<p>I've always been annoyed about the negligible amount of organic chemistry in a typical AP chemistry course. It's quite possible to get a 5 without knowing any organic chemistry whatsoever. I've heard that in some schools teachers do more organic chemistry after the exam, but this is not the case in my school. Some private schools offer an organic chemistry course, but such courses are usually very watered-down versions of a real college level organic chemistry course.</p>
<p>So, why not have an actual AP Organic Chemistry course? This might go through most or all of Morrison/Boyd, and would serve as the natural successor to AP chemistry. Such a course would be immensely useful to many high school students. This class would be accessible to those who take AP Chemistry as juniors (this is quite common). What are your thoughts on this?</p>
<p>AP chemistry is supposed to cover some freshman general chemistry topics, not organic chemistry. AP organic chemistry would likely not be of much value, since many of the people who would take organic chemistry are pre-meds, who are often required by medical schools to take the pre-med courses as college courses (not AP credit).</p>
<p>Why not just take organic chemistry at a local college if you are really itching to take that course and have exhausted other worthwhile offerings at your high school?</p>
<p>If APOC (I can already see the name) would be a thing, AP Chem would have to be a prerequisite. So much chemistry in general goes into the organic chemistry branch, and they’d overlap a lot. It’d be very useful but it’d be quite a selective and small class.</p>
<p>Many students from a wide variety of disciplines take Organic Chemistry in college. Every chemistry major and pre-med student takes it, but it’s not limited to those people. In the case of the former, an APOC course would definitely be of great value.
Secondly, this course does not exist (yet). I’m sure the vast majority of medical schools would accept AP Organic Chemistry in place of their own OC courses if it were sufficiently rigorous. The problem with many high school OC (and also QM) courses is that they cover much less material than a corresponding college course. An AP OC course would remedy this.</p>
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I would do this. However, many motivated students do not have access to courses at their local college, so making this an AP would really help. For example, my friend wanted to take this course, but she’s involved in so many ECs that she is simply unable to take it at a local college.</p>
<p>Would schools have the resources to teach such a subject? My answer is no. Many schools don’t have the teachers, eduaction, or the funding to add another course like this. AP Organic Chemistry, according to your argument, does not seem like a necessity.</p>
<p>Lots of medical schools do not accept AP credit, and those that do often don’t accept it for the sciences. AP Biology and Chemistry, for example, generally cover the same material at the same depth as in the college equivalents yet medical schools like UCLA’s won’t accept it. Also, the vast majority of people that take organic chemistry are premeds - very few people willingly take a class that’s notorious for ruining GPAs. In addition, not many high school teachers are qualified to teach organic chemistry. Even if a high school chemistry teacher majored in chemistry, chances are he/she has not taken any additional organic chemistry classes in college besides the required introductory courses during sophomore year (most chemistry major requirements do not call for additional ochem classes). It’s not a subject where the teacher can simply stay a chapter ahead of the students. Students ask tough questions, and if the teacher lacks the knowledge base typically acquired though years of immersion in the subject they will not be adequately answered. The lab experience is an essential, and most high schools don’t have the budget for the lab equipment needed (NMR, IR, GC, etc. machines cost tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars).</p>
<p>Also, if you can’t find the time to take ochem a community college then you’re not going to have time to learn it. It’s a really big time commitment. </p>
<p>If you’re really interested in the subject then get a textbook and learn it yourself or watch lectures on youtube (entire courses have been uploaded there). But I don’t see it moving to the high school level anytime soon. It would be a interesting course for sure, and I wanted such a class in high school, but after taking it in college (I’m in the 3rd of a 3 part series of ochem classes ATM) it doesn’t really seem practical or cost effective for high schools.</p>
<p>I don’t think there will ever be an AP Organic Chemistry class. I think the real Organic Chemistry should be taught at a college or a university. Organic Chemistry is known to be the kiss of death for everyone. My AP Biology and my AP Chemistry teacher said that Organic Chemistry was one of their hardest classes. So I think a watered down version in high school would be great. Just like Honors Chemistry, it’s very watered down from AP Chemistry. An Honors Organic Chemistry would be fun and challenging, but not AP. Many students who take Orgo Chem are heading for a science-related career, and many Med schools and grad schools won’t accept “AP Organic Chemistry.”</p>
<p>I wasn’t aware of this. In that case, forget about premed students. The class would mostly apply to would-be chemistry majors and anyone who wants to continue their study of chemistry.</p>
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<p>The same is true of AP Economics, yet the College Board didn’t refrain from making that an AP. Also, there are more high school teachers who are qualified to teach Organic Chemistry than for economics.</p>
<p>@the person above me : Such courses already exist at many high schools. The problem with them (as I stated above) is that they are so watered down that they are easier than AP Chemistry. High school students should have a solid successor course to AP chemistry, as the class consists primarily of juniors. It’s not a question of Organic chemistry being too hard. AP chemistry is one of the easier APs (it’s just an amalgamation of 5-6 major concepts), so a harder chemistry course would be appreciated.</p>
<p>It seems that an APOC would occupy a somewhat less peripheral role than AP Economics does.</p>
<p>Organic chemistry is taken by students majoring in biology, chemistry, and chemical engineering. Biology is by far the largest of these majors, but is heavily populated by pre-meds (the other two also likely have significant pre-med populations). Some colleges offer different organic chemistry courses for biology versus chemistry and chemical engineering majors (the courses for the latter would be more in-depth and difficult), so which one should an AP course emulate if such were made?</p>
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<p>Introductory economics that AP economics emulates is typically a relatively easy freshman level course in college, while organic chemistry is typically a relatively difficult sophomore level course in college. Student demand for the college sophomore level courses, as well as teachers and facilities (labs) to teach them in high schools, is likely small enough that it is not worth the bother.</p>