The first two years of introductory chemistry at Haverford College are undergoing major changes, in part in response to the new guidelines put forth by AAMC-HHMI. I will describe our restructuring efforts, emphasizing the second year organic chemistry curriculum. Some introductory organic chemistry is now included in the first year of our curriculum.  Spectroscopy is also emphasized, particularly in lab, where all students get hands-on experience with a variety of techniques, including IR and NMR. This setup allows an intermediate treatment of organic chemistry at the sophomore level.  The first semester, which is the only semester required for our pre-health students, predominantly emphasizes the properties, reactivity and biochemical transformations of biomolecules in an aqueous environment.  Additionally, with the goal of getting the students into the current scientific literature, they read articles and write short essay/commentaries on 'Key Concepts,' such as 'Why phosphorus and not arsenic?'  The second semester of organic chemistry is then focused on organic synthesis, including stereoselective aldol condensations and some metalorganic chemistry.

Developing a one semester course: Organic biological chemistry

244th National Meeting (2012)

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