Getting Destroyed on BR Metabolic Pathways. What am I doing wrong?

[manohman]

I know Berkley Review is more challenging than other MCAT Prep but challenging in a "this is more realistic" sort of way.

I'm doing the Metabolic Pathways chapter in Berkley Review and consistently getting destroyed. 2-3 wrong per passage. Just got almost all of the questions wrong for the Urea Cycle passage.

Im wondering now what I should do. Iv read the relevant EK sections, and did fine on their in class test. Should I go over the BR content?

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[sillyjoe]

I know Berkley Review is more challenging than other MCAT Prep but challenging in a "this is more realistic" sort of way.

I'm doing the Metabolic Pathways chapter in Berkley Review and consistently getting destroyed. 2-3 wrong per passage. Just got almost all of the questions wrong for the Urea Cycle passage.

Im wondering now what I should do. Iv read the relevant EK sections, and did fine on their in class test. Should I go over the BR content?

Don't worry too much. Learn from your mistakes and that's it. You will perform much better on the real deal than on TBR Bio. That doesn't negate TBR bio being AWESOME to prep you.

 

[manohman]

Don't worry too much. Learn from your mistakes and that's it. You will perform much better on the real deal than on TBR Bio. That doesn't negate TBR bio being AWESOME to prep you.

Thanks. I'm trying to get what I can out of the passages, but Im finding I Just dont know the content well enough to answer the questions. So im wondering if it's because this chapteri s particularly content specific in their passages or whether I should brush up on my biochem.

 

[sillyjoe]

Thanks. I'm trying to get what I can out of the passages, but Im finding I Just dont know the content well enough to answer the questions. So im wondering if it's because this chapteri s particularly content specific in their passages or whether I should brush up on my biochem.

If it is content specific to the Urea cycle, then no.

 

[IslandStyle808]

I really think TBR is overkill. I mean the Urea cycle... really? This is something I would expect to learning in medical school not the MCAT. If you think it will help you with content mastery, then sure. However, I don't think you should place too much emphasis on scores in this area.

 

[manohman]

Okay. Thanks. Urea cycle may be an extreme example. THere are other passages on Citric Acid Cycle and the like, pathways which we know, but I dont know every step and knowing would have helped answer the question.

but general consensus seems to be that its overkill, at least on metabolism? (hopefulyl? LOL)

 

[IslandStyle808]

Yeah it seem that way. I mean I have never seen the Pentose Phosphate Pathway as a passage on any of the MCATs I have taken. If they even give such a passage, I am sure that most of the answer could be found within it.

I have a biology degree and a molecular biology masters and have found it helpful for having the background knowledge that was greater than what was needed for the MCAT. The background knowledge will help prevent you from making off tangent choices and also helps with deduction of answer choices. However, in the end, a good portion of the answers can be derived from the passage.

I have done the AAMC official guide to the MCAT passages and nearly 50% of the answers can be found in the passage. Another 25% is also derived from the passage but you still need an extremely good understand of basic background knowledge (nothing advanced). Then there is that 25% that is purely knowledge based.

 

[golfman7]

I would use TPR science workbook for bio passage practice as well. I thought they prepared me very well for the mcat and are pretty representative of the current format.