organic chem during BSN?

[nev]

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Hi,
I was thinking of taking organic chem 1 during any of the semesters in BSN school, so that after I graduate , I could apply to PA school. What do you guys think? Is it a good idea?
Thanks
Nev

 

[RAMPA]

Hi,
I was thinking of taking organic chem 1 during any of the semesters in BSN school, so that after I graduate , I could apply to PA school. What do you guys think? Is it a good idea?
Thanks
Nev

well arent you going to work for a few yrs before you apply to PA school? im only saying this b/c you would make a stronger candidate by having nursing experience, and not just "nursing school experience", which really wouldnt count at all. while you're working you could take org chem and keep your "school" mind turned on. focus more on whats at hand and things will fall into place. id say go thru your bsn and work for about 3-4 yrs, while taking some pre-reqs and then apply. you will have a sure spot waiting for you. 🙂

 

[nev]

I will be done with my BSN at 2008. I'll be 21 then.I guess working for a few years wont do much harm. But still, is organic chem really hard?

 

[Happy613]

I will be done with my BSN at 2008. I'll be 21 then.I guess working for a few years wont do much harm. But still, is organic chem really hard?

Yeah Organic chem is a rough course. Its totally doable, it just requires lots of memorization. You should give it a shot, lots of people I know registered for it one semester and after attending a few classes realized they might want to take it later on when they had more time.

Just make sure you take a pre-med orgo class, which I believe is the one required for PA school (someone correct me if I am wrong). I am not sure if the orgo that is taught in nursing school is going to meet this requirment.

 

[Science_Guy]

Yeah Organic chem is a rough course. Its totally doable, it just requires lots of memorization. You should give it a shot, lots of people I know registered for it one semester and after attending a few classes realized they might want to take it later on when they had more time.

Just make sure you take a pre-med orgo class, which I believe is the one required for PA school (someone correct me if I am wrong). I am not sure if the orgo that is taught in nursing school is going to meet this requirment.

Organic chemistry will require a lot of attention, especially if you do not have a strong chemistry background already. One word of advice.....there are several types of reactions to remember, but get used to "electron pushing", so to speak, so you won't spend an inordinate amount of time trying to memorize specific reactions. Another thing you will find useful is when asked to provide a synthesis of a molecule, think backwards (start with the completed molecule, then work the problem in reverse.....easier than trying to do it the other way). You will see what I mean when you start organic chem.

If you have the availability of a pre-med/pre-PA version of Organic, you will have a better time than taking the fully-leaded, high octane (see, organic molecule) chemistry level course which will take a major piece out of you and is meant more for serious chemistry majors.

Organic is tough, but certainly not impossible. Just remember that making a B in organic represents a pretty good showing, so don't get discouraged.

 

[nev]

In my junior college, there is this really hard organic chem instructor. Hard in the sense, he is unfair in grading. So I wouldnt want to take it over there. But is it possible for me to take an organic chem course through distance education ? In that case is it possible for me to take the lab only in the junior college I attend?
Anyway, like you guys said, I think it is a good idea for me to take Organic chem after I finish my BSN.

Thanks
Nev

 

[RAMPA]

I will be done with my BSN at 2008. I'll be 21 then.I guess working for a few years wont do much harm. But still, is organic chem really hard?

have you worked in a hospital before? Im assuming you're 18. I was at the same stage as you and i got my first hospital job in May of my senior yr in HS. totally different ball game from what you see or think. shoot i used to think docs were always there as staff just like on TV, among many other things. i was going to work on my ADN, but soon after realized nursing wasnt for me. i have done alot of soul searching and I knew i wanted to be a PA, but i didnt know what i wanted to do to get my experience. so here i am about to start my third yr at a CC and i still havent started radtech school. but i wish u the best and i hope that you will truly enjoy nursing and that you dont go throught the things that i have. all i can do is learn.

 

[nev]

Being a Rad Tech is great.There is a lot of cool things like MRI,CT.PET etc wheer u can specialize in. Especiall now , there is a program called RA(Radiologist Assistant) which is liek a PA but where u assist the radiologist only. But I dont know about the future of RAs ....its a new course and I dont know anything about the job market.
But I feel that being a PA is awesome...I hope we can get there. 👍
I am thiking of doing nursing only to get me into PA school....I'll do anything to get into PA school.

Thanks
Nev

 

[ButlerPharm.D.]

If an Organic Chem professor heard you say it's memorization they'd flip their lid! Organic Chemistry is not about memorization it's about fully understanding the basis of the rxn so that you can apply it to more complex situations. Typically the hw is the basis and the exams are where profs like to nail students because in most cases they put things on the exams students have never seen. Organic is like nothing you've ever seen before and I would argue that Gen Chem doesn't adequately prepare students for Organic. My advice, if you do not comprehend the material in the beginning get a tutor because the material is quite comprehensive in nature.

 

[Happy613]

If an Organic Chem professor heard you say it's memorization they'd flip their lid! Organic Chemistry is not about memorization it's about fully understanding the basis of the rxn so that you can apply it to more complex situations. Typically the hw is the basis and the exams are where profs like to nail students because in most cases they put things on the exams students have never seen. Organic is like nothing you've ever seen before and I would argue that Gen Chem doesn't adequately prepare students for Organic. My advice, if you do not comprehend the material in the beginning get a tutor because the material is quite comprehensive in nature.

