Biochem on new MCAT

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frodo25

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For those who have taken the exam, is the EK biochem chapter sufficient for the Biochem section on the MCAT? If not, which should review should I use?

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First choice: Kaplan Biochem
Second Choice: The Berkeley Review Biology II (has sufficient biochem)

EK Biochem chapter is definitely not sufficient considering how emphasized and important biochem is on the new MCAT.
 
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Those two choices are great.
Another option is Lippincott's Illustrated Review: Biochem.

If you have time, you may want to consider updated TBR full set and their 3 Practice Tests (made after the real MCAT was administered).
 
Those two choices are great.
Another option is Lippincott's Illustrated Review: Biochem.

If you have time, you may want to consider updated TBR full set and their 3 Practice Tests (made after the real MCAT was administered).

Have you actually been using Lippincott's? And if so, how?
I have the book sitting around, but my impression was that it was written for medical students with the details that would not be on MCAT.
 
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I would focus Unit 1 and 2, which covers proteins and glucose-related metabolisms, as well as Unit 5 on integration of metabolism. As you pointed out, there's a lot of stuff in here that won't be tested in such details on the MCAT. So use it as a supplement only in addition to the core biochem review prep book.

Some parts in this book are useful. For example:
- page 5: some tricks to remember amino acids (aa)
- page 7,8: tiltration of an aa
- page 9: application of HH equation
- page 11: nice summary of the chapter.
- Unit 1: chap 3 on Globular protein: very nice description of Hb and its relevant stuff in a very concise manner (page 29-32)
- page 81, 89, 92!!!

The book is useful, but not necessary if you already have other sources. I used EK only, thus this one was a nice supplement, especially the summary pages. I don't know much about TPR or Kaplan books, but if you already use detailed stuff like TBR, then no need to bother. I would recommend against using >2 sources for content review; after all, it's the thinking under stress that matters.
 
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I used Lippincott's during a course this past semester and I read that book like crazy. The summaries are great at giving you a big picture to link concepts together. There are also these summary diagrams at the end of each chapter that helped me visually piece things together
 
First choice: Kaplan Biochem
Second Choice: The Berkeley Review Biology II (has sufficient biochem)

EK Biochem chapter is definitely not sufficient considering how emphasized and important biochem is on the new MCAT.

I really enjoy reading the Kaplan Biochem book. It does an amazing job at integrating everything I have learned that relates to biochemical processes. I would say that it is the best book in the series.
 
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