MCAT Organic Chemistry: Top Study Strategies from a 528 Scorer

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  • Опубликовано: 24 дек 2024

Комментарии • 82

  • @danielmccammon7299
    @danielmccammon7299 4 года назад +69

    You can't tell me this isn't the chillest guy in the world

    • @Shemmassian
      @Shemmassian  4 года назад +21

      You certainly could say that... it'd just be a lie... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

  • @thoughtfulsamosa6037
    @thoughtfulsamosa6037 4 года назад +49

    The graphics and design in this video are beautiful! Congrats on the score and thanks for the great video. Also, quick tip, perhaps make the buzz sound at 7:04 (in future videos) quieter 😅 Kinda scared me 😂

  • @autumnrae1468
    @autumnrae1468 4 года назад +24

    PLEASE🙏🏾 do Physics next!
    I really loved the way this video was broken down to a system. I was just about to go crazy studying the details of reactions. Saved me a lot of time and stress!

    • @Shemmassian
      @Shemmassian  4 года назад +3

      You will be pleased to hear that our MCAT Physics video will be released at 3AM PST (6AM EST) this Friday!

  • @vikcheban923
    @vikcheban923 4 года назад +7

    I was starting to zone out, until the BUZZ sound at 7:05. Woke me up pretty quick

  • @JGscienceGaming
    @JGscienceGaming 4 года назад +3

    thank you so muccccchhhhhhhhh! im almost done with my bachelor's and taking the next two and a half years a semester at a time to study each topic thoroughly by means of going through the MCAT review, this really puts my mind at ease and i look forward to the rest of the videos on this topic.

    • @Shemmassian
      @Shemmassian  4 года назад +2

      Hi Joshua! I'm glad that the tips have been helpful; I imagine you can definitely speed up the timeline to study. I don't think you need 2.5 years to study each topic. Most effective MCAT study schedules go from 2-5 months!

    • @JGscienceGaming
      @JGscienceGaming 4 года назад +1

      I’m currently planning on working towards the Masters program in counseling psychology so I have about 2 1/2 years totally worth the effort I’m putting into studying the material. Plus I I have been taking these classes yet so I have time. I’ll be in rolling in the premed program next spring one class at a time on the side of what I’m doing until I’m done my masters

  • @thecatherinema1996
    @thecatherinema1996 3 года назад +8

    Thanks for the tips. The hemiacetal structure should have another R group instead of a OR. (though most people will probably not pause every frame to draw out the structure like I did.)

  • @DrJay-wr1df
    @DrJay-wr1df 4 года назад +1

    Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that the naming of the compound @6:36 is incorrect; two benzene rings would be bibenzyl and they would be connected to each other by an ethyl (two carbons). The compound you drew was biphenyl, which would be a problem for this particular example because biphenyl has a higher density than water (as opposed to bibenzyl, which is less). Aside from that, thank you for the great video!

    • @Shemmassian
      @Shemmassian  4 года назад +1

      Hi Dr. Jay! Thank you for your detailed analysis. While we might have made a small mistake, the main point we are trying to drive home is how students should think about organic chemistry for the MCAT. Instead of getting lost in the weeds, we want students to really understand how to apply concepts they've learned to new situations. In an actual passage, you'd be given context, the proper name of the molecule, and likely the density if the test-writers plan on asking you a question about it. In any case, thank you very much for your comment and happy you enjoyed the video :)

  • @natfrags
    @natfrags 4 года назад +4

    Short and to the point! Thank you!

  • @gwynyong
    @gwynyong 4 года назад +2

    This series is so helpful. I do not know how to organise to study for the MCAT and this helped me a lot. Thank you for your great works

    • @Shemmassian
      @Shemmassian  4 года назад

      Thanks, Andrew! Best of luck to you :)

  • @GhilledM21
    @GhilledM21 2 года назад

    my man is doing so much work. thank you. and thanks for waking me up with that buzzer at 7:06

  • @sarahm.7514
    @sarahm.7514 3 года назад +2

    thank you for the mini-review!! honestly was super helpful!

  • @yourfuturedocburenbeiya
    @yourfuturedocburenbeiya 3 года назад

    Thank you so much for these helpful videos!! The beeping/buzzer definitely got me alert and engaged answering the questions lol

  • @rmsl3720
    @rmsl3720 3 года назад

    Thank you! It helps me a lot. I will come back with a great score and make you feel proud! :)

  • @jinghan1219
    @jinghan1219 4 года назад +1

    This is so helpful, thanks!

