Hey all, could somebody share some light on what material will be covered in the MCATs out of the select courses listed below?
Chemistry and Biochemistry
Chemistry XL 14A Atomic and Molecular Structure, Equilibria, Acids, and Bases
Chemistry XL 14B Thermodynamics, Electrochemistry, Kinetics, and Organic Chemistry
Chemistry XL 14BL General and Organic Chemistry Laboratory I
Chemistry XL 14C Structure of Organic Molecules
Chemistry XL 14CL General and Organic Chemistry Laboratory II
Chemistry XL 14D Organic Reactions and Pharmaceuticals
Chemistry XL 153A Biochemistry:
Introduction to Structure, Enzymes, and Metabolism
Life Sciences
Life Sciences XL 1 Evolution, Ecology, and Biodiversity
Life Sciences XL 2
Cells, Tissues, and Organs
Life Sciences XL 3 Introduction to Molecular Biology
Life Sciences XL 4 Genetics
Life Sciences XL 23L Introduction to Laboratory and Scientific Methods
Mathematics
Prerequisites: Math 903 “Intermediate Algebra” and Math XL 1 “Precalculus.”
Mathematics XL 31A Differential and Integral Calculus
Mathematics XL 31B Integration and Infinite Series
Statistics
Statistics XL 10 Introduction to Statistical Reasoning
or
Statistics XL 13 Introduction to Statistical Methods for Life and Health Sciences
Physics
Physics XL 6A Physics for Life Science Majors: Mechanics
Physics XL 6B Physics for Life Science Majors: Waves, Electricity, and Magnetism
Physics XL 6C Physics for Life Science Majors: Light, Fluids, Thermodynamics, Modern Physics
That’s a tall order!
I think you need to compare the course syllabi to the required MCAT material, which you can find on the AAMC Web site. I think you mentioned in a previous post that you’re just starting out the process, so this site may be the most helpful, as the MCAT is going to change in 2015: https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mca t/mcat20…
Yea, I spent a little time researching what courses will the MCAT 2015 cover and found this resource which may be a good tool for those planning their courses in preparation of the 2015 MCAT.
https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mca t/mcat20…
It’s essentially a course mapping tool that shows what topics will be covered by the MCAT and which courses will cover those topics. Was quite helpful to me in arranging the courses I’ll need, hope it can be of benefit to you guys!
At first glance and based on the names alone, I would say the courses below are best suited, but as terra_incognita said you should refer to the course syllabi and compare the topics to those listed in the Content Outline. Ultimately, you just need the core science classes, General Chemistry, Physics, Organic Chemistry, and Biology (Cell and Molecular, Genetics, and Physiology). Here is the page for the current Content Outlines.
- Chemistry XL 14BL General and Organic Chemistry Laboratory I
- Chemistry XL 14CL General and Organic Chemistry Laboratory II
- Chemistry XL 153A Biochemistry: Introduction to Structure, Enzymes, and Metabolism
- Life Sciences XL 2 Cells, Tissues, and Organs
- Life Sciences XL 3 Introduction to Molecular Biology
- Life Sciences XL 4 Genetics
- Physics XL 6A Physics for Life Science Majors: Mechanics
- Physics XL 6B Physics for Life Science Majors: Waves, Electricity, and Magnetism
For the MCAT2015 exam starting in Spring 2015, AAMC will fully incorporate biochemistry into the content and start testing content in introductory psychology and sociology, the latter comprising ¼ of the exam. At the switchover initially, I would imagine that many will seek to find the information either through test prep or by their own means rather than take intro courses in psychology and sociology. To reiterate what learntolive referred to, the Course-Mapping tool is exactly what you need to figure out what courses are best suited for your MCAT preparation. Here is an assessment of some of the resources recommended by AAMC:
-
Khan Academy
After reviewing some of the videos and completing most of the passages, this seems to be a great and growing resource for the MCAT, and my only wish is for downloadable transcripts because videos are not my preferred method of learning. At the end of each set of videos, there are 2 review passages for most topics in Physics and Biology and some in Chemistry. -
iCollaborative
This is an online repository of instructional resources on pre-health competencies. While you have to do some searching and sifting, there are few gems in the vast repository to help students transition to the new format, like sites that offer an online course to review sociology and psychology, i.e. Saylor.org. -
Preview Guide for the MCAT2015 Exam
The majority of the guide is dedicated to introducing the new Content Outline for the four sections of the MCAT and how the various subjects fall under each. Furthermore, it provides detailed descriptions of concepts tested, topic lists and sample exam questions. The outline is lengthy and detailed, so for most students, the sample passages will be of greater interest. -
Course-Mapping Tool for the MCAT2015 Exam
This tool will assist in identifying the courses at your school that teach the knowledge and skills necessary for the MCAT2015 exam. While the tool may be tedious in nature for most and scintillating only for the uber-organized, you can match various course outlines to this tool to figure out which course is best suited for the MCAT. You can also figure what content areas will not be covered in your courses to design a self-study course for MCAT preparation.