Chemistry

Hello fellow scientists. I have never been to college before, but I think at 22, its finally time to start on a career path


I really want to go into chemistry. I want to create drugs for the pharmaceutical companies.

I want chemistry because I am not good at math. Can anyone give me some advice?

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>I want chemistry because I am not good at math. Can anyone give me some advice?

At what level are you talking? Regardless, you can learn it, over again or for the first time. But Bachelors in Chem usually require a stats class, and calc 1, my school went up to calc 2.


I would say that in order of degrees that require the most math would be:

Math
Physics/Engineering
Chemistry
Biology
Economics
Sociology
English
Art History

Just keep it in mind that there is a good amount of math in chem. It can be a pain but all of it is stuff anyone can learn with enough brute force unlike higher maths.

I passed high school with a D in algebra 2, but I didnt care back then

but I want to know if chemistry if even worth getting into. Is it over saturated like lawyers?

Yeah, you could totally do it if you put in the effort.

The least saturated fields are all trade jobs (so if you're looking for highest employ ability then a 4 year degree would not be the best choice)

it really depends on what country you're in

Stop sprouting this meme to convince retards not to go to college whether it's a good thing or not.

this is an old pasta already...

>Stop sprouting this meme to convince retards not to go to college
List one thing college gives you besides a useless paper and a mountain of debt.

If you have a STEM degree finding any job is MUCH easier even if it has nothing to do with the field.

Trade jobs are gonna get automated in 20years. Most of the anons here will be 40ish then and far off from retirement. A college degree especially in STEM will literally keep you employed in 20 years. It might be shit pay but you will have a job while trade jobs will disappear. Maybe plumbers and electricians will be safe then but other trades are gone.

Explain why you don't have a job then.

>don't do this it makes me mad >:(
how much debt do you have user. 40k? 70?

not everyone should be pursuing a degree. the world needs trades and there is no shame in it.

Look, chemistry is really hard. Like really really hard. Requires both memorization AND lots of thinking. Don't just decide that you want to do this shit until after you've already started doing it. Go on youtube and just look for playlists for General Chemistry. If you get all of that, move on to Organic Chemistry. If you still want to be a chemist after that, come back and ask again.

If you're going into chemistry because you hate math and want a good job, I'd recommend against it. Yes, organic syntheses are what you're going to want to be going into, however jobs in big pharma have high burnout rates or are contract gigs, and they mostly require PhDs. Other fields that people like are generally more math-heavy (requiring quantum mechanics and other physics based knowledge).

I would recommend that you give it a shot, and take a lot of variation in your classes during your undergraduate time. That way you can at least get a feel for what you actually want to do.

He's not entirely wrong though. You'll make more money if you pick up a trade or learn basic tech skills (IT networking has to be localized, AutoCAD is a useful skill in manufacturing, GIS/land survey is useful in general, etc.)

I want to be in chemistry because I used to make drugs as a hobby, and want to make it a career

Cook crank the Nazi way and aell it too

>I want to create drugs for pharmaceutical companies

nice to know people are still falling for the walking meme organic chemistry walter white style of life

Question:

Would a Masters degree in chemistry secure me cool jobs or do I have to push for the phd?

>If you're going into chemistry because you hate math and want a good job, I'd recommend against it. Yes, organic syntheses are what you're going to want to be going into, however jobs in big pharma have high burnout rates or are contract gigs, and they mostly require PhDs. Other fields that people like are generally more math-heavy (requiring quantum mechanics and other physics based knowledge).
>I would recommend that you give it a shot, and take a lot of variation in your classes during your undergraduate time. That way you can at least get a feel for what you actually want to do.


From what I have seen, I would second this recommendation.

depends user. anything research focused will require a PhD but you can probably get into sales/marketing/whatever office job using chem knowledge with a M.S.

Just be aware that PhD programs are fully funded unlike masters programs which means you need to be aware of your career prospects before you decide to go into debt for your M.S.

> Biology above Economics.
I am a chemist and you gave me a hearty kek. The most advanced maths biologists know is some baby-level stats.

>I am a chemist and you gave me a hearty kek. The most advanced maths biologists know is some baby-level stats.

Just to clarify, that is only true for undergraduate level.


Biology can get very multi-disciplinary at the grad level (i.e. heavily depends on the speciality/major)

As a chemist, don't do this.

If you want to make drugs for a company it'll be at least 8 years to get your PhD, plus however many more to actually learn the medicinal side of things. You'll get time cucked going for this.

Math is very important in chemistry unless you just want to be a lab monkey and you can't avoid math as a part of your first and second year

The pharma companies really only take PhD-qualified people to work in the labs because there's a plentiful supply of them.

t. worker in an R&D lab

Remember the ten rules of Chemistry!

1. Chemistry is about change of electrons! Nothing, NOTHING more!

2. Change always proceeds towards an equilibrium, a state of not changing at all! Don't ask me how a stupid molecule knows what it's equilibrium is; it just knows!

