Ochem Lab Requirement

[obgyny]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

so according to my counselor at UC Irvine, premeds don't need the 3rd quarter of ochem lab. and i've heard from everyone else that ochem lab C is reserved for chem majors and pre-pharm students (there are as many course times offered). BUT, some medical schools imply that you need a year of ochem (with lab). so are my 2 quarters of ochem lab insufficient for med school requirements??

i really rather not take ochem lab C if i can help it. i can't stand ochem lab!!!

 

[obgyny]

anyone? i've got to sign up for spring quarter classes tomorrow morning

 

[iA-MD2013]

i think you need the full year of ochem lab. maybe somebody more experienced should answer this. for CA med schools, they say you need the full year of ochem lab. but im not entirely sure.

 

[Cegar]

Yes. Take a full year of OChem.

Unless you want a 27 on the MCAT and a bunch of rejections because you didn't take the right prereqs.

 

[sawood]

I'm real big at procrastinating and i'm taking that lab my last quarter.....

So, my school is on quarters and they are telling students that the 3rd quarter of ochem lab is not required, their reasoning is that the second quarter has two labs per week (instead of just one) so that counts double. This sounded odd and I didn't want to risk it so I wrote to one of the schools I interviewed at (outside of CA) and asked. The admissions committee at the med school said yes I need to take it. Now, how much that applies across the board as a "requirement" I have no idea.

Honestly, I'd just rip the bandaid off and take it, then you won't have to worry.

 

[sawood]

anyone? i've got to sign up for spring quarter classes tomorrow morning

Way to wait until the last minute

 

[ilikefudge]

so according to my counselor at UC Irvine, premeds don't need the 3rd quarter of ochem lab. and i've heard from everyone else that ochem lab C is reserved for chem majors and pre-pharm students (there are as many course times offered). BUT, some medical schools imply that you need a year of ochem (with lab). so are my 2 quarters of ochem lab insufficient for med school requirements??

i really rather not take ochem lab C if i can help it. i can't stand ochem lab!!!

some schools don't require it, but you should probly ask the individual school to make sure... wow i really hope it's not required at the school i got into cuz i am not in the mood to take ochem lab my spring quarter of senior year!! but you know what, i don't think it is required for a lot of schools, cuz then UCI would require bio students to take the third lab if it were really necessary (yea i go to UCI too and there is such a huge pre-med population at UCI, especially bio majors so if it was really that important, they would make us take it, right...😕??) omg i sign up for classes tomorrow too... i dont wanna take ochem lab!!!😱😱

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Why do some schools go by the Quarter system anyways?? It just seems confusing.

 

[obgyny]

omg i sign up for classes tomorrow too... i dont wanna take ochem lab!!!😱😱

me neither!!!! :cry: when i thought i didn't have to take the 3rd quarter of ochem lab, i was sooo happy!

but i really want to make sure i complete all the requirements!

 

[obgyny]

Why do some schools go by the Quarter system anyways?? It just seems confusing.

i don't know. i really hate the quarter system... too much cramming...

 

[husky10501]

yeah, my school is on the quarter system and we only have 2 ochem labs anyway. My advisor said that not all schools require ochem labs so they aren't needed for just a few schools. I'm gonna be safe and do them anyway and take biochem as well.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

yeah, my school is on the quarter system and we only have 2 ochem labs anyway. My advisor said that not all schools require ochem labs so they aren't needed for just a few schools. I'm gonna be safe and do them anyway and take biochem as well.

Dont forget Genetics too, I hear thats a requirement for a couple schools.

 

[obgyny]

i've already taken genetics and taking biochem right now (but without labs).

so i tried to sign up for that 3rd quarter of ochem lab, but it won't let me and says RESTRICTED TO MAJORS (i'm a biosci major).

so i guess i'll go take to the biosci office and ask about it again, but i have a feeling they're going to keep telling me i don't need that 3rd quarter of ochem lab. but i would feel better if i took it... you never know... i keep seeing "one year of ochem with lab" on med school requirements....

 

[UFGatorMed]

At UF there is only Orgo 2 lab. No Orgo 1 lab. I should talk to an advisor to see if I need another semester of organic lab and which lab at UF will cover it if I do.

 

[SgtDoc]

At UF there is only Orgo 2 lab. No Orgo 1 lab. I should talk to an advisor to see if I need another semester of organic lab and which lab at UF will cover it if I do.

Same with my school.

 

[husky10501]

how do the schools even know if the classes have labs or not? My biology and general chemistry all had labs all under one course such as CHEM 142. Organic chem and physics, however, have a separate class and separate lab.

