Orgo Reactions- that important?

[dukejen04]

So, I sit down casually today to review some organic chemistry. I think to myself, I'll just look it over and it will all come back to me.
My first reaction: WTF? In 10 pages of Kaplan review there were 45 reactions related to Alkanes, Alkenes, and Alkynes.
How much time do I need to spend memorizing this junk? Is there really that much in the way of reactions, or should I just focus on the basics like SN1, SN2, E1, and E2. I had orgo my freshman year, which is now almost four years ago, which means- i don't remember jack.

I am not pleased. Any advice to help me gain efficiency would be helpful!

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[Jonathan13180]

Yea, no doubt-
I hear more and more from people that the MCAT is "weeding" out orgo and that you just should be familiar with Sn1 Sn2, and the "major" reactions, whatever that means. GO DUKE! (god help them if Coach K leaves)

 

[willthatsall]

I think it depends on what you are shooting for. If you want a 30 and you want to shave off some study time on orgo to focus on other stuff then it is fine just to focus on the basics. But if you want a high score, I would spend the time to learn all of that stuff because some of it is going to show up.

 

[stoic]

Make sure to know:

-Conditions that favor Sn1, Sn2, E1, and E2 reactions. Very useful. Often you can figure out the products of a reaction w/o worrying about specific mechanisms if you have this down.

-Keytone/Aldehyde reduction (to alcohols) and oxidation (keytones/acids)

-halogenation reactions (including free radical poly.)

-hydrogenation reactions

-know commonly used chemicals, like KMnO4, that are used to perform the same process (in this case oxidation) on many different compounds

-MAKE SURE you know the basic functional groups. There will be some straight ID questions on the test

-Finally, the more comfortable you are pushing electrons, the better

These are the items I focused on for the April 2004 MCAT. It worked for me.

Good luck,
S

 

[txguy]

Carbonyl Chemistry!!

-tx

 

[bigdan]

Stoic's post is great, and txguy is right on too.

Look at the AAMC website, I think that Alkene chemistry is no longer being directly tested.

You will - without a doubt - be able to approach 30 on the MCAT (assuming you know the other areas) without knowing much orgo.

dc

 

[dukejen04]

grand- thanks especially to will for the guilt trip now i am forced by subconscious competative side to learn the damn reactions. a 30 isn't good enough for me, at least at this point in the game.

regarding coach k- it will be tres interesting to see what happens. i live in LA and am a Laker's fan too, so for me, it's a win-win although, i don't think duke basketball will ever be the same! i blame deng and livingston for going to the NBA early!!

 

[GBFKicks]

grand- thanks especially to will for the guilt trip now i am forced by subconscious competative side to learn the damn reactions. a 30 isn't good enough for me, at least at this point in the game.

regarding coach k- it will be tres interesting to see what happens. i live in LA and am a Laker's fan too, so for me, it's a win-win although, i don't think duke basketball will ever be the same! i blame deng and livingston for going to the NBA early!!

Yeah, but Deng will be here in Chi-town... I cant wait to see Hindrich, Deng, and Gordon together on the floor. I really like the potential... then again, there is nowhere to go but up for the Bulls.

 

[stoic]

Yeah, but Deng will be here in Chi-town... I cant wait to see Hindrich, Deng, and Gordon together on the floor. I really like the potential... then again, there is nowhere to go but up for the Bulls.

Who? Hindrich? Who's that?

There was a pretty good guard who played for the Jayhawks in college and then went on to have an impressive rookie year with the Bulls, but his name was Hinrich.

In four years of college basketball, Dickie V. didn't get his name right ONCE. And now his own fans can't do it. It's Hinrich, pronounced Hein-rick. Not Heind-rick, not Hien-rict.

 

[mshheaddoc]

In four years of college basketball, Dickie V. didn't get his name right ONCE. And now his own fans can't do it. It's Hinrich, pronounced Hein-rick. Not Heind-rick, not Hien-rict.

HAHAHAH so true ... Dickie V. What does the big cheese really know?

 

[tl47]

grand- thanks especially to will for the guilt trip now i am forced by subconscious competative side to learn the damn reactions. a 30 isn't good enough for me, at least at this point in the game.

hahaha. just remember the theory of diminishing returns. with the little I knew of orgo before the April 03 MCAT as well, there was one year's practice MCAT where I only got one wrong in the Orgo section. It would take a huge huge extra effort to ensure I could do that for every MCAT practice though... and memorising all the equations might not help at all either. They might just so happen to look for knowledge of something else...

 

[GBFKicks]

Who? Hindrich? Who's that?

There was a pretty good guard who played for the Jayhawks in college and then went on to have an impressive rookie year with the Bulls, but his name was Hinrich.

In four years of college basketball, Dickie V. didn't get his name right ONCE. And now his own fans can't do it. It's Hinrich, pronounced Hein-rick. Not Heind-rick, not Hien-rict.

Whoa.. relax buddy... you're not funny and you don't have to be a tool about it. Obviously you and anyone that read it knew who I was talking about... just happend to spell his name wrong. I bet 9 out of 10 people on this board wouldn't be able to spell his name, and I didn't want to go out and do research so that I could correctly spell sombody's name on SDN. I have better things to do.

You're way too anal, and if you got your head out of your @ss a little more often you'd understand that people don't care if I spelled his name Hindrich or Hinrich (specially if it's in italics).

My advice to you is quit being so anal... go out, make some friends, and get laid for a change. And... sorry if you have wet dreams about Hinrich and his name, but nobody gives a **** how his name is spelled.

 

[stoic]

Whoa.. relax buddy... you're not funny and you don't have to be a tool about it. Obviously you and anyone that read it knew who I was talking about... just happend to spell his name wrong. I bet 9 out of 10 people on this board wouldn't be able to spell his name, and I didn't want to go out and do research so that I could correctly spell sombody's name on SDN. I have better things to do.

You're way too anal, and if you got your head out of your @ss a little more often you'd understand that people don't care if I spelled his name Hindrich or Hinrich (specially if it's in italics).

My advice to you is quit being so anal... go out, make some friends, and get laid for a change. And... sorry if you have wet dreams about Hinrich and his name, but nobody gives a **** how his name is spelled.

Ya... I'm the anal one