biochem - what books/companies

[yestomeds]

Hey I have 2 related questions.
I'm ok with being linked or directed to existing threads hehe. (I just haven't had much time to peruse the very many threads on here lately).

A) If one DOESN'T have much biochem experience
(either have NOT taken it because one is an arts students,
OR took it like 7 years ago and remember 2 things: that ATP has 3 phosphates and that proteins are made of amino acids...),
then what book(s), prep company, or strategy do you think this student should go by, to adequately prepare for the MCAT?

This would be a non-traditional student.

B) If one HAS taken biochem (just the regular run of the mills intro biochem), then what book/prep company/strategy do you recommend? This would be the regular student (not having majored in biochem or something related).​

Thank you!

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[drkobebryant]

This has what I've been doing and many others would agree with me:

Bio/ Physiology - TPR/EK
Biochem- TBR Part 2, yes this is sufficient enough.
Physics- TPR/TBR
Chem - TPR/TBR
Orgo - TPR
Psych/Soc- TPR

 

[GCSDOC]

I am in same situation as option "A." I have Kaplan Biochem, NS Biochem, and TBR Bio II. I am not a fan of TBR Bio II...its seems way too detailed and the passages are a total confidence killer.

Content- Kaplan Biochem
Discretes- NS Biochem / EK Ochem 1001 #737-1001
Passages- NS Biochem / Khan Academy

Good Luck!

 

[yestomeds]

Hey soon-to-be Dr Kobe Bryant (@drkobebryant),
Thanks. What edition of the TBR (part 2) do you prefer? I ask because I have heard that the diff editions are... different (not sure if this is the case).
You think that TBR part 2 for biochem is sufficient for the normal/average science student... OR for the one who hasn't yet taken biochem?

Btw, how come you're not using TBR for bio/physiology? (I notice you are using it for a # of other subjects).

 

[yestomeds]

I am not a fan of TBR Bio II...its seems way too detailed and the passages are a total confidence killer.

Hey @GCSDOC, thanks. Do you think it's a confidence killer because you're not familiar with the subject yet? (i.e. "most" students studying for the MCAT would have had biochem under their belts, so TBR is "supposed" to be helpful (I think?) Do you think you'd A) like to "work up" to the level of TBR, or B) do you just think that the material or style isn't good).

Hm sorry, what does NS stand for again?

Did you ever study biochem? Do you think the content review in a book (you listed Kaplan) is good enough, or do you end up youtubing stuff, to supplement or w/e? I'm scared of delving into a book and realizing I don't know anything, i.e. ending up wasting time when I wanted to save time to begin with. Thanks!!

 

[GCSDOC]

I am doing the Kaplan Biochemistry Foundations course and think it is worth it. I never took biochem so felt I needed something more than just reading. It is nice b/c it reinforces exactly what I am reading since it is sequential with the book. I have also found doing the discretes in the Biochem Khan videos to be helpful for application along with NextStep (NS) Test Prep discretes in their Bio/Biochem content book. The EK Ochem 1001 discretes are also very helpful.

As far as TBR Bio II, I think it is overwhelming for a student who is fairly new to the subject due to not yet knowing what is important or not...for students who took Biochem before, I could see it being a great set of practice passages for them. Also, consider that TBR Bio book was not remade for the new mcat, so who knows if there is extra/less information than what is mentioned on the aamc outline.

 

[Gutsy]

I am doing the Kaplan Biochemistry Foundations course and think it is worth it. I never took biochem so felt I needed something more than just reading. It is nice b/c it reinforces exactly what I am reading since it is sequential with the book. I have also found doing the discretes in the Biochem Khan videos to be helpful for application along with NextStep (NS) Test Prep discretes in their Bio/Biochem content book. The EK Ochem 1001 discretes are also very helpful.

As far as TBR Bio II, I think it is overwhelming for a student who is fairly new to the subject due to not yet knowing what is important or not...for students who took Biochem before, I could see it being a great set of practice passages for them. Also, consider that TBR Bio book was not remade for the new mcat, so who knows if there is extra/less information than what is mentioned on the aamc outline.

I've started to do Kaplan Biochemistry foundation course but it is pre-recorded and didn't like the fact that it wasn't very interactive. Was this your case too? But did you find that the course was helpful for the real exam? I haven't taken biochem yet and was wondering what you thought the most helpful source was now that you have taken the exam? I feel like I'm being bogged down in details for TBR but also was wondering if Kaplan biochem course is sufficient? Lastly, how much details should I know for the metabolism processes (i.e. should I memorize all the enzymes in glycolysis, krebs, pentose phosphate pathway, etc.)? Sorry for so many questions and thank you in advance for your help!

 

[GCSDOC]

Hi, yes I too found it not to be very interactive. It was somewhat helpful to lay a base foundation but overall I would not redo it or recommend it. The only way I found to learn this new Biochem material was by practicing discretes and normal difficulty level passages. TBR still seems like too much detail based on what I saw on my real exam. I also do not think knowing all the details of the metabolic processes would be all that helpful. This test comes down largely to your ability to do reading comprehension and answer questions while staying in scope. Based on what I am seeing, I think a good way to judge your score is by taking a look at your CARS scores and bumping each section up a few points from that CARS number.

 

[vivatix]

I took biochemistry years ago (non trad) and don't remember much. I read through the Kaplan biochemistry book (it only has the very basics) and watched all of Khan's videos. I think this was a good way for me to refresh and relearn all the basics. Since I heard that the test is biochem heavy, I am now going through TBR II as a review and doing their practice passages. I also have a biochemistry textbook to go over any hard concepts and address weaknesses.

 

[Gutsy]

Hi, yes I too found it not to be very interactive. It was somewhat helpful to lay a base foundation but overall I would not redo it or recommend it. The only way I found to learn this new Biochem material was by practicing discretes and normal difficulty level passages. TBR still seems like too much detail based on what I saw on my real exam. I also do not think knowing all the details of the metabolic processes would be all that helpful. This test comes down largely to your ability to do reading comprehension and answer questions while staying in scope. Based on what I am seeing, I think a good way to judge your score is by taking a look at your CARS scores and bumping each section up a few points from that CARS number.

Thank you for your response! A quick follow up question, what material did you think was closest to the exam? Did you feel that it was very experimental?