Hi everyone, I’m new to the whole medical system. I have not taken O-chem yet. So, I was curious about something I recently heard.
I heard that organic chemistry is very difficult. So difficult that if someone got a letter grade of “C”, med school would still be ok with it.
If someone got an “A” or “B” grade, that would make them stand out even more. Is this true?
I don’t think that’s true. It can be hard but premed students are expected to be the best of the best.
OChem is difficult. First, it covers great of material very quickly. Second, it’s not subject that responds well to “brute force attacks”–meaning you simply cannot memorize your way through Ochem. You need to have a deep conceptual understanding of the underlying principles and be able to apply those principles to new problems you’ve never seen before. And do so quickly and efficiently.
But Ochem isn’t so difficult that earning an A or B is a significant feat. In fact, among med school applicants, As and Bs in Ochem are extremely common. It’s the applicant who has a C in Ochem that is a standout–and not a standout in a good way.
Those who put in all of the effort the instructor expects rarely fail to get an A or B range grade. And yes, most people who apply to med school will have received an A or B in orgo, thus if you receive an A in orgo, you are not special.
Med schools aren’t Ok with C’s in Orgo. For someone with C’s in Orgo to get accepted, the rest of their app must be very convincing.
You should definitely not strive for a C in Ochem. It is entirely possible to get A’s in Ochem with efficient studying and work. Don’t set yourself up for failure by thinking that you’ll do badly right away.
Anyways, I’m taking Ochem right now and I actually rather like it. It’s like a puzzle you have to put together, and if your professor teaches it right, you’ll see a lot of patterns that make Ochem easier. I agree that if you’re trying to memorize everything in ochem, you’re doing it wrong.
But seriously, if you’re not taking ochem yet, don’t stress about it in advance. Just focus on doing well in your current classes and take things as they come.