question for chem majors

[wigwam]

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So i'm a chem major applying for pharmacy school. I've noticed that i don't really remember everything from gen. chem or organic chem (even though i just finished it last quarter). Is this a bad thing? is it just me or are there other people that also don't really remember that much from gen. chem?

 

[sdn1977]

I can possibly imagine not remembering EVERYTHING from a class taken....but does that mean you don't remember MOST things? Are you saying a class you completed in Dec...or even last June...you now don't remember detail - in Jan?

I was a chem major 34 years ago & I most certainly don't remember EVERYTHING....but I do remember lots of things & I'd guess most theories.

So...yeah...I'd have to say its you & perhaps you didn't actually learn it - you might have memorized it, in which case, its gone fast.

That won't help in pharmacy - you really need to learn it - then there is less need to memorize it.

Good luck & try to find another learning style perhaps???? If it helps at all...those are pretty easy classes to brush up on as long as you don't let too much time go by.

 

[lvp0021]

Hi... I hope the feeling you get is what most people get after a class is over: they do not remember everydetails but they do remember important things needed to remember. They might not remember the exact order of metals but they do remember which one is alkaline. They don't recall all the theories about solution but they know how to do CiVi=CfVf and Cm=n/v. What I am trying to say is that we do need to remember important main points/concepts, the details we can look up. If you completely forget everything and don't remember anything at all, you have a problem and should do a major review. I took ochem during my freshman year and last semester(my senior year) when I took biochem, it did take me times and stressed me at the beginning as I felt like you that I did not remember a thing. But then things started rolling as I did recall main stuffs and just had to look for details if I needed to.

 

[Glowwyrm]

So i'm a chem major applying for pharmacy school. I've noticed that i don't really remember everything from gen. chem or organic chem (even though i just finished it last quarter). Is this a bad thing? is it just me or are there other people that also don't really remember that much from gen. chem?

I was a biochem major and felt the exact same way. When I was studying for the PCAT I had a lot of "I remember learning that but can't remember how to do it" moments. But I noticed that when I went back to review it, it just took a quick glance to remind myself of the different formulas and theories. I really wouldn't worry about it. You actually probably remember more than you realize and just a quick review will bring it all back.

 

[GatorRxGirl]

I didn't remember a lot of organic but it really does all come back quickly. As for gen. chem, you may want to keep up with that. It will come back to you, especially if you plan on finishing your chem. degree. Pay attention in biochem. Trust me on that one! =)

 

[acetyl]

I'm also a chemistry major. I know that I don't remember everything from my previous classes, and that's because I don't use the information. If you did well in those classes, then you shouldn't worry about anything because once you see the material again you will get back up to speed pretty fast. I believe the phrase is, "you lose it if you don't use it" ?

 

[NexusMD]

I believe the phrase is, "you lose it if you don't use it" ?

lol, reminds me of Lamarck's theory of use and disuse... perhaps it applies to the memory 🙂

 

[Farmercyst]

You'll find that only certain principles apply to medicinal/pharmaceutical chemistry. Most of them are ochem, but there are a few principles with acid/base chemistry and various equilibrium/dissociation constants, and probably some partial pressures that come in handy from Gen Chem. I doubt you'll be calculating lattice energies though, probably won't have to worry about enthalpy all that much either.

I guess the big thing is if you plan on getting a BA/BS that by the time you're done you'll have an idea what's important for living organisms and what's not.

I've had Biochem, Bioinorganic chem, p-chem, ochem, gchem and I can tell you I've forgotten more than I remember.

The important thing I learned though is where to find the information you need when you need it. There is not a single pharmacist out there that has learned and/or knows everything, but you can bet they know where the really good resources are. (Keep your science books, especially chemistry, biology. Maybe it'll only impress the people who stare at your bookshelf, but I'll bet they become more useful as you continue your coursework)

 

[T&T]

The courses that I forget everything are Physical Chemistry. I took 1 year physical chem at UC and I hated them. My P chem professors were not good in teaching. I think that biochem, o chem, and analytical chem will be useful for pharm schools.

 

[wigwam]

i forgot stuff like solubility rules, electrochemistry, some of the gas laws, thermodynamics, lightwaves, etc. Its probably becuase i haven't used them in over a year and a half. However i just finished my o chem and i think i've forgotten all the specific reactions (claisen condensation, hydrohalogenation, stuff like that). I think i remember the main points, such as E1, E2, SN1, SN2, but not really specific rxns. I'm not actually sure i everyreally learned them, just memorized them. is ochem actually very useful in pharm school? thanks.

 

[wynn]

I am chem major too. I dont remember anything from chem class esp some basic information like balance rxn, atom, acid base...🙂

 

[shaq786]

i forgot stuff like solubility rules, electrochemistry, some of the gas laws, thermodynamics, lightwaves, etc. Its probably becuase i haven't used them in over a year and a half. However i just finished my o chem and i think i've forgotten all the specific reactions (claisen condensation, hydrohalogenation, stuff like that). I think i remember the main points, such as E1, E2, SN1, SN2, but not really specific rxns. I'm not actually sure i everyreally learned them, just memorized them. is ochem actually very useful in pharm school? thanks.

It happens. Humbly speaking, I made some pretty top of the line grades in all my chem coarses. Then I went back to practice my MCATs and was doing some review questions of Gen chem. And I realized how badly I forgot everything. But through practice, I got some reinforcement and now I dont think I'll ever forget my gen chem, quantitative chem and I think I'll remember most of my organic. I know I'll have trouble remembering my pchem because I have not had enough reinforcement in it. Also dont expect yourself to know Scientists A's Theorom of BS. I only know concepts, and how to do the problems and merely acknowledge these men for their contributions.

I can only speculate and say that O-chem is ever so slightly useful in pharm school. All you need to know is your functional groups, what electrophilic addition looks like, and hydrogen bonding. But you will definitely need to know your biochemistry. I'm not sure how much gen chem you need though. Pharm school is all about memorization. 🙂

 

[acetyl]

I'm sorry, but I think all school is memorization. I think if you are a good student and are determined, it doesn't matter what you remember from your pre-req. classes. I'm not trying to brag, just using this as an example. I took Calc II six years after having the first semester, and did better than people who were studying to be math teachers, and were retaking the class. I earned a business degree before I started on my chem degree and took Gen Chem II 4 years after having any chemistry course. Don't stress about what you're remembering and forgetting. I've taken grad. level chemistry classes with grad. students and done better than them despite having less background and courses in chemistry. I was just determined to do well, and I'm sure you and everyone else on this board can do the same if they set their mind to it.

As far as p-chem is concerned, I remember the wave and particle duality concept, Psi star, and blackboards full of numbers pertaining to one problem. I was asked in my UK pharm. school interview what was the last book I've read. It was a quick question and I answered, "Atkins 8th Ed. Physical Chemistry". I didn't really read that book, more like tried to comprehend the problems. If you ever feel really smart one day, pick that book up from a library and see if you can do some of the back of the chapter problems.