Introducing myself

Hi, my name is Kirstie. I am a mother of soon to be 3 boys and am working on finishing my bachelors degree and plan on applying to med school immediately after. I was wondering if there are any classes anybody wishes they had taken as an undergrad to better prepare themselves for the MCAT (for those of you who have taken it) and for getting into med school. Thanks.


Kirstie

The word on the street is the biochem is nice to have. It’s not covered on the MCAT, but something about it is helpful. However, I’ve never actually taken the MCAT (whew!), so am just passing on hear-say evidence. :slight_smile:


Cheers,


Judy

Actually, I’ve had Biochem questions on the MCAT and all of my MCAT prep materials (EK Bio) have biochem type questions.


As for med school, I took med biochem at a local med school and while it was good for me to have had numerous courses in biochemistry before I took this course, we covered most of what I’d already learned in the first 2 weeks of the class(I took it in the summer).


That said, I’d take Biochem if I were you.

I had quite a few biochem questions on the MCAT as well.

Your comments about biochem on the MCAT are interesting since AMCAS (the MCAT folks) stress that the MCAT only covers the information found in the first year work of biology, genchem, ochem, and physics. Perhaps AMCAS is running a bit fast and loose in what qualifies as “intro course work”?


Cheers,


Judy

  • jcolwell Said:
Your comments about biochem on the MCAT are interesting since AMCAS (the MCAT folks) stress that the MCAT only covers the information found in the first year work of biology, genchem, ochem, and physics. Perhaps AMCAS is running a bit fast and loose in what qualifies as "intro course work"?

Cheers,

Judy



Yeah they say that, but that's been a "joke" for years, LOL!!!

Yes, biochem is on the MCAT, regardless of what the test-makers claim.

There was Biochem on mine.


As far as classes that are helpful. I would say that Genetics and Physiology were helpful for the MCAT for me. Just had another that I found helpful: I took a philosophy course last summer, it was the first writing intensive course I have had since starting this journey, so it helped to have had to write an essay for a test. As far as medschool goes I have heard that all of these are good to have prior:


BioChem


Histo


Genetics


Physiology


Anatomy


Cell and Molec


Not saying you have to have them or that you will do better with them. Just that they are helpful.

Hi All


I know I am going to piss everybody off, but unlike what the others say, I don’t believe that Biochem helps.


On the MCAT, the only biochem you would have would be extremely basic, I can only think about a few things that would be related to Biochem


1- Reaction mechanism that are part of Orgo (and chemical functions).


2- Properties of Amino acids and protein (isoelectric point, electrophoresis)


3- Pathways like Glycolysis, Krebs cycle and so on. But not in the details, more in the location and net yields.


In my opinion, you don’t need to do biochem to master these. Adding biochem to your pedigree is good of course, but for the purpose of the MCAT (and don’t shoot the messenger, I know that most of you think the opposite), you add much more info than you need. So your pool of knowledge gets bigger which is good, but you will much more facts to handle and sometimes contradictory which may lead you to pick an exception instead of a rule.


Knowledge is an end in itself. Biochem is good to have and you should take it if you want and because it makes your application better. But for the purpose of the MCAT, I am not that sure that it will help. I would say it would, if you master it and if you know what to use and what not to use.


This is my opinion (although divergent) and I do hope that it is taken for what it is and not an act of defiance to all the wise pieces of advice given on this forum.



I can see that Redo. The only quilifier that I will put on what you said is that part of the reason why Biochem might help is that OChem II barely got to AA. Now would have more in depth make a difference, don’t know (i take biochem next year.)


I guess I am more of the opinion that the more you can take before the MCAT the better, but I wouldn’t hold off taking it to get those things in.

Bailey


I totally agree with you. Maybe Biochem can help for anything that would do with the amino acids, but the extra info that Biochem comes with then (IMHO) is not worth it. There is also the issue of confidence that perhaps is important. From this point of view, if Biochem makes one feel more secure, surely it is a plus. But from knowledge perspective that advantage is very limited.


Well you took the MCAT without it and hopefuly did well. So Biochem is not needed and as you say, it is probably not worth delaying taking the MCAT just for it

Ok, sorry to go off topic here Pathdr2b, but you have GOT to tell me what that micro slide is from. I know I’ve seen that tissue but I can’t remember what the little “islands” with the spaces are, and it’s driving me nuts! If only I could blow it up a bit, I maybe would be able to identify it! Please relieve my curiosity! (you know the saying about curiosity…and cats…)


Now returning you to your regularly scheduled topic.


Kate

There is a lot of fibrotic tissue in that sample and there does not appear to be a lot of organization. It looks like a tumor slice, but I could be wrong.