Biochemistry

Hi everyone. I was considering taking the MCAT this summer since I will have completed my organic chemistry, physics and biology sequence by then. My organic chem teacher advised my to take biochem while studying for the MCAT, has any of you done that before? How much biochem if any is on the exam?

The amount of biochem on the MCAT is about what you should have gotten in your freshman biology class. Basic stuff about DNA translation, transcription, and like that. Anything more they ask about it will be based on information they give you in passages. If you have time for it, great. It will make the first two weeks of biochem in med school a little better. If not, don’t stress about it.


A genetics class is nice for the same reason. Gives you a little more detail, reviews translation and transcription, and gives you a little start towards med school.

I am glad you said that. I am trying to take the MCAT this summer, and it would be nice to take biochem another time. I felt like I had to squeeze it in just in order to be successful on the MCAT. Thanks for your input!

Biochem might give you perspective and a deeper understanding of the material, which could be useful. As Denise said, though, the information in a biochem course will not be necessary for the MCAT.

I just want to give an emphatic 2nd to Adam’s observation. I did the Kaplan thing over the summer, and I endorse it only on the basis of the ample amount of online review content it made available to me. I am taking a 1-semester ‘essentials of Biochemistry’ course right now that is tying together all of the medical school prerequisite Chemistry knowledge into a nice package. Ah! Now I see why acid/base chem. and kinetics are really important. Ah! Now I see why aldol condensation is more than just a cool lab synthesis! … etc. You certainly don’t need Biochemistry in preparation for the MCAT, but I think it is far more useful to me as an integrative tool in advance of the MCAT than the prep. class ever was. Plus, it is bloody interesting all on its own.


Tim

BOY… I don’t remember too much BIO CHEM per se on the MCAT. BUT I DO remember lots of Bio Chem in my first year of medical school. Indeed, I wish I had taken the full year of Bio Chem in college instead of the “Bio Chem lite” (the one semester course) I took!


GOOD LUCK


Richard