MCAT 2015 (Students Only Please)

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Swagster

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I want to start a thread that is for replies from students preparing for the 2015 MCAT. I don't want to cause any friction, but it would be nice to have a thread with comments and answers only from people studying. For instance, it would be helpful to get feedback on the Kahn Academy videos without a company rep coming in and influencing the comments. I'm not saying some of the commercial comments aren't helpful, but there should be one thread free from the replies of people here to promote products. IMO, I think some of the information floating around about MCAT 2015 is off target. Not on purpose, but the poster is basing it on what AAMC says in one place which is different than what they say elsewhere. They are also taking it as gospel, and for anyone who has taken the test before, you know that AAMC information is a general guideline not meant to be taken precisely. I'll comment on an example later.

The AAMC book has been a great resource (best one out there by far), but as mentioned there are places that contradict. For instance, based on the questions they've released, there is much more organic chemistry on their sample questions (exams) than they claim in the reading. There are also questions on subjects that are not on their master topic list. There was one particular predict the product question on a subject that was definitely not on their list. There was more memorization questions than I expected in the three science sections. From what I've gleaned, here is how you have to approach studying for this exam.

Chemistry/Physics of Biology Fundamentals
There is more biology than I expected, especially biochemistry. There is much more organic chemistry here than 20%. Pure memorization of physics and chemistry will not be helpful. To prepare, you need to know your basic concepts in physics, general chemistry, and orgo and use them on questions. You also need to recognize common biology jargon and be familiar with experiments and common reagents. The trickiest part is that many questions require applying physics or chemistry to background biology knowledge. For instance, knowing the concepts of fluid flow will help explain issues with excess LDL in the blood. I feel that the materials used for the old MCAT will be good here as long as they focus on test strategies and explain the logic behind answers. I'd use the same books SN2ed and pretty much everyone else recommends for the physics, chemistry, and orgo. They have several examples that mix topics and apply basic principles to other areas, which is exactly what you need.

CARS
Maybe it's just me but this section feels just like verbal reasoning felt. There are now questions with Roman numerals, but other than that it felt like the same stuff as always. It's not as rushed as the old verbal section, so if you struggled to finish the old exam on time, you won't have that problem this exam. I get the feeling they are going to focus on different topics than before, ones that involve more logic than general information, but those types of passages are the better ones anyway. I'd use the same books SN2ed and pretty much everyone else recommends for the verbal reasoning. It doesn't seem like newer books will have any advantage over the older ones.

Psychology and Behavior
I think they are still trying to decide if this is going to be a biology section with experiments and scientific reasoning or if it's going to be more like the CARS section where you have to relate to the author's perspective to answer the questions. Some passages felt drastically different from one another. What surprised me most was that with one psychology class a million years ago, I felt like I was able to get what I needed out of the passages and do okay. There are things I didn't know, but not enough to warrant taking a psychology class. This may be because that is how I do old verbal passages, and many of these felt like the older verbal passages. To get ready for this section, reading anything more than 50 pages on test strategies would be waste. This section can be mastered through practice. I'd review the Khan Academy videos made for this section and get a commercial book of passages from a proven source (someone who was good in verbal reasoning).

Biochemistry and Biology
Holy #@$&!!!! This was much more in depth than I was expecting. Way more!!! In the past, you could get plenty out of the passage. Now you have to know more information coming into the test. I remember vividly thinking a certain prep book was over the top for the old exam. It had good passages, but focused too much on background information. Well how I felt on their passages is how I felt on the MCAT 2015 passages. You have to get your information down. You have to be familiar with different experiments. You have to know the role of specific molecules in pathways and procedures. Knowing everything is unrealistic, but getting close is going to be the secret to success. In this section, I'd get the thickest book I could find and relearn everything. I'd do every passage I could from every source that I could. Biology and biochemistry are everywhere on this exam.

Practice Exams
With AAMC having only one available, this is going to be very tricky. There are commercial companies that had exams for the old MCAT, and it looks like their new exams are going to be more important than before. At least until AAMC makes more exams. I'd get three FL CBTs from each of the three major companies to expose myself to different styles. With the AMC exam, that's ten total. You don't need to take all of them under timed conditions if you feel you've mastered the timing and have the stamina.

