Have I taken enough classes for the MCAT?

[Sherlock555]

I'm a non-trad working professional thinking about trying to go back to school for medicine. Before I make the investment in time and money (not to mention possibly quitting my job) to pursue the rest of the prerequisites/shadowing activities for medical school, I would really prefer to take the MCAT to see if I could score competitively or not. Below are the science classes I have taken and that I recall well from my college days. Would these classes plus a professional MCAT course (a few months long + a few more months of studying afterwards) be sufficient for the exam? Or am I missing important science courses for the MCAT? Thanks!

General Biology 1 and 2
Physics 1
General Chemistry 1 and 2
Organic Chemistry 1 and 2
Cell Biology
Calculus

Classes I would still try to take before applying, but preferably after the MCAT are below. These are heavy loads and I would be willing to make the life adjustments necessary to pursue them if I can score competitively on the MCAT.

Biochemistry
Physics II
Genetics
Microbiology
Anatomy and Physiology 1 and 2
Statistics

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[deleted872555]

biochem is the most emphasized subject on the MCAT, as it shows up in two sections (C/P and B/B). i advise forsure take biochem before the MCAT.
also recommend physics 2 and genetics.

not much anatomy on there, but definitely physiology. however, you can self-learn physiology!
you won’t need to take stats before the MCAT besides brushing up on basic fundamentals (mean, mode, median, p-values, confidence intervals).

i advise going through https://aklectures.com/
this guy is a genius and has lectures covering most, if not all, MCAT topics.

good luck!

 

[GreenDuck12]

You should reconsider taking the MCAT before completing two prerequisite courses. Biochemistry is the single most important class for the MCAT with content and concepts that span three of the four sections of the MCAT. The risks of doing poorly simply outweigh the potential benefits. Bear in mind that the median MCAT score for accepted applicants is a 511.3 which is roughly the 83rd percentile. Scoring above average simply isn’t enough.

 

[JimKimSlim]

No psychology or sociology? You do not need to take those classes to do well on the MCAT, but I found them useful for my preparation.

 

[Kayak_Croc]

I think biochem and physiology are worth it. Physics 2 is a plus but whatever. The others are low priority. I'd say take a practice test (there are free diagnostic ones or Magoosh has cheap options) and see how it goes. Nothing to lose other than a Saturday. Just remember they deflate scores some, so you know it even a little better than they say!

 

[Princeton Medical Student]

Biochem will be the biggest weakness. Everything else matters far less.