  • @oreo4cheez
    @oreo4cheez 4 года назад +3

    Love this :)

  • @raisashahin5846
    @raisashahin5846 4 года назад +2

    In the IR example you mentioned the correct answer is number (d) which is the carbonyl, but I thought the answer will be option (a) cause aldehyde has -OH bond too

    • @Shemmassian
      @Shemmassian  4 года назад

      An aldehyde has a carbonyl group (C=O), a hydrogen (H), and an R group (R). We don't see an -OH in an aldehyde! Hope this helps clarify :)

  • @MaddieCheeks5894
    @MaddieCheeks5894 4 года назад +2

    Hi I love your videos!!!! Can you please release a video for PSYCH/SOC section???

    • @Shemmassian
      @Shemmassian  4 года назад +1

      ;) Coming to a RUclips screen near you this Friday

  • @alexuselliott9770
    @alexuselliott9770 2 года назад

    So helpful! I about screamed at the buzzer though lmao

  • @scarletth8211
    @scarletth8211 3 года назад +1

    Do you have a video just on general chemistry only? Like the chemistry part of the Chem/Phys section? These videos really help a lot!!

    • @Shemmassian
      @Shemmassian  3 года назад +1

      Hi Scarlett! So happy to hear that you've been enjoying the videos. While we don't have a general chemistry specific video in this style, we have several general chemistry passage walkthroughs you may find helpful :)
      Also, make sure to read this: www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/mcat-chemistry

    • @scarletth8211
      @scarletth8211 3 года назад +1

      @@Shemmassian Thank you very much!

  • @graceanim974
    @graceanim974 4 года назад +1

    Can you make a video about the best books to use for the MCAT?

    • @Shemmassian
      @Shemmassian  4 года назад +1

      We have a guide on this on our site: www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/best-mcat-prep-books

  • @matthewshannon7235
    @matthewshannon7235 4 года назад

    you are THE man

    • @Shemmassian
      @Shemmassian  4 года назад

      Thanks for the support, Matthew! :)

  • @janem2811
    @janem2811 4 года назад +2

    Do you have any advice for someone who’s never taken organic chemistry? My test is scheduled for August 21st. I’ve been self studying for this subject (this is the only prereq I haven’t taken) and I am also enrolled in the Princeton review prep course. However, I’m finding it quite difficult to figure out which content to study for the MCAT and what to use for material. Any tips would really be helpful!

    • @Shemmassian
      @Shemmassian  4 года назад

      Great question, and figuring out high-yield info is half of the battle! For any subject that you haven't yet taken, my recommendation is to work your way all the way through an MCAT review book on that subject. This will help you learn all the material you need to know AND give you a good jumping point for doing more detailed review of the high yield areas. Hope this helps!
      It is definitely possible to take the exam without having taken one or two prereqs. Student routinely take the exam without biochemistry, for example!

  • @adamleone3449
    @adamleone3449 4 года назад +1

    Phenols are aromatic right (in the beginning you listed them separately)? And arent amides polar (I think a section bank question said they dissolve in the organic layer cuz they’re uncharged)?

    • @Shemmassian
      @Shemmassian  4 года назад +1

      You got it-phenols are aromatic!
      Amides are relatively polar. Is there a section from the video that caused confusion, or are you mainly referencing that section bank question?

    • @adamleone3449
      @adamleone3449 4 года назад +1

      Shemmassian Academic Consulting perfect thanks! Nope, just the section bank

  • @NSchafft
    @NSchafft 4 года назад +1

    That buzzer scared me so much :P

    • @Shemmassian
      @Shemmassian  4 года назад

      Just making sure you're paying attention ;)

  • @imosdefinite
    @imosdefinite 3 года назад

    so do I need to know elimination and addition reactions?

  • @FeedBackJ
    @FeedBackJ 4 года назад +4

    is your hemiacetal drawing wrong? shouldn't it just be R where there is R^3O

    • @Shemmassian
      @Shemmassian  4 года назад +3

      You are right-great catch. Thank you!

  • @dom6783
    @dom6783 3 года назад

    You discussed separations and spectroscopy but which methods were purifications?

  • @lindseychanel8529
    @lindseychanel8529 Год назад

    Where's the gen chem section?

  • @camho7116
    @camho7116 4 года назад

    can you go over gen chem study strategies?

    • @Shemmassian
      @Shemmassian  4 года назад

      We'll add this to the list! In the meantime, I think you'll find this helpful: www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/mcat-chemistry

  • @Syrianp4pi
    @Syrianp4pi 3 года назад

    If you have time , is it a good idea to understand and memorize Organic Chemistry Mechanisms?

    • @Shemmassian
      @Shemmassian  3 года назад +1

      Hello! You can view everything you need to know here: www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/mcat-organic-chemistry

  • @kezakelvey8200
    @kezakelvey8200 4 года назад +1

    So what about isomers and their types and so on..... That's something very hard for could you please help??????

    • @Shemmassian
      @Shemmassian  4 года назад +1

      Hey Keza! Those are definitely important, and we'll publish a resource on isomers to help out in the future. In the meantime, do you have any specific isomer questions that we can answer?