Please fill this thread with your experiences, good or bad, with the new materials. Let's make a 2015 MCAT thread as helpful as SN2ed's thread.

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Before you go on insulting the infamous "company rep" 2015 thread, why don't you make a general 3-month schedule yourself and post it here for "students" to take advice from?
Just because someone is a company rep and posting on SDN forums for the 2015 exam does not mean they are an influence-peddler and attempting to promote their materials. @Next Step Tutor, @BerkReviewTeach often suggest practice materials that they themselves are not affiliated with. Obv SDN mods have monitored them and 90% of their threads are nothing but helpful suggestions, advice, etc. for people preparing for the MCAT.

With regards to your comments about your experience on the AAMC 2015 Guide, you should know when AAMC says approx 20% Ochem will be tested, they mean statistically, on all the exams they will administer, 20% OChem can be expected. It is not unexpected that you find one particular exam in a testing season to have more OChem than usual. You need to prepare for everything on the content list they have provided and you can expect really any proportion/percentage of the test to be a certain content topic. You better hope you have enough practice to nail it either way. This is basic common sense regarding standardized testing.

One thing I would agree with you is that the Bio/Biochem competencies are now the backbone of all the science sections. Instead of traditional physics on the current exam, 2015 exams will present Biophysics or a physics passage with bio/biochem correlates. Frankly, I think this would appeal to a lot of people who are always complaining that they have to learn trivial physics that will never be used in med school, etc etc.

There are roman numeral questions on the current VR as well. Also, STEM passages are deemphasized from CARS for the 2015 exam. You might be right that the newer CARS books might be somewhat irrelevant. But then again, CARS will pull more passages from social sciences, epidemiology, etc. so make sure you are familiar with that content.

With respect to your final comment about Bio/Biochem section, I vehemently disagree with you that all you need is dependency on background, rote memorization to be successful on the 2015 MCAT. When I was preparing myself for the Nov 7 MCAT, I did the released 2015 full length as well as the Official Guide questions. I was still able to extract info out of the passage and I still don't think it is vastly different from the current BS section. All you really need now is biochem content knowledge for passages/discretes. But again, yes the research passages might throw you off-balance, but when you really learn testing strategy to approach these passages, you will quickly find that the new BS section is composed of all basic concepts that are glorified, decorated, and colored under the guise of experimental data and hypothesis testing. Btw, this is the premise for the current BS section as well.

I know I am not a 2015 tester but I still think people are way too melodramatic when it comes to preparing for the 2015 version of the MCAT. Don't treat yourself as guinea pigs under the mercy of an unknown AAMC curve. Realize that the scale will most likely be based on past percentiles and statistical data they have accumulated for the current version of the MCAT. Only the scoring is different. Also, don't go into the exam thinking that there will be miraculously be a generous curve where everyone gets a 510 because they are the first ones to take the test. This is again highly unlikely because AAMC will rely on past statistical data to formulate a curve. ALSO, don't go into the exam thinking that the test will eat you alive like a blackhole feasting on cosmic objects....

Prepare to the BEST of your abilities, TRUST yourself!!! Self-confidence is key!!!!

All the best,
 
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I knew when I typed the word "products", it came across the wrong way. I agree many posts are quite helpful. But it would be nice if there was a thread from strictly the perspective of people going through the stress and anxiety of studying. A student using a given resource will have a different perspective than a tutor or teacher. I'm hoping this would evolve into a candid description of the materials for the 2015 MCAT. Right now that feedback is scattered about and like it or not, influenced by the comments of people not studying for the MCAT.

One thread to see what others felt using different materials would be helpful.
 
Now you have to know more information coming into the test. I remember vividly thinking a certain prep book was over the top for the old exam. It had good passages, but focused too much on background information. Well how I felt on their passages is how I felt on the MCAT 2015 passages.

Are you referring to TBR Bio?
 
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Has anybody tried the EK CARS (reasoning skills) book? I hate that EK is the only prep product that doesn't have the "look inside" feature on amazon.Also, besides using EK 101, TPR verbal, and AAMC materials what other verbal books do you suggest. I was thinking of buying the NS strategy & practice series that includes a CARS book. What do ya