3. If you don't know and understand the universe, you can create a model out of it! Just combine things, see what happens, and make rules based on your observations! Science!

4. Most of the time your most important question is: what matter is this? How do we solve questions like these? Easy! We just ask the computer! Let's ask our NMR -imaging machine what this compound is!

5. People want to have a molecule like this! Why? Don't ask questions like that! Just do the molecule you bitch!

6. How do we make compound X? Easy! We just combine compounds Y and Z! ...But how do we make compounds Y and Z? What? Don't ask questions like that! Somebody else makes them for us!

7. This reaction is proceeding too slow and increasing temperature doesn't help... What should we do? Easy! Just marketize the product differently!

8. Oxidizer gets reduced and reducor gets oxidized agent... ah! This is too hard! Fear not! Just remember the old rhyme AOCDTHWATRHRT! An Ox Climbs Down The Hill When All The Reducor Has Reduced That! That doesn't help at all... You just suck at chemistry then!

9. I want to make energy... how do I make energy! Easy! Just find a compound with already much energy! Like oil!

depends, if you want to do chemical engineering and are flexible carreer-wise, you should be good. If you're looking at research then you better be good at it.

rules 1, 5, 6 are actually valid

>8.
LEO says GER

If you're in a chemistry program worth its salt, you're most likely going to have to take single variable calculus, multivariable calculus, linear algebra maybe, and differential equations. Mind you this is all in preparation for quantum chemistry and thermodynamics (but mostly quantum chemistry).

However, it must be noted that unless you specialize in physical chemistry and/or computational chemistry, you're never going to make heavy use of the math (see: synthetic organic chemistry) you learned. And even within quantum chemistry and thermodynamics courses geared toward undergraduate chemistry students, you're not using the full breadth of knowledge from any of these courses--it'll mostly just be "tedious" integrals and derivatives. For instance, you'll (likely) never use infinite series, encounter higher order differential equations, or make of use singular value decomposition--all things you should find in your math courses. Any "complicated" math will likely be accompanied by a lengthy example that essentially walks you through the problem, or your instructor will help you guys out.

That doesn't mean you should ignore your math, though. If you take the aforementioned courses, that's gonna take 2 years or thereabouts.

Also, DON'T GET TIMEKEKED like a previous user mentioned. Chemistry is a field that requires a PhD for the decent-to-good-paying jobs in industry (especially if you want to go the pharma route). And since chemistry is an empirical science that means you spend a lot of time in the lab conducting research. And that means VERY long hours in the lab, especially for synthetic organic chemistry, for anywhere from 3 to 5 years. Think about your decision wisely.

Why is this difficult to synthesize?
Is it because of the 7 stereocenters?
zhanglab.ccmb.med.umich.edu/GLASS/ligand.cgi?id=ICVTXAUKIHJDGV-WFOQEEKOSA-N

if you're making it from scratch that would be an absolute bitch to make because of the stereocenters. why are you asking if it's difficult to synthesize?

There are lots of chemists but not many good ones.

This meme needs to stop.

A Diels-Alder wizard might be able to figure something out, but this kind of synthesis is best done by enzymes.

The pharma industry has completely shifted away from small molecule drugs within the last couple of years. All new drugs are biologics.

don't do it, horrible idea.

chemistry at the bachelor's is a series of temp jobs that pay next to nothing with no benefits: chemicalforums.com/index.php?topic=49150.0

at the phd level i'm not exactly sure but i get the impression that at half of grads are under or unemployed, and basically forget being a professor if you aren't the second coming

But that's 9 rules, dumbass.

>A Diels-Alder wizard might be able to figure something out, but this kind of synthesis is best done by enzymes.
Impressive. Diels-Alder is what was used in a total synthesis of the precursor to the above molecule.

It took about 3 decades until someone figured out a total synthesis.

>A total asymmetric synthesis of salvinorin A, which relies on a transannular Michael reaction cascade to construct the ring system, was achieved in 2007 by Evans and co-workers in 4.5% overall yield over 30 steps.[32] More recently, a synthesis was published by a Japanese group, requiring 24 steps to yield salvinorin A in 0.15% yield.[33]

>An approach to the trans-decalin ring system of salvinorin A has been described by Forsyth (et al.) utilizing an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction/Tsuji allylation strategy.

>Wants to develop pharmaceutical drugs
What you want to study is pharmacy op. Do an undergrad in chemistry, then apply to pharmacy schools afterwards

Uh, no.

pharmacist a shit

>want to do chem
>not good at math

biochem student here, there is an awful amount of complex mathematics involved in chemistry

I just wasnt doing my homework and stuff in high school,, now that I am adult with lots of free time, I believe I can do it

Ive already self taught basic chemistry and the first 15 videos on Khan academy Organic chemistry

Im sure I can handle math if I learn online rather than classroom