    • @kezakelvey8200
      @kezakelvey8200 4 года назад +1

      Shemmassian Academic Consulting no I don’t have specific for me that concept is hard to understand but I have started working on functional groups cuz of your awesome video which helped me how to start at least thanks bro

    • @Shemmassian
      @Shemmassian  4 года назад +1

      @@kezakelvey8200 Happy to hear that it was helpful! If you come across any specific questions on isomers or functional groups, feel free to circle back here and drop them in the comments. Odds are, if you have a question, other people have the same one, and we'll get back to you with answers ASAP!

    • @kezakelvey8200
      @kezakelvey8200 4 года назад +1

      Shemmassian Academic Consulting Sure appreciate your help

  • @akshaypeddireddy1235
    @akshaypeddireddy1235 4 года назад

    Vikram, what are your tips for succeding in the OCHEM MCAT section. Just got done with Ochem 1 and it was a struggle in my college and I barely pulled out the A but kinda nervous that I will be expected to recall all these complex mechanisms and multi-step synthesis questions for the MCAT?

  • @lamboozled3350
    @lamboozled3350 4 года назад +3

    Can you make a video on how to approach the tougher/toughest MCAT passages on test day, such as what to do if you're not understanding a passage immediately. (Applies to all four sections) Cuz reading has been an issue for me, and not being able to understand a passage will obviously hinder me from understanding the passage questions. Thank you so much, and you must be over the moon by your 528.

    • @Shemmassian
      @Shemmassian  4 года назад +2

      Hey Anthony! I appreciate your kind words and comment. We will keep this suggestion in mind, and not understanding passages right off the bat is very common challenge for students taking the MCAT.
      A couple exercises you can try are:
      1. Take a few passages without time constraints. This will both give you more time to understand the passage and give you confidence in your content knowledge. The AAMC generally writes passages in the same way (intro to a subject followed by a few experiments), and if you can understand a few passages very well, you can start to tease out the pattern that the test writers use. In general (not always), the first paragraph of a passage is an introduction to the topic.
      2. Review every single passage that you take in a lot of depth. When you finish a passage and didn't understand the passage immediately, take it sentence by sentence during your review process. Was it a tricky word that tripped you up? Try to find a definition of that word that makes sense to you. Was it a specific area of content that you were shaky on? Go back to a content review book or RUclips video and try to understand that area of content. Was it a tricky graph or figure? Review every part of the graph and pretend you were going to present it to a scientist later that day. By understanding these different pieces, you are building a toolbox that will help you attack these passages with more confidence and more understanding. Hope this helps :)

    • @lamboozled3350
      @lamboozled3350 4 года назад +1

      @@Shemmassian Thanks for your time! I'll probably be asking you a bunch of questions in the videos to come, if that's alright :)

    • @Shemmassian
      @Shemmassian  4 года назад

      @@lamboozled3350 That's more than alright! Looking forward to hearing from you. :)

    • @lamboozled3350
      @lamboozled3350 4 года назад +1

      @@Shemmassian Hey Vikram, hope you’re doing well! I have another question in which I feel is pretty important. Do you think it’s absolutely necessary to use third party MCAT practice exams (e.g. NextStep, Altius, etc) because besides being good practice for stamina + content review, they’re known to never fully represent the real thing. Or do you think just doing the AAMC FLs is enough to succeed? Thank you so much for your time!

    • @Shemmassian
      @Shemmassian  4 года назад +1

      @@lamboozled3350 Great question! The third party MCAT practice exams are helpful for the exact reasons that you mentioned, and you should by no means discount the importance of stamina (7 hrs is long!) or content review (you do need a solid foundation of content to succeed on the exam). If you are scoring reasonably close to your goal range after 1 or 2 AAMC FLs, you might be alright with just using the AAMC FLs. In general, however, you should aim to take at least 7 to 8 practice exams (so at least a couple outside exams) when you prep for the MCAT!

  • @DR-kh9bl
    @DR-kh9bl 4 года назад +1

    can we take these power points?

    • @Shemmassian
      @Shemmassian  4 года назад

      Hi! unfortunately we don't have these in .ppt format. Please bookmark the video and return to it whenever you need to! :)

  • @Scriabin_fan
    @Scriabin_fan 4 года назад +2

    Good looking and intelligent! I’m ugly Af but at least I’m above average 😫

    • @Shemmassian
      @Shemmassian  4 года назад +2

      Positive self-talk only around these parts. :) You're doing just fine and you'll do great things! We'll help you however we can.

    • @hussamm9605
      @hussamm9605 4 года назад +2

      people are harsher on themselves trust me, you probably look fine. also it doesn't mean anything really. Many good looking people are rotten on the inside;)

    • @Scriabin_fan
      @Scriabin_fan 4 года назад

      @@hussamm9605 I just hate myself lmao

  • @gloow16
    @gloow16 3 года назад

    King