So how important is Orgo II????

[zird00]

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I was thinking about taking the MCAT before taking Organic II due to timing issues. Is there a lot of Orgo II type material on the MCAT? Or is it mainly Orgo I type material? If it is Orgo II heavy, can it be learned outside the classroom? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[tdjn]

Try a search.

 

[schussboarder]

all depends on the test...some dates might have more orgo 2 than 1 whereas other dates might be a complete reverse

thats why the MCAT sucks...you'll never know what will be covered

 

[NickMB]

I wouldn't take the MCAT before orgo II...well, depends on what's covered in your orgo II. The most important organic chemistry EVAH is the organic chemistry of carbonyl compounds (you know, those pesky aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids and carboxylic acid derivatives), and most of that is covered in orgo II.

But MCAT test writers seem to have a fetish for proton NMR and IR spectroscopy. Make sure you review that 😛 Oh, and learn nomenclature like there's no tomorrow. You'll get questions like "what's the product of the reaction of Godknowswhatium-4-huh?ide with sodium borohydride?"

 

[BloodySurgeon]

if thats ur only problem then i think u will b fine. U will need to teach urself but orgo section has a lot of repetitive stuff. If anything, orgo would b the easiest 2 study for. Hopefully u already learned sn1 and sn2 rxns. If so, then u already know 25% of whats on the orgo section.

 

[BloodySurgeon]

I wouldn't take the MCAT before orgo II...well, depends on what's covered in your orgo II. The most important organic chemistry EVAH is the organic chemistry of carbonyl compounds (you know, those pesky aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids and carboxylic acid derivatives), and most of that is covered in orgo II.

I agree the carboxyl cmpds r used very commonly, however I don't think it would be difficult for someone to learn the top 5 most important reactions and do perfectly fine. The MCAT uses concepts like intermolecular bondings (h-bonding making higher boiling point), sn1, sn2, e1, e2, electrophilic addiction, addition-elimination, organic acid trends vs. basic trands, which compound is more stable, kinetics vs. thermodynamic products, resonance, and IR + NMR... if u know most of these then u will be fine!

 

[0Complications]

I agree the carboxyl cmpds r used very commonly, however I don't think it would be difficult for someone to learn the top 5 most important reactions and do perfectly fine. The MCAT uses concepts like intermolecular bondings (h-bonding making higher boiling point), sn1, sn2, e1, e2, electrophilic addiction, addition-elimination, organic acid trends vs. basic trands, which compound is more stable, kinetics vs. thermodynamic products, resonance, and IR + NMR... if u know most of these then u will be fine!

Not all that is listed above is covered on the MCAT.

OP, you should check on the AAMC website and look at the list of covered material for the MCAT, that will give you a better idea as to whether you feel you can be prepared for it or not.

 

[theunremarkable]

The ochem on the mcat is minimal usually and can be learned from all the info that's given in the prep books. You might be more prepared to take the MCAT after you've finished your prereqs, but if you can't fit Ochem II in, then it's not a big deal at all. Just be sure to cover the material in the prep books.

 

[skyeblue0610]

Great question. I just mapped it out and I'm in the same boat. I will be taking Org II at the time of the MCAT and I won't be that far into it.

I'm going to take a prep class and I'm sure they'll cover what I need I hope

 

[TexasTriathlete]

My MCAT had a lot of carbonyl chemistry and NMR, if I remember correctly.

 

[onemoreyear]

I was only about 2 weeks into my orgo 2 course when I took the MCAT. It would have been easier to study if I had already taken orgo 2, but the basics from orgo 1 gave me enough of an understanding of the material that I could easily learn the rest from prep books. I didn't get a 15, but my BS score didn't hurt me. A solid understanding of the basics will get you most of the way there...