
Reaction score
0
I've heard of some examinations having only one passage.

Is it usually this way? How indepth/advanced in the o chem usually?

Members don't see this ad.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Ugh. Then why does Kaplan put so much on their exams!

Stupid Kaplan for trying to prepare me :(
 
Ugh. Then why does Kaplan put so much on their exams!

Stupid Kaplan for trying to prepare me :(

Yea, kaplans practice tests were killing me with all the ochem. But, like a previous poster said, it could be up to three passages, so I guess its good to be prepared!
 
Ugh. Then why does Kaplan put so much on their exams!

Stupid Kaplan for trying to prepare me :(

Because of those 1-3 passages, they could ask you anything from pyrolysis to wolf-kishner reaction. It sucks, but the amount of organic chemistry you have to know isn't bad at all. Suck it up; it'll pay off :thumbup:
 
see, the thing is, content-wise, there's almost no ochem on the mcat. there might be up to three passages, but you don't really have to know very much to be able to answer them correctly, it can all be done with basic ochem I info. for example, they would expect you to know how to determine chirality of something, but they really never ask questions about named reactions other than Sn1 and Sn2, and then really basic things like saponification. while they may technically be able to ask you something about more complicated reactions like the wolf-kishner reduction and such, they usually tell you about it in the passage so you don't usually have to know it yourself, you just need to be able to understand what the passage is talking about.

my point is, learning physical organic is important, learning basic nomenclature is important, learning basic reactivity patterns is important, but learning reaction names will rarely help you on an mcat.
 
see, the thing is, content-wise, there's almost no ochem on the mcat. there might be up to three passages, but you don't really have to know very much to be able to answer them correctly, it can all be done with basic ochem I info. for example, they would expect you to know how to determine chirality of something, but they really never ask questions about named reactions other than Sn1 and Sn2, and then really basic things like saponification. while they may technically be able to ask you something about more complicated reactions like the wolf-kishner reduction and such, they usually tell you about it in the passage so you don't usually have to know it yourself, you just need to be able to understand what the passage is talking about.

my point is, learning physical organic is important, learning basic nomenclature is important, learning basic reactivity patterns is important, but learning reaction names will rarely help you on an mcat.


Spot on!!

When I learned Ochem in undergrad, I did not get all the basics but I have learned them in med chem and have learned how to apply basics to almost any structures.

I would study it but not labor on it.
 
Very little, thank god. On all the practice tests I would get all of the bio sections 100% and I would guess on most of the organic. Ended up with a 13 in my Biological Sciences section. 98th percentile. I nailed the bio portions, but (as usual) guessed on much of the organic.
 
see, the thing is, content-wise, there's almost no ochem on the mcat. there might be up to three passages, but you don't really have to know very much to be able to answer them correctly, it can all be done with basic ochem I info. for example, they would expect you to know how to determine chirality of something, but they really never ask questions about named reactions other than Sn1 and Sn2, and then really basic things like saponification. while they may technically be able to ask you something about more complicated reactions like the wolf-kishner reduction and such, they usually tell you about it in the passage so you don't usually have to know it yourself, you just need to be able to understand what the passage is talking about.

my point is, learning physical organic is important, learning basic nomenclature is important, learning basic reactivity patterns is important, but learning reaction names will rarely help you on an mcat.

Based on other's reports of how much organic was covered on their actual exams I would normally agree with you. However, on my exam, (September 2007) this was not the case. Maybe I got a fluke exam (with a DEMON verbal section to boot), but my exam was orgo heavy. We had 4 orgo passages and at least 6 orgo discretes that I can remember. My knowledge of organic saved my butt on that exam...and I did have to know some specific reactions and such.

Just learn what is in your review books...Try and learn as much of it as you possibly can. Focus on the logic of the orgo before the memorization, but you really should be ready for anything...God knows that I'm DAMN sure glad that I was. I think that its safe to say that my exam was a 'curveball'.
 
Based on other's reports of how much organic was covered on their actual exams I would normally agree with you. However, on my exam, (September 2007) this was not the case. Maybe I got a fluke exam (with a DEMON verbal section to boot), but my exam was orgo heavy. We had 4 orgo passages and at least 6 orgo discretes that I can remember. My knowledge of organic saved my butt on that exam...and I did have to know some specific reactions and such.

Just learn what is in your review books...Try and learn as much of it as you possibly can. Focus on the logic of the orgo before the memorization, but you really should be ready for anything...God knows that I'm DAMN sure glad that I was. I think that its safe to say that my exam was a 'curveball'.

What source did u use for Ochem? I have Kaplan and they dont explain anything. they just present bunch of rxns with no mechanism, and thats why its hard to memorize
 
What source did u use for Ochem? I have Kaplan and they dont explain anything. they just present bunch of rxns with no mechanism, and thats why its hard to memorize

EK, as far as I can tell, really focuses on mechanism and patterns, not specific reactions.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
What source did u use for Ochem? I have Kaplan and they dont explain anything. they just present bunch of rxns with no mechanism, and thats why its hard to memorize

I used TPR and they were pretty good for mechanisms. Organic was the section that I was helped the most by using both the kaplan and TPR books. The TPR focused on the logic/mechanisms, and kaplan had more rxn/situations in it.
 
I hope some of you are still subscribed to this thread or that my question bumps its visibility: About how much do you need to know from OCem 2 to be well prepared for the MCAT? Does anyone think I could get away with just taking the first OCem and studying anything else on my own throughout July, bumping my MCAT to early August, late July? Or maybe that's an insignificant difference...statistically speaking, I know it is. lol

I ask because my 2012 application timeline was screwed by my job, forcing me to take OCem 1 this June and OCem 2 this July, with an August 23rd MCAT (at least I’m getting published for it, though). Thankfully, since I’m applying to MD/PhDs, it isn't as important to have such an early app as it is for the regular MD programs; but it sure helps to expedite the decision. And I wanna know where I’m going earlier than later.


Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks.
 
I hope some of you are still subscribed to this thread or that my question bumps its visibility: About how much do you need to know from OCem 2 to be well prepared for the MCAT? Does anyone think I could get away with just taking the first OCem and studying anything else on my own throughout July, bumping my MCAT to early August, late July? Or maybe that's an insignificant difference...statistically speaking, I know it is. lol

I ask because my 2012 application timeline was screwed by my job, forcing me to take OCem 1 this June and OCem 2 this July, with an August 23rd MCAT (at least I’m getting published for it, though). Thankfully, since I’m applying to MD/PhDs, it isn't as important to have such an early app as it is for the regular MD programs; but it sure helps to expedite the decision. And I wanna know where I’m going earlier than later.


Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks.


1) Please don't bump OLD threads.

2) Not knowing O-Chem 2 probably won't be too damaging but you never know. If your O-Chem 1 is rock solid and you review well and are able to learn on your own, you'll probably be fine.

3) Are you sure about the whole being okay w/ a later app for MD/PhD? Keep in mind MD/PhD is MUCH tougher to get into than regular MD. You really need a mid-30s MCAT along w/ extensive research experience and a great GPA to be reasonably competitive for MD/PhD programs. Since the people applying to these programs are often also applying to MD programs and are, as a rule, the TOP applicants for MD programs, I highly doubt your competition is applying much later than June/July.
 
1) Would you rather I have started a new thread when this one's title adequately reflects my topic of discussion?

2) Awesome, thanks.

3) Yes, I'm sure. Your description describes me to a T (well, assuming that I do as well as I hope on the MCAT, anyway--all else c/w assessment). I'm applying to the top 3 and several other top 10 med schools' regular MD programs with an application for a full tuition scholarship to each. But I'm serious about research and would tack on a Master's at those schools. So in that respect, yes, it will matter. However, (A) Harvard et al. don't send out decisions until March anyway, and (B) I've spoken to many, many current MSTP students that sit on their adcoms that say they're aware that some, more qualified, scientifically active applicants will submit later than their competitors and specifically save room for them.

It's still a crappy situation, though. That still means a later decision and less time to prep for a move. But I can't change what happened and had no other choice at the time but to lengthen my timeline.

Thanks for the advice.
 
Last edited:
I took the MCAT last year and there was definitely less than Kaplan's tests. From what I hear, there was a recent change that dropped the total to about 15% of the BioSci section. That doesn't really change that much though, because you need to be able to take those questions confidently.
 
I took the MCAT last year and there was definitely less than Kaplan's tests. From what I hear, there was a recent change that dropped the total to about 15% of the BioSci section. That doesn't really change that much though, because you need to be able to take those questions confidently.

My understanding was that it was at 20/80 ochem/bio, but regardless, it seems to be inconsistent. The reality is that some are getting a single passage while others have gotten 3-4 passages worth of ochem or a couple straight ochem passages and maybe a metabolism passage requiring ochem to fully understand it, etc.
 
I mean, seriously...

What are you going to tell yourself if you skipped something that prep materials exist for, when it shows up on the exam?

There's enough random stuff on the test that you can't predict that you should know what you can.
 
I mean, seriously...

What are you going to tell yourself if you skipped something that prep materials exist for, when it shows up on the exam?

There's enough random stuff on the test that you can't predict that you should know what you can.

Yeah, you're absolutely right. It's always better to be safe rather than sorry, especially in this case. LoL 'Twas wishful thinking.
 
I wish it was at least 50% organic in comparison to biology!!!!! I don't know about the rest of you, but I am far more likely to get a correct answer in ochm then bio.


nucleophilic substitution > endocrine system
 
It varies from MCAT to MCAT. You really cannot predict level of difficulty or the amount of ochem you will see on the real deal. I sat for the exam last friday and there was only one passage and about two discrete questions but I thought they were pretty difficult in comparison to what I had seen on practice exams. A buddy of mine had his MCAT a week before and he said there were two really easy passages. One of the SDN threads from a July(i believe) MCAT said half of their bio section was ochem. If you want to do well, your only option is to walk in there prepared to answer any ochem topics. It is unfortunate due to the amount of studying needed for only a coupld of questions!
 
I've heard of some examinations having only one passage.

Is it usually this way? How indepth/advanced in the o chem usually?

This discussion makes me nervous.

If the wrong person sees this, I wonder if they wouldn't put in a few more O'chem passages just for us?
 
Top