I need advice on which classes I should have under my belt before the MCAT. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!
I will have completed all the standard, suggested courses (Organic I and II, General Chem I and II, Physics I and II, Biology I and II). The question is, what other courses will really make a difference in my score? I am considering Genetics and Biochemistry. The problem is that it would be tough for me to squeeze both in. Understand that by “tough” I do not mean impossible. But I was planning on an extremely light course load in the spring of 2007 to allow for ample MCAT prep course and study time.
Is this much adieu about nothing? Will I learn all I need to know about genetics and biochemistry from a prep course? I need to do really well on the MCAT and am prepared to study diligently for it. Like many non-traditional students, however, I will not have the added “understanding” that comes with upper level course work. Will either one of these classes give me a shot at keeping up with the crowd or is my time better spent concentrating on the basics?
Hey hungry,
I took the MCAT in April, and did ‘fine’ but not stellar, especially since I was not completed with Organic or Physics. However, I was surprised by how much Biochem was there. I spoke with a friend of mine who took it with me. His comment was “oh yeah, the biochem stuff was easy! We covered that first quarter”.
Just a thought… I’m taking MCAT again in August, hoping for stellar 
, focusing not just on the Gen studies stuff, but specifically also on immunology, endocrinology (memorize every single one of those hormones, where they come from, what they do!) way more about reproduction than is gone into in Gen Bio, all of genetics from Gen Bio, and every bit of the ‘basics’ of Biochem I can stuff into my head from the textbook I’ll be using next fall.
Just my strategy - watch there be no biochem on the test in August! But I don’t want to be caught offguard regardless - would rather be overprepared than wish I’d looked at something and at least have a clue what they’re talking about!
Good luck to you.
To be perfectly frank, I am so far removed from the MCAT that I feel unqualified to give you specific content advise to focus upon. However, I can unequivocally endorse not setting yourself up for heartache & probable underperformance by spreading yourself too thinly. Do NOT sell yourself short by trying to digest a heavy courseload while simultaneously prepping for the MCAT. One or the other will most likely suffer - neither of which anyone can afford to sacrifice.
If you feel compelled to take both of these course prior to taking the MCAT - the feel free to do so. You may reap substantial rewards. However, you should also plan to delay your MCAT date to assure yourself adequate focused prep time for this beast of an exam.
My 2 cents worth…
Thanks for the input, JRRSEhope.
I think I have identified a flaw in my MCAT preparation plan. The reason I added Genetics to my to-do list was that I had been told that it represented a large portion of the test. Then, like yourself, I found out following the April test that Biochemistry was the new favorite. It doesn’t take a genius to identify the pattern here. No doubt that the August test will have yet another surprise. This moving target is one that I can never hope to predict.
As mentioned above - it’s hard to identify any one course that would give you an advantage on MCAT prep. If your genetics background is weak, a genetics course can’t hurt, and it will certainly be helpful in medical school. After my first year of medical school, I’m starting to think that Biochem is a HUGE advantage in terms of making your life a little easier in med school. So many things are based on biochem, that any background you have in it is helpful. When I took the MCAT, I thought there were a lot of physiology type questions on the test. Physiology would also be useful in medical school.
- hungry Said:
I will have completed all the standard, suggested courses (Organic I and II, General Chem I and II, Physics I and II, Biology I and II). The question is, what other courses will really make a difference in my score? I am considering Genetics and Biochemistry. The problem is that it would be tough for me to squeeze both in. Understand that by "tough" I do not mean impossible. But I was planning on an extremely light course load in the spring of 2007 to allow for ample MCAT prep course and study time.
Is this much adieu about nothing? Will I learn all I need to know about genetics and biochemistry from a prep course? I need to do really well on the MCAT and am prepared to study diligently for it. Like many non-traditional students, however, I will not have the added "understanding" that comes with upper level course work. Will either one of these classes give me a shot at keeping up with the crowd or is my time better spent concentrating on the basics?
I think it depends on how good your premed courses were. If your basic biology course covered genetics, that is probably enough; MCAT genetics is not very advanced. It can't hurt to have more genetics, immunology, physiology, etc., but you don't need it for this test.
The MCAT is a test of reasoning ability as much as it is a test of scientific knowledge, and you would benefit more from being able to read passages quickly and efficiently and understand how to answer their trickly little questions. That's why I would advise a prep course such as Kaplan or Princeton rather than some time consuming advanced science courses. Save those for after the MCAT.
Thanks, ttraub. In a way, I was hoping someone would say something like that - mostly because there is nothing I can do about it even if I wanted to. I can only take so many classes between now and the test date.
On a related note, do you think your prep class adequately prepared you for these more “advanced” topics?
Thanks Emergency! A few of my prospective schools require Biochem so I will definitely be working that in prior to matriculation - maybe even pre-MCAT. Good tip on the physiology. After looking through the official outline of what’s supposedly covered, physiology sounds like another good prep class.
- hungry Said:
On a related note, do you think your prep class adequately prepared you for these more "advanced" topics?
Kaplan really helped me learn how to pick apart the MCAT questions and get through the test efficiently. They illuminate the reasoning that is required to answer the questions and give you some strategies that you can fall back on when an answer isn't clear (which it usually isn't). Their books contain all the science content that you are going to need, including flash cards, web-based quizzes and tutorials, etc. It's all there for you.
Absolutely, if you have 4-8 hours a week you should put it into a prep class, not another science course. See recent threads in the MCAT topic for more on this.
I would start by downloading the free practice MCAT from the aamc.org website and run it under timed conditions. That will give you a pretty good idea of what you need to be preparing.