Organic Chemistry and MCAT studying(unrelated)

[dsin]

Hey guys, I am a first time poster. I think. This is a great website, the resources are priceless on this site. Anyways, I am going to be taking O-Chem 1 and 2 over the summer, so what would you guys say is the best book to study and learn with, cause the O-Chem book we have is just plain stupid for me and I don't like it. I guess you can say its a bit complicated for me so if there are any recs out there please let me know so I can do good in O-Chem 1 and O-Chem 2. Also I am going to be applying to med school in 2yrs or so. So should I start studying a little for the MCATs now? If so what study recs would you guys advise for me?

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[MedicineBird]

Hey guys, I am a first time poster. I think. This is a great website, the resources are priceless on this site. Anyways, I am going to be taking O-Chem 1 and 2 over the summer, so what would you guys say is the best book to study and learn with, cause the O-Chem book we have is just plain stupid for me and I don't like it. I guess you can say its a bit complicated for me so if there are any recs out there please let me know so I can do good in O-Chem 1 and O-Chem 2. Also I am going to be applying to med school in 2yrs or so. So should I start studying a little for the MCATs now? If so what study recs would you guys advise for me?

worry about getting through O-chem alive before you start worrying about the MCAT. The key to O-chem regardless of your book is just practice practice practice.

 

[dsin]

worry about getting through O-chem alive before you start worrying about the MCAT. The key to O-chem regardless of your book is just practice practice practice.

The book seems very impractical to me so I would like to know which study aid to buy.

 

[mwhou]

Hey guys, I am a first time poster. I think. This is a great website, the resources are priceless on this site. Anyways, I am going to be taking O-Chem 1 and 2 over the summer, so what would you guys say is the best book to study and learn with, cause the O-Chem book we have is just plain stupid for me and I don't like it. I guess you can say its a bit complicated for me so if there are any recs out there please let me know so I can do good in O-Chem 1 and O-Chem 2. Also I am going to be applying to med school in 2yrs or so. So should I start studying a little for the MCATs now? If so what study recs would you guys advise for me?

Organic Chemistry by Wade is thought to be the best text, the one my mcmurry is a little easier maybe. There are a lot of study guides at the book stores - the one you'll like best is pretty personal, and depends on why you don't like your text. IMHO none of them are fun, but you have to get through it..

you might look at the orgo section of the MCAT TOPICS list and make sure you really understand and know every orgo mcat topic as you take the course. Good prep for the mcat. http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/topics.pdf

 

[jennifermov]

I was partial to the Organic book my prof used, by Paula Bruice. Amazon link is:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...91/sr=2-3/ref=pd_ka_b_2_3/102-2426781-9572929

also, this might help:
http://www.chemhelper.com/

if you have 2 years until you take the MCAT, don't worry about studying yet (this is my advice as a current MCAT teacher) -- just take classes and make sure you learn the material the first time around! While Organic can be seen by some as a big obstacle for the MCAT, remember that it accounts for only 35% of the Biological Sciences section. Study hard in organic, but make sure to take plenty of bio classes as well -- Genetics and Molecular Biology are a must!!! (IMO, both April and August 2005 exams were covered in molecular bio concepts)

Good luck!

Jen

 

[hb2998]

I second the wade book (I use it whenever I want great detail, and excellent examples/exceptions to the rule)... But heres a piece of advice. Ochem is meant to be hard. If its not hard, you aren't learning enough. You may just be able to simply memorize o'chem in the beginning, but after a while, when the professor gives you a synthesis problem you've never seen before... you gotta be able to think, and solve the puzzle. If O'Chem is easy, you aren't taking on tough enough problems. There is no book that can show you all the different situations in a chart.. doing problems is really the key. The nice thing about O'chem is that everything you learn today, you will have to apply tomorrow.. all the tricks can come up at anytime. You need to know everything. The better understanding you get about how molecules interact with eachother, the better you will do in the class.

Having said all of that.. it really helps to have a good professor. You hear more people saying "my professor is better than yours" when referring to their o'chem professor than any other subject. A bad O'Chem professor (like one of my professors) could really make o'chem a misreable subject. This is a class that its worth waiting for the right professor to come along.

One downside to the wade book. It looks like you want a quick overview of o'chem, so you learn everything and get it over with.. Wade tries to be very detailed. There is much much information in that book and its not quick to read, but if you use that book, you'll do very well in your class. [I'm personally using Brown & Foote (down to the point... no bs), and use Wade whenever I really want more examples/explanations]... I find wade type problems show up on the test. Good Luck

 

[lfesiam]

if i can turn back the clock, i would have started studying for the MCAT since my freshmen year (after you take gen BIO, try the BIO passages/questions on the MCAT, kinda things).

then really crank it up 6 months before the test.

that's my $0.02 =)

good luck in orgo.

 

[k_soze]

Don't spend too much time studying for OChem on the MCAT, there aren't many questions about it. And they're always the same: Markovnikov's, basic sub/elim mechanisms, etc. You'll be fine.