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To the Editor: In his Commentary, Dr Emanuel¹ rightly calls for reform in the premedical curriculum, much of which could be more intelligently shaped in response to the evolving challenges in medicine. However, I would not so hastily dismiss organic chemistry as a mere tool to thin the applicant herd. Indeed, I believe that no other premedical course so directly impacts clinical practice.

In a well-taught course, the specific facts of organic chemistry are secondary to the skills of pattern recognition, systematic analysis of complex problems, thinking in 3 dimensions, and the application of rules and techniques to new situations. Students must break down imposing reactions into their component parts—synthesis, mechanism, stereochemistry, and regiochemistry—and search for recognizable patterns with which to unravel the solution. I do not believe that any other premedical course demands such rigor in critical thinking. At its best, organic chemistry is learned as a language, with . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Daniel B. Kramer, MD
dbkramer@partners.org
Department of Medicine
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Mass

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