A few days ago I returned the second exam of organic II, the bulk of which covered nucleophilic addition and nucleophilic addition-elimination reactions. The following day, a student came to my office to ask questions about the problems she missed. This particular student got off to a rocky start at the beginning of the semester … Continue reading Ending on a Good Note
A Reaction by Any Other Name…
I gave my second exam of the semester a few days ago. One of the questions presented students with the reactants, conditions, and product of a Robinson annulation reaction. The question was worded: “Draw the complete, detailed mechanism for the following Robinson annulation.” After I collected the exams, I returned to my office to find … Continue reading A Reaction by Any Other Name…
Stuff Pre-Meds (and My Dad) Say, and What They Need to Hear
My father is a retired doctor and he’s never missed an opportunity to remind me that not once in his career in medicine did he need to APPLY the material he learned in college organic chemistry. And during office hours two weeks ago, a pre-health student flat-out told me she doesn’t see the point of … Continue reading Stuff Pre-Meds (and My Dad) Say, and What They Need to Hear
Is Learning Organic Chemistry like Learning a New Language?
Over the years, I've heard many organic faculty use the phrase: “Learning organic chemistry is like learning a foreign language.” I've certainly used the phrase myself to give advice to my own students, in an attempt to convey that both subjects are cumulative and require a lot of practice. This year, however, I find myself … Continue reading Is Learning Organic Chemistry like Learning a New Language?
MCAT2015 and the Future of Organic Chemistry
Two things are certain about premedical students: their numbers drive organic chemistry enrollments and their academic needs, as defined by medical schools, are going to change in 2015. As scientists, we know that we ignore data at our own peril. So what is to become of sophomore organic chemistry? My journey began almost two years … Continue reading MCAT2015 and the Future of Organic Chemistry
Why a Mechanistic Organization Improves Understanding in Large Lectures
One of my favorite TV commercials is the AT&T, “Bigger is Better, It’s Not that Complicated” ad that features unscripted responses of elementary school children about why faster, bigger, larger, etc. is better. Unlike cell coverage, bigger lecture size is not necessarily better. Over the years, I have done a number of things to make … Continue reading Why a Mechanistic Organization Improves Understanding in Large Lectures
A Mechanistic Organization and Learning Synthesis: Having Cake and Eating It, Too
When I began teaching organic chemistry over twelve years ago, I adopted a traditional textbook organized according to functional group. The concept of organic synthesis was introduced in a short section in Chapter 4, as was retrosynthetic analysis. The intention, I think, was good: with these aspects of synthesis introduced early, students would incorporate new … Continue reading A Mechanistic Organization and Learning Synthesis: Having Cake and Eating It, Too
Finally, An Online Homework System for Organic Chemistry That Is Worth the Investment!
About ten years ago, I attended a presentation that showcased a computer-based homework system for organic chemistry. I liked what I saw, especially in terms of its overall quality and the thought that went into writing the problems. I was intrigued, even excited about it, because I knew how valuable instant feedback is to student … Continue reading Finally, An Online Homework System for Organic Chemistry That Is Worth the Investment!
The Organization Makes Mechanisms Part of the Routine
A number of years ago I had a student come to me at the end of Organic II and ask, “What happened to the SN2 reaction?” She wanted to know why we had spent so much time on this one reaction in order to move on to the next unit and then never discussed this … Continue reading The Organization Makes Mechanisms Part of the Routine
Demystifying Enolate Chemistry
In my mind, enolate chemistry is one of the highlights of the second-semester organic chemistry course. Granted, the list of named enolate-based reactions (Aldol, Claisen, Michael, Robinson, etc.) can be daunting to students. Nevertheless, the importance of enolate chemistry in biochemical processes (glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, fatty acid biosynthesis), as well as in the synthesis of compounds … Continue reading Demystifying Enolate Chemistry