Hey, it's another o-chem question...

[dianacs]

The school I am most interested in applying to does not require ochem, but I'm taking it anyway because another school I am interested in does. So far ochem has been challenging to say the least. Two questions: 1) Let's say I do apply to the program that does not require it and I--ahem--have received a B or a C in ochem. Is this a huge deal? All other sciences are 4.0 so far, and assuming other education and work experiences are at or above par, will this be a detriment? I want to finish this ochem class once and for all; I don't want to drop it or retake it later. 2) For a program that does require ochem, would a B or C look bad? What's the word on the street? Thanks.

[stevierae]

What is the frame of reference from which you speak? I took two semesters of organic chemistry in graduate school; undergraduate organic :zzzzz IS an excercise in rote memorization. By the way, I think I learned a thing or two about the periodic table somewhere in grad school.

Not arguing about who is more educated or how it was for you--simply stating how it was for ME. But then, at the time, chemistry was my PASSION--I thought about it constantly while awake and asleep. I worked gas law and redox calculations for fun, simply because I enjoyed doing so. Elements passed through my mind all the time, along with my thoughts as how to best join them together to form compounds. I am certain my experience is not unique.

I decided not to go into research simply because I did not want to sacrifice animals. Also, one day one of my o-chem professors with whom I WAS doing undergrad research (the animal thing didn't come into play until biochem, when we were expected to guillotine rats routinely) said to me, "How much do you make as a nurse?" I told him. He said, "I have been teaching and doing research for 30 years. I am a fully tenured professor, and I do not make anywhere near that much."

He also told me about the headaches of begging for grant money.

I did not post to challenge you or to prove how smart I am--I posted simply to give encouragement to someone who was finding o-chem difficult. If I, a nurse, could do well in o-chem, than a CRNA student surely could, as CRNA students are usually the best of the best nurses--having come from ICU or other critical care backgrounds--and are very smart people. Of that you will get no argument from me!

[dianacs]

Update: I ended up with a B in the course. Just barely, but a B is a B. I can definitely say this wasn't my favorite class, but parts of it were interesting. Next up: physics this summer.

[susanna]

What is the frame of reference from which you speak? I took two semesters of organic chemistry in graduate school; undergraduate organic :zzzzz IS an excercise in rote memorization. By the way, I think I learned a thing or two about the periodic table somewhere in grad school.

I've heard this before: Of people taking graduate classes before CRNA school. I didn't know one could take graduate classes unless one was in grad school. If I can ask, were these grad courses taken during undergrad or taken by themselves? Like, can u take individual graduate courses even if u are not in graduate school at most unniversities if u want?