 

[lex]

Just take the 2nd Orgo Lab. I was not planning on taking it because some schools do not require it. But I would rather be on the safe side and took it anyway. If you take it, you no longer have to worry about the requirements any more. Besides the 2nd lab is not hard because you have learned the techniques in the first lab. Almost like a repeat but with different projects.

 

[obgyny]

Just take the 2nd Orgo Lab. I was not planning on taking it because some schools do not require it. But I would rather be on the safe side and took it anyway. If you take it, you no longer have to worry about the requirements any more. Besides the 2nd lab is not hard because you have learned the techniques in the first lab. Almost like a repeat but with different projects.

yeah, but now i'm having issues signing up for the 3rd quarter of ochem lab. its restricted to chem majors and pre-pharm students here at UC Irvine.

 

[DemetriMartin]

I've only taken one semester of Orgo Lab (1 credit). I was planning to take a second semester of Orgo Lab, but I never got a chance to for various reasons...

I have been accepted to many schools, some top 20 schools, and NONE of them have had a problem with me not taking Orgo 2 lab. All you have to do is ask them to waive the orgo 2 lab requirement, and you'll be fine. They might ask you what other lab experience you may have had (I had research lab experience). Worst case scenario is that your top choice school doesn't waive the requirement -- then you can just take orgo 2 lab the spring before med school starts -- BUT i highly doubt they will ask you to take the lab. Just make sure to have a good reason for not taking it.

PM if u need more info.

 

[obgyny]

I've only taken one semester of Orgo Lab (1 credit). I was planning to take a second semester of Orgo Lab, but I never got a chance to for various reasons...

I have been accepted to many schools, some top 20 schools, and NONE of them have had a problem with me not taking Orgo 2 lab. All you have to do is ask them to waive the orgo 2 lab requirement, and you'll be fine. They might ask you what other lab experience you may have had (I had research lab experience). Worst case scenario is that your top choice school doesn't waive the requirement -- then you can just take orgo 2 lab the spring before med school starts -- BUT i highly doubt they will ask you to take the lab. Just make sure to have a good reason for not taking it.

PM if u need more info.

Just to let everyone know, I plan on applying to med school the summer after graduation. So I won't be able to just "fit in" that 3rd quarter of ochem lab if it turns out a med school that accepts me requires it. This is why I really rather take it so that it won't be an issue down the road.

I don't know exactly which schools i'm applying to yet, but I want to be sure I'm eligible for as many as possible.

If my school discourages premeds from taking a 3rd quarter of ochem lab and only allows chem majors and pre-pharm students to take it, then is that a good enough reason not to take it? I'm going to go to visit the chem department tomorrow to see if they'll let me take it anyway.

I don't know if I would qualify to waive the ochem lab requirement. I've taken 2 quarters of ochem lab, but my research experience relates to aging in fruit flies (not related to chem).

 

[foster033]

I didn't read the whole thread so I'm sorry if any of this has been said but...

did you ask any of the other premeds at your school what they are doing, maybe someone who is older than you and has already applied/been accepted?

also, I believe the official wording for prereqs is that they must be taken with all applicable labs...therefore, if it's not offered with a lab at your school then you can't be expected to take it.

 

[paranoid_eyes]

Why do some schools go by the Quarter system anyways?? It just seems confusing.

seriously true....quarter system complicates things a lot and sometimes you end up doing extra work (since 2 quarters = 1 semester)

the only good thing is that you suffer the bad stuff for 10 weeks and its over....

 

[DemetriMartin]

Just to let everyone know, I plan on applying to med school the summer after graduation. So I won't be able to just "fit in" that 3rd quarter of ochem lab if it turns out a med school that accepts me requires it. This is why I really rather take it so that it won't be an issue down the road.

I don't know exactly which schools i'm applying to yet, but I want to be sure I'm eligible for as many as possible.

If my school discourages premeds from taking a 3rd quarter of ochem lab and only allows chem majors and pre-pharm students to take it, then is that a good enough reason not to take it? I'm going to go to visit the chem department tomorrow to see if they'll let me take it anyway.

I don't know if I would qualify to waive the ochem lab requirement. I've taken 2 quarters of ochem lab, but my research experience relates to aging in fruit flies (not related to chem).

Your research about aging in fruit flies is more related to ochem than my research was.... don't worry about it.

 

[confident]

I am also going to UC Ivine and will be taking the third quarter of OChem next quarter and wondering the same question... I will go and ask the bio sci advisor next week but is there anyone applied/accepted to med school with 2 quarters of OChem lab instead of 3? Anyone not accepted to med school because they don't have the 3rd Ochem lab?