A tutor is key for orgo.... most schools can provide them for free. As for memorizing, its the shotgun approach to orgo, its a horrible way to learn any subject, but for people like me that never really got orgo it was a way to do decent enough on the exams...but Butlerphramd is right....just memorizing orgo reactions, especially in a course that is heavy on synthesis and hypothetical mechanistic desighn its gonna be tough......my professors kept on giving us tests in which we had to show how to synthesize illegal drugs... go figure.

 

[ButlerPharm.D.]

One of the synthesis questions on one of my old exams was the synthesis of LSD, those crazy orgo professors!

A tutor is key for orgo.... most schools can provide them for free. As for memorizing, its the shotgun approach to orgo, its a horrible way to learn any subject, but for people like me that never really got orgo it was a way to do decent enough on the exams...but Butlerphramd is right....just memorizing orgo reactions, especially in a course that is heavy on synthesis and hypothetical mechanistic desighn its gonna be tough......my professors kept on giving us tests in which we had to show how to synthesize illegal drugs... go figure.

 

[Noeljan]

hey there
Organic was my favorite class🙂 so I am a little biased, but it's not that bad. Learn the trends and you will be much better off. When you study have your periodic table right along side of you. Before you know it, you will be able to figure out mechanisms you have not seen based on trends alone. I also tutored organic and the BIGGEST problem I have seen with students is this....MANY wait until like a few days before to try and do their hardcore studying, and then they try and MEMORIZE reactions. BAD CALL. If you try and only memorize reactions without understanding why they are happening what is going to happen when the exact same rxns are not on your test? Sure you need some memorization but you also need to apply it. So do NOT get behind. Keep up often. If you work hard first semester second semester is a breeze (NMR, IRs etc)
so yes you can take organic during your BSN because I did it, although you MUST be really dedicated to it. Maybe you could also seek out a summer course if it seems too much for you, though I would have never wanted to take organic over the summer. Also, against what a lot of people say, you will use organic all the time though you may not realize it. It made biochem really easy and subsequent courses. Everything is really rxns in science in some way. Oh, don't take it during clinicals try and get it done the first two years.

 

[nev]

oh.....
I have found out that organic chem is found to be hard for certain students and at the same time some students find it really easy. Its probably because they studied it in your method. Is it really time consuming.....like how many hours would you need to study for it every day to make a great grade?
Thanks
Nev

 

[corpsmanUP]

oh.....
I have found out that organic chem is found to be hard for certain students and at the same time some students find it really easy. Its probably because they studied it in your method. Is it really time consuming.....like how many hours would you need to study for it every day to make a great grade?
Thanks
Nev

I remember my first day of organic. The professor had us raise our hands when he announced particular reasons for taking the course. the vast majority of the people were pre-med, pre-dental, or chemical engineer majors. By the end of the course, 75% had dropped, and of those remaining there were only 2 A's. It was not unusual to have a class average of 35 for an exam, which provided a huge curve. I thought it was an incredible course, although I found it to be pretty useless for the most part. Looking back it is seriously a weed-out course and only the last 25% of the course applies to any medical science. If you are extremely gifted in organic, you will likely be the perfect radiologist, because this field requires an incredible grasp on 3-D thinking. If you are good at reading maps, finding your way around new cities with ease, or able to put together things without reading directions, you will probably be great at organic. But one thing is true for sure, you have to be able to understand the basics of electron tracking and covalent bonds. I recommend anyone taking it for the first time to get all 3 parts of the Standard Deviants Organic Chem videos or DVD's, and be sure you understand it before starting the course.

My best friend went to PA school and started the day after he finished nursing school. He is now in med school as well.

 

[nev]

The PA schools, I was interested in does not require organic chem but there are some which do require it. But however, I was thinking of just doing organic chem. because I was thinking of going into med school in the future. In a nutrition class, I learned that fiber could remove some amounts of cholesterol from the body. Whne I though about this, I was thinking that maybe organic chem has a lot to do with this. Maybe I could be in a disadvantage of just mugging up stuff without understanding the.
Please advice
Nev

 

[ButlerPharm.D.]

Take organic, what can you lose? By taking organic you'll open yourself up to a lot more PA programs because, to my knowledge, Organic Chemistry is a pre-req for most PA programs, Butler's included. And the process you wrote about is more biochemical than Organic chemistry.

 

[corpsmanUP]

Take organic, what can you lose? By taking organic you'll open yourself up to a lot more PA programs because, to my knowledge, Organic Chemistry is a pre-req for most PA programs, Butler's included. And the process you wrote about is more biochemical than Organic chemistry.

Take organic. It prooves to you exactly what kind of student you are capable of being. It is the bootcamp of college. It is the ranger training of undergaduate! If you can do well in organic, you can do well in medical school most certainly. But not doing well in organic doesn't mean you will do poorly in something else. Its just an intense and mind boggling experience. And if you ever have the desire to go to medical school, it will serve you well....trust me 😉

 

[nev]

I probably might...I'm not sure how hard BSN school is .Some people told me that it was really hard and even if I was a "straight A" student, I was to expect a few Bs and sometimes Cs. When I thought about this, I was thinking that if I take o-chem, and if my grades mess up....yeah ,I could get a BSN but my GPA wont be too competitive to get accpeted into PA school. Or maybe, I could try BSN school for 1 semester and if it is easy to manage, I could add o-chem to it.
What do u guys think?