Studying for Orgo help

[sagtig]

Does anyone know exactly what orgo material is and isn't covered on the MCAT?
I heard that aromatic compounds and alkenes will not be on the exam, but does that include all reactions, even ones in which alkenes are converted into alcohols? Also, if alkenes are not covered, what about alkynes?

The reason I'm asking is because I really do not want to waste time studying for unnecessary orgo sections when I can be spending it strengthening my practice in other topics.

Last time I took the MCAT, I didn't study Orgo at all, and got a 10 on the Biological Sciences section (I had 3 orgo passages and several Orgo discretes- which I have heard is a lot more orgo questions than most people have...

but I would like a 12 or 13 this time around, so I need to know some Orgo, I just don't have the time commitment to study it all... what should I do?

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[olemissbabydoc]

Does anyone know exactly what orgo material is and isn't covered on the MCAT?
I heard that aromatic compounds and alkenes will not be on the exam, but does that include all reactions, even ones in which alkenes are converted into alcohols? Also, if alkenes are not covered, what about alkynes?

The reason I'm asking is because I really do not want to waste time studying for unnecessary orgo sections when I can be spending it strengthening my practice in other topics.

Last time I took the MCAT, I didn't study Orgo at all, and got a 10 on the Biological Sciences section (I had 3 orgo passages and several Orgo discretes- which I have heard is a lot more orgo questions than most people have...

but I would like a 12 or 13 this time around, so I need to know some Orgo, I just don't have the time commitment to study it all... what should I do?

EK Orgo. Covers just what you need to know (and includes some flashcards in the book!)

 

[SN2ed]

EK Orgo. Covers just what you need to know (and includes some flashcards in the book!)

Seconded. You should also pick up EK 1001 Orgo to help with the basics.

 

[marele86]

Wait, hold on - EK Orgo is great except for that whole thing where it has a ton of stuff you don't need to know.

Of course, they helpfully mention it. I think they say something like "Of course, we know that the MCAT no longer tests alkenes or benzene, but we have provided the next 7 pages of that topic because we already wrote it and are too stubborn to just leave it out." (Except they bill it as more like, 'it might be helpful background information'. Whatever, EK!)

... yeah, just skip those pages. The MCAT folks are beyond serious about no longer testing alkenes or benzene - none of that stuff has been on tests since they first promised to leave it out.

EK's still probably your best bet, though.

 

[futuredoctor10]

I have taken the MCAT twice, and in my honest opinion Orgo concepts tested are more basic than concepts in the other subjects.
Of course you never know on your test day, but the Orgo concepts on both my exams were pretty basic and covered sufficiently by Kaplan BS (and EK Orgo's book too, what I read of it).

 

[Katatonic]

So all of 2nd term (3-term system) won't be tested on the MCAT? I guess that's good news haha. What about spectroscopy and reading NMR/IR type stuff?

 

[futuredoctor10]

Oh no - second semester stuff is still tested I believe (such as NMR, IR, and spectroscopy). I think generally it's just more basic than all the nuanced, detailed mechanisms and reactions you learn in a year of Orgo.

I'd use test prep books as a guide (noting alkenes are not strictly tested by AAMC anymore).

 

[Katatonic]

Okay thanks. I also completely forgot that the AAMC site lists everything tested on the MCAT. I'm just now sort of getting back into thinking of taking this beast, so bear with me haha.

 

[sagtig]

thanks for the advice, I think I'm gonna stick with my kaplan prep book, that I got when I took the course two years ago...

and also get the EK1001 questions...

as for topics I'll be studying... I'm gonna study nomenclature, bonding, chirality, spectroscopy, and lab techniques primarily

and then just briefly brush over main reactions, and do lot's and lot's of practice problems, hopefully that would be enough