Organic Chemistry Prerequisites

[wx3]

Hello all,

I am in a master's program for sports medicine-athletic training. The program has rekindled my motivation to pursue medicine, so I am going to study for the MCAT this summer and sit for the exam in August. I was wondering if everyone could give their opinion on a few things:

1.) It has been 5 years since I took organic chemistry I and have never taken organic 2. I have two options for preparation:

a. Retake Organic I without the lab during the summer while simultaneously studying for the MCAT

b. Study strictly using EK and BR materials I have purchased, self-teaching myself.

Which of these is a preferable scenario when sticking to the S2Ned 3month guide?


Also, as just an addition to this question: how badly are a first-time August MCAT taker's chances affected? I have no other choice but I would like some insight on the matter. I have decent stats (3.6 cumulative, science, and non-science) and will be applying strictly DO.

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[clausewitz2]

Sadly it is a bit of a crapshoot. There were a couple passages on my MCAT that made me glad I took Orgo II before taking the exam, but this seems to vary from year to year. It is certainly less critical than, say, Physics II. You might be fine if you are confident about the rest of the material, and if you are good at self-teaching, you should be able to study on your own. Only you really know if this is something you excel at, though. I would advise you to take a couple of the practice tests available on-line. They are a bit pricey, but they were critical for me achieving a score I considered strong (37T).

Just to make sure, you do know you will have to take that second Orgo before matriculating, right?

 

[wx3]

Yeah. Sadly it just isn't possible for me to fit organic 2 in before applying. Spring 2013 will be my first chance, with matriculation in the Summer or Fall of 2013.

How do you think this sounds?

I will begin my studying in early May before retaking Organic and assess how I feel about it after a few weeks of self-study. If I feel overwhelmed by the material, I will re-enroll in Ochem1. If I feel decent, I will just bite the bullet and take Ochem 2 during the summer (despite the long layoff) -- finishing my prerequisites.

 

[LingoLaine]

I would recommend you spend the summer taking Ochem 2 rather than Ochem 1. If your knowledge of Ochem 1 is not sufficient for you to handle Ochem 2 without significant review, then you probably shouldn't be taking the MCAT yet anyway.

 

[startoverat40]

if you got an A in organic 1 the first time, then just review the material and take organic 2. If you didn't get an A, then you could take it again and try hard to get an A for a bit of GPA repair. Also get an A in organic 2 when you take it. Any courses you take will be in your transcripts and will affect your overall GPA.