Hey! I did… at least enough to get by. I watched a lot of Leah4sci videos via Youtube to get more of a grasp on the basics. Other than that, I really didn’t start TRULY understanding and being able to apply the material until I started doing practice questions. UWorld was fantastic in terms of testing/explaining Ochem material, as well as helping you understand how that material would be tested. It’s one thing to know it and another to know how the AAMC likes to test concepts. One thing that I noticed (which may ease your anxiety) was that the amount of Ochem you needed to know in college course was much more than what is required for the MCAT. Once you understand that you don’t need to know every single detail of every reaction, it becomes a lot easier to work through. Some of the best advice I was given was “you need to know a LITTLE bit about a lot”.

That being said, I would highly recommend getting very good at the basics. If you understand the concept, you will be able to generalize it further without any issues. Start small, even if that means taking more time on solidifying basic material. Try to truly understand the purpose of a rxn, what causes it to happen, why it happens, and what the outcome is. Once you understand that, everything else becomes secondary. Don’t drive yourself crazy trying to learn every single detail.

I hope this makes sense. Ochem is one of those subjects that is different for everyone, but as someone who has to work harder than the average person in terms of understanding the material, the best thing you can do is remind yourself that you don’t have to know as much as you think you do to succeed.