Re-Cap of Orgo III

Hey everyone!

First - please make sure to respond to the survey for MSCT III if you haven't done so already:

https://spreadsheets0.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dDZTX1BfQTdNNU1LcVBhZTExa3hfWHc6MQ#gid=0

Also, I thought it would be fun to send this attachment along.  When I first came to medical school, a bunch of my friends asked me to put together a playlist of music I like or find interesting.  I thought you guys might get a kick out of it -- "100 Songs that Have Changed How I Listen To Classical Music".  Included are songs from all eras of Western music (the first is from 1453, the most recent from 2002, and spanning every century in between) as well as some non-Western music (such as Devi Niye Tunai, an Indian classical-style piece).  Let me know if you're curious about any of the pieces.  Science (and educating people on it) may be what I do for a living, but music has obviously always been a passion of mine and I eagerly welcome the opportunity to talk about it.

We’re almost there; only one more science class left!  Let’s review the homework for our Biology III session next time:

• Biology Review Notes Chapters 8 (Respiration), 11 (Homeostasis), 12 (Endocrine System), 15 (Molecular Genetics), and 16 (Evolution)
  • The vast bulk of our lesson will be spent discussing the kidney and the endocrine system (especially the menstrual cycle) so if your time is limited, prioritize chapters 11 and 12 over the others. 
• Online Workshop & Quiz: The Lymphatic System and the Respiratory System
• Online Workshop & Quiz: Molecular Genetics
  • The Molecular Genetics OWQ reviews many concepts and topics that you do not need to know for the MCAT.  While it may be useful to be exposed to some of these concepts, please do not feel overwhelmed if a lot of the information appears to be over your head. 

To reinforce the concepts we discussed in Organic Chemistry III review the following:

·         Separations & Purifications Test 1

·         Biological Molecules Test 1

·         Amines Test 1

Helpful Hints:

• Have you started incorporating full length practice tests into your study schedule?  If you haven’t yet, don’t delay!  Make sure you complete a number of the AAMC Practice Tests, in addition to the five practice tests scheduled in the course (you want to do at least eight full lengths before Test Day; more is better!).
• The (Crossed) Aldol Condensation reaction mechanism is nothing other than a nucleophilic attack against an aldehyde carbonyl carbon resulting in an addition product (the aldol product) followed by elimination of water to form a conjugated pi bond system.  The Claisen Condensation mechanism is nothing other than a nucleophilic attack against an ester carbonyl carbon resulting in a substitution product (the beta-keto ester).  All this terminology sounds super-complicated, but it’s all something you’ve seen before in Orgo II!  In both reaction mechanisms, the nucleophile is formed by the removal of the relatively acidic alpha hydrogen from a carbonyl compound, resulting in a nucleophilic carbanionic carbonyl intermediate, which is stabilized by the formation of the enolate ion.
• The workshop on Spectroscopy is an excellent overview of IR and NMR!  Remember that you can go back to the workshops as many times as you need to.

See you next time at my favorite session, Biology III!