How much biochem do I need to know for MCAT without taking the class?

[NP545]

I've decided to self study biochem through videos and reading material.

So far, I've become proficient in the amino acids, enzyme mechanisms, protein structures, glycolosis, Krebs cycle, ETC, michealis-menton, competitive/uncompet/noncompet, Lineweaver Burke
(Pretty much everything they learn in my university's Biochem introductory class)

What else should I familiarize myself with to be able to do well on the biochem parts of the MCAT?
I didn't take a formal course but taught myself these concepts through other resources.

Would the same material that I learned work equally well with the 2015 MCAT?

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[Lucca]

I don't know about the current MCAT since I am certainly not taking it but the 2015 MCAT will be about 15-20% Biochemistry so a course would be strongly recommended in order to make sure you really know your Biochem.

 

[mehc012]

Honestly, having taken the trial section and gotten all Biochem, it seemed more 'can you read about this biochem experiment and explain the results' rather than 'do you know biochem'. But hey, maybe that's a skewed sample, or perhaps my biochem background helped more than I would have thought.

 

[Shirafune]

I did very well in the introductory biochem course at my school. I just took the MCAT and had a majority biochem trial section. OP, it sounds like you basically have the same knowledge as I do, but if the trial section is representative of the biochem difficulty on the 2015 MCAT, I would strongly suggest you study higher level biochem. The passages were not unfamiliar in content, but it went to a level I could not comprehend clearly enough to answer the questions.

 

[Lucca]

Honestly, having taken the trial section and gotten all Biochem, it seemed more 'can you read about this biochem experiment and explain the results' rather than 'do you know biochem'. But hey, maybe that's a skewed sample, or perhaps my biochem background helped more than I would have thought.

Wait wait wait, you mean like ACT Science section??

 

[mehc012]

Wait wait wait, you mean like ACT Science section??

No, the MCAT trial section. Mine was all biochem. It was mind-numbing, but not technically difficult.

More 'the acronyms make my eyes bleed' than 'I do not know the equation or understand the concept'.

 

[Lucca]

No, the MCAT trial section. Mine was all biochem. It was mind-numbing, but not technically difficult.

More 'the acronyms make my eyes bleed' than 'I do not know the equation or understand the concept'.

I mean to say, you made it sound like it was a glorified Science-Based Verbal section like the ACT science is.

 

[mehc012]

I mean to say, you made it sound like it was a glorified Science-Based Verbal section like the ACT science is.

Ah. Never took the ACT.

It was just...dense. I hesitate to say 'VR-like' because it was an entirely different sort of reading. It was all acronyms and gene names and phenotype names and basically a word vomit of alphabet soup. You know, like reading any biochem paper . I didn't really feel as if I needed biochem background to answer it, but I felt as if it was geared towards causing silly brainfart mistakes more than anything.

 

[Lucca]

Ah. Never took the ACT.

It was just...dense. I hesitate to say 'VR-like' because it was an entirely different sort of reading. It was all acronyms and gene names and phenotype names and basically a word vomit of alphabet soup. You know, like reading any biochem paper . I didn't really feel as if I needed biochem background to answer it, but I felt as if it was geared towards causing silly brainfart mistakes more than anything.

Yup, sounds like the ACT science section.

 

[wuhsabee]

Yup, sounds like the ACT science section.

Not sure if you're being sarcastic, because ACT science passages were insanely easy and definitely much different than MCAT passages.

 

[Lucca]

Not sure if you're being sarcastic, because ACT science passages were insanely easy and definitely much different than MCAT passages.

Difficulty isn't really what I was asking about, just about the nature. ACT Science doesn't require you to really know anything except the quintessential science concepts. I was asking to see if this new BCH section was going to be something along those lines requiring baseline BCH knowledge or something a bit more highly technical.

 

[mehc012]

MCAT biochem trial passages weren't hard, just annoying and exhausting.

 

[Aerus]

Not sure if you're being sarcastic, because ACT science passages were insanely easy and definitely much different than MCAT passages.

I'd actually say the amount of data extrapolation was about equal. The concepts obviously were easier and the types of questions didn't require as much calculations or thinking, but I wouldn't say it's insanely easy compared to the MCAT passages.

 

[wuhsabee]

I'd actually say the amount of data extrapolation was about equal. The concepts obviously were easier and the types of questions didn't require as much calculations or thinking, but I wouldn't say it's insanely easy compared to the MCAT passages.

My bad - I was basing it off on how I got a 35 on the ACT without much studying and maybe throwing in a few practice passages here and there, whereas I now have to study much, much more for the MCAT.

 

[mehc012]

I'll let you know when I get my trial section score, but MCAT biochem may be in a similar level. Then again, the fact that it's nitpicky and taken at the end of a long day may come into play

 

[Aerus]

My bad - I was basing it off on how I got a 35 on the ACT without much studying and maybe throwing in a few practice passages here and there, whereas I now have to study much, much more for the MCAT.

Oh no, I understand. I walked into the room without knowing there WAS a science section (I had already taken the SAT so I assumed it was the same and wanted to try the ACT for fun). I also scored in the 99th percentile on this section. But I'm referring more to the data extrapolation. I'm studying for the MCAT right now and I don't find the data analysis part to be different. The only difference is the amount of content you need to know and the different type of thinking involved. I can't say that one needed to be more skilled in data extrapolation on the MCAT than on the ACT science section.