Oh how I hate it so much. It is a serious pain in the a**. Is stoichiometry more of a hurdle you must jump through to get into medical school than anything else? How much of it is used in Organic and Biochem? Also, is it used frequently in medical school?
Stoichiometry
- Thread starter Xelb
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9/10 times people love stoich because it's basically arithmetic. Strange to see someone hate it.
It's not really any type of hurdle in itself (I'd call orgo a hurdle, for instance), but I think as a med student/doctor you should be fairly familiar with dimensional analysis, especially when assessing prescription amounts and such.
Stoich is not that bad, trust me. Be very careful, and always put down units. If you use units, stoichiometry solves itself.
Oh.
I'm what you'd call "Mathematically challenged."
And I don't hate all forms of stoichiometry.
For example: finding the mass percent of a component in an entire compound, finding the empirical formula from given mass percents, etc. are easy.
But then problems like "How many grams of CO2 will be produced if 200g of this stupid Carbon molecule reacts with an excess of this stupid oxygen molecule" really annoy me.
I can see how it would relate to pharmacology, but isn't that why a lot of hospitals are transitioning to computers? I would imagine one of the reasons for such a transition would include faster drug dose calculation times. After all, the point is to help the patient in the most efficient way possible so...
K
kpcrew
These concepts don't have to have direct practical applications to be worth knowing . It's not like you're going to be doing organic chemistry in the hospital. You will learn the things that you need to know for a career as a doctor in medical school. The prerequisites in undergraduate are necessary to give you a basic understanding of science and the scientific process. You're there to learn how to think logically and grasp concepts that have become understood and accepted by the evidence that has been accumulated by many people. You don't necessarily have to know what a kinase does or what a sonagashira coupling is to have a general sense of what a medicine does, but it's necessary for a complete understanding of the body and the changes that are effected.
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Stoichiometry helped me understand, for the first time, why units are the way they are. If you do stoichiometry correctly, the units at the should make sense.
Being proficient in dimensional analysis is extremely helpful for the PS section of the MCAT...
Also, if you plan on working in any kind of Chemistry/Biochemistry/Molecular Biology laboratory doing research, stoichiometry should be second nature to you.
Also, if you plan on working in any kind of Chemistry/Biochemistry/Molecular Biology laboratory doing research, stoichiometry should be second nature to you.
I understand the importance, and am trying REALLY HARD to be the best at all forms of stoichiometry by doing many many many many practice problems. It's not there yet...but I'm trying. I love chemistry too much not to learn this.
I actually love chemistry enough that I plan to switch my major to Biochemistry.
I actually love chemistry enough that I plan to switch my major to Biochemistry.
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I'm almost 100% sure that you're challenged because you try to do the conversions in your head instead of writing everything on paper. I recommend you get dimensional analysis down pretty well, as it is a very important tool which will be helpful not only in almost every chemistry and physics class you'll take, but because it's the only part of gen chem you can actually apply to your life.
I guess I should retract what I said about my being "mathematically challenged." It's not that I physically cannot do the calculations when they're all ready and set up to go, but the concept of where to place the numbers and what to do with those numbers confuse me. It is especially so with mole/molarity questions. I have the numbers, sure, I just don't know what to do with them. And yes I do write all of my stuff on paper.
I do hope that what I said actually made sense.
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I guess I should retract what I said about my being "mathematically challenged." It's not that I physically cannot do the calculations when they're all ready and set up to go, but the concept of where to place the numbers and what to do with those numbers confuse me. It is especially so with mole/molarity questions. I have the numbers, sure, I just don't know what to do with them. And yes I do write all of my stuff on paper.
I do hope that what I said actually made sense.
That's where stoichiometry helps out
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The khanacademy.org has some decent videos on the topic if you need some extra help.... it's like a tutor that you don't have to pay .
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I guess I should retract what I said about my being "mathematically challenged." It's not that I physically cannot do the calculations when they're all ready and set up to go, but the concept of where to place the numbers and what to do with those numbers confuse me. It is especially so with mole/molarity questions. I have the numbers, sure, I just don't know what to do with them. And yes I do write all of my stuff on paper.
I do hope that what I said actually made sense.
As stated above, look up Khanacademy, he'll explain everything and make it stick.
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Stoichiometry is simple arithmetic and, at worst, whole-number fractions. Firstly, it's an enormously simple concept and I don't even know how it's possible to be "bad" at it. Secondly, this is a forum for pre-allopathic students; all these threads about "specific subject X is hard! wah!" are so stupid.
It's like the people that sign up for calculus, then bitch the entire time about how they'll never have to do an integral in real life, so what's the point!
You'll never be a good doctor if you can't do stoichiometry.
It's like the people that sign up for calculus, then bitch the entire time about how they'll never have to do an integral in real life, so what's the point!
You'll never be a good doctor if you can't do stoichiometry.
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It's important for the MCAT, the MCAT is important for getting into medical school, so you have to know it.
Grades are crucial in the application process too, and without understanding stoichiometry you may not do well in your gen chem I course, which could be detrimental to your GPA for this semester.
Grades are crucial in the application process too, and without understanding stoichiometry you may not do well in your gen chem I course, which could be detrimental to your GPA for this semester.
I'm sure when you're putting your hands in someone's cranium, or operating on someone's spine, the first thing you'll think about is how many moles of Carbon are in X moles of CO2, right?
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Honestly those types of problems are probably just a small step above the problems you think are easy, in terms of difficulty. Maybe you aren't understanding the concepts? Convert g of C to moles of C -> moles of CO2 -> grams of CO2, and done.
Oh, dear.
Stoichiometry, yes, is one of those hurdles that you have to jump over in order to reach your ultimate goal. Being bad at one concept in any of your pre-med classes does not dictate whether or not you will be a "good doctor."
I have known many pre-meds that struggled with seemingly "easy" concepts and then found much more challenging (in my eyes) concepts to be quite simple. Struggling with a concept and then studying your butt off in order to understand it completely demonstrates many more of the personal qualities needed to be a "good doctor."
That would be my suggestion, OP. Stoichiometry is very easy once you get in the habit of doing it. You are likely very early in your pre-med education. Get in the habit of seeking help when you need it and studying until something makes sense. Every doctor out there wasn't brilliant the second he/she was born. Many of them just studied and studied until it made sense. Good luck!
The khanacademy.org has some decent videos on the topic if you need some extra help.... it's like a tutor that you don't have to pay
Thanks! I'll check it out!
Methinks I wouldn't love it as much as learning about the biochemical processes that dictate the physiology of the human body. To each his own.
Was the last sentence meant as a form of satire in order to negate everything you said previously? Like, seriously?
I currently have an A in the class and a 92 on the first test. We have three tests throughout the semester with one low grade as a drop. If I somehow bomb this next test (bonding, stoichiometry, balancing equations, etc.), at least I have more time to get my **** together before the final.
Thank you for such sound advice! Honestly, the best advice I can hear. I am, as a result, "stoiched" to do more problems...tomorrow anyway lol. I'm tired.
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You just lost your whole argument right there.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6728750&postcount=1
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You're silly. And by silly I mean, dumb.
If you don't understand ironic use of Burnett's Law, you'll never be a good doctor.
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Although stoichiometry may not have that much practical use in med school it is very important if you want to do well in chemistry.
And if you want to make a very efficient spud gun.
And if you want to make a very efficient spud gun.
