o-chem!

[Quester]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hey guys,

I'm sorta stumped in regards to my future plan on MCAT, pre-req's, etc. I'm in my soph. year and I was planning to take full year o-chem during summer and write my MCAT in my junior year summer (since I will be applying after my senior year). I really don't want to spend my summer doing o-chem if I could get a job.

Is first part of ochem so important that I must take it to do well on my MCAT?😕

 

[MilkmanAl]

I would definitely advise having at least the first semester of organic done before taking the MCAT. I'm not so sure why you want to take the MCAT after your junior year if you're not applying for a year after that, though. Save yourself the scheduling nightmare, and take the MCAT in May or early June of next summer.

 

[st2205]

I had Ochem on both PS and BS. I wouldn't recommend not taking it.

 

[healforever]

I had Ochem on both PS and BS. I wouldn't recommend not taking it.

Very right, I just finished O-Chem I and did fairly well in it. Listen it's not that bad and also there is things from O-Chem you will need for the MCats.

I would strongly advise you take O-chem, I got a B+ in it and an A in O-chem II, so youll be alright man, just study hard.

 

[Quester]

Thanks guys.

Do you think it's harder to "cram" this subject in 1.5 months (summer) or take 4 science classes + o-chem during the school year?

 

[Arjuna]

Thanks guys.

Do you think it's harder to "cram" this subject in 1.5 months (summer) or take 4 science classes + o-chem during the school year?

Its all relative; depends on how you learn, what else you are doing in the summer, etc. But, if you are applying in the 2012 cycle, I would recommend taking it during junior year, if not during the summer. I took Organic II in the summer, and it was intense, but I wasn't doing much else, other than a research job.

 

[oaklandguy]

I took both O-Chem I & II in the summer. I had taken a high school O-Chem class in high school that had taught me the basics, i.e. nomenclature and stereochemistry and benzene rings.

The amount of material is what is going to be tough. You will probably have to study everyday. That being said, it is the only class you will be studying for. You can focus all of your attention towards it. I'm sure if you wanted to work that you would be able to work weekends. You just have to manage your time wisely. I personally enjoyed taking Orgo by itself because it was my only focus and I truly mastered the material much more than Physics and Biology which were taken with other courses in a fall and winter semester type schedule.

 

[slight365]

I never advise taking it during the summer, simply because the subtlety of reactions and absorbing them all and understanding their behavior is very important later. If you do it right, one can predict the process of reactions very well and invest less time later in the semester, and even in OCII and Biochem.