No Alkene or Benzene Rxns for MCAT?

[LaughingMan]

Hey All,

Per page 14 and 15 of the AAMC Outline for Biological Sciences, I don't see Alkene or Benzene listed.

ExamKrackers details the mechanism of many Alkene Rxns (Oxymercuration, Hydroboration, etc.) so I was assuming they would be fair game. EK also says Benzene will no longer be on the MCAT post 2003--and searching SDN, I see mixed information.

Is the outline listed on AAMC only supposed to be a rough guide? Alkenes still fair game? Anyone can comment on what TBR, TPR, and Kaplan are saying?

It's not a super big deal, but I would be happy if I can throw out the details on E1 and E2 from my review.

Thanks
LaughingMan

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[Brodo]

I'm not sure about a direct answer the this question, but I can give some general Ochem advice.
I have wrote the MCAT three times now, and the organic chemistry component is relatively minor.
Rather than worrying about learning specific rxns, it is much more important to learn the important trends and characteristics.
You will very very rarely need to have reactions memorized. Your time will be better spent elsewhere

 

[janutt345]

Man that sucks. I just wasted all that time reading TBR CH. 4 on eliminations and electrophilic additions. None of that crap is even allowed to be on the test anymore .

 

[Gauss44]

I bet they mean that there will not be any questions that can ONLY be answered from knowledge of benzene. I suspect that several topics not required for MCAT can still be helpful and/or work as a shortcut on the science sections.

 

[gettheleadout]

I'm not sure about a direct answer the this question, but I can give some general Ochem advice.
I have wrote the MCAT three times now, and the organic chemistry component is relatively minor.
Rather than worrying about learning specific rxns, it is much more important to learn the important trends and characteristics.
You will very very rarely need to have reactions memorized. Your time will be better spent elsewhere

This is a great way to end up flailing when you get several organic passages in BS. Know everything.

Man that sucks. I just wasted all that time reading TBR CH. 4 on eliminations and electrophilic additions. None of that crap is even allowed to be on the test anymore .

TBR gives a very good explanation of why knowing that material is still relevant in various contexts.

That said, hydroboration and the like? Forget that stuff.

 

[janutt345]

TBR gives a very good explanation of why knowing that material is still relevant in various contexts.

That said, hydroboration and the like? Forget that stuff.

Where do they do this?

 

[gettheleadout]

Where do they do this?

Not as extensive an explanation as I recall, but pg. 257 and 273-274. Basically the material is applicable in ways beyond directly questioning how to hydrate an isolated alkene and stuff like that.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

Man that sucks. I just wasted all that time reading TBR CH. 4 on eliminations and electrophilic additions. None of that crap is even allowed to be on the test anymore .

If you have the latest version of the BR organic book, then you're fine. It shows the E1 to demonstrate carbocation stability and the E2 as a lead-in to the Hofmann Elimination (which is listed in the AAMC Biological Sciences Content list on page 16). That takes up only two pages and covers things that can be tested. The elctrocyclic material includes the Claisen rearrangement and the Cope rearrangement, which are electrocyclic reactions involving carbonyl compounds and biological molecules, which make them fair game. The Diels-Alder example shows the impact of the resonance structures of an alpha-beta unsaturated ketone (also in the outline). It's a total of seven pages there as a just in case they present this topic to test on a different concept. You'll notice that the four sample questions in the span of those pages emphasize carbocation formation, rearrangement, resonance structure impact on a mechanism, and formation of an aldehyde. All of those things are in the AAMC outline.

The point is that the book is quite current and anything in there was thought about long and hard during the last revision (early 2012). Of the 24 pages in that chapter, 16 are on terpenes, alkane reactions, biological pi-bonds, and free radicals.

 

[NuttyEngDude]

The point is that the book is quite current and anything in there was thought about long and hard during the last revision (early 2012). Of the 24 pages in that chapter, 16 are on terpenes, alkane reactions, biological pi-bonds, and free radicals.

Hello, How do I know if I have the newest verison? I bought mine in January of 2012 and have a 2012 copyright date. I know it's around the time of the newest release but it may be the old release. Is there a page or something I can turn to or certain page number in a chapter that can verify it for me?

Thanks