Organic & synthetic chemistry people, I'd like some insight (1 Viewer)

[Tim035]

Although I'm about to finish honours in pharmacology, I'm highly considering going back to undergrad and completing at least 2nd and 3rd year organic chem + the new medicinal chem course. This is due to the realization that I find drug design and optimization a lot more interesting then drug testing on cells and animals (which is really just monkey work).

So, just some basic questions:
- Is it possible to do I-lectures? as most likely I'll attempt to work at least part-time (or even start my PhD if I'm allowed) whilst going to uni just for the labs.

- In general how difficult are the courses? I've had a look through the lecture notes (off faculty of chem website) and I found I was able to complete the exercises within them after reading the related slides without much difficulty.

- Is it worthwhile also doing the 2nd and 3rd year analytical chemistry courses if I'm just after the ability to formulate small molecule drugs hopefully within a pharmaceutical company?

- If you've completed 3rd year organic, do you feel you're well equipped with the skills to develop a synthetic route to formulate a series of drug analogues and verify their structure with spectrometry?



And in general, do you think it'd be worth my time or will most companies / industries really want more then just 3rd year organic chem knowledge?

 

[EdmondDW]

I wont say organic chem is hard.but since this yr a new staff from some other uni taught this course, and he made the 3rd yr organic chem exam extremely hard.

Analytical chem is so annoyed.for third yr one, u need to write report every week.each report is like 2000+ words.I swear I will get bad marks this session, all because of it!!!occupied most of my time.

Physical chem is easy to get high mark, some ppl even get 99, but u must good at math and physics.

I know some ppl without any organic chem background (a biotech student?) and still doing organic chem PHD in chem school, so hmm.....

 

[Tim035]

I wont say organic chem is hard.but since this yr a new staff from some other uni taught this course, and he made the 3rd yr organic chem exam extremely hard.

Analytical chem is so annoyed.for third yr one, u need to write report every week.each report is like 2000+ words.I swear I will get bad marks this session, all because of it!!!occupied most of my time.

Physical chem is easy to get high mark, some ppl even get 99, but u must good at math and physics.

I know some ppl without any organic chem background (a biotech student?) and still doing organic chem PHD in chem school, so hmm.....

Wow that's weird... I've had all doors closed to me when talking to potential supervisors about doing a PhD that involves organic synthesis as I haven't done a chem major. Maybe I should get in direct contact with some of the PhD supervisors down in chem faculty.

I'm really not interested in physical chem, the only reason I'm doing this would be so I can do a PhD that involves drug synthesis or work as a medicinal chemist in a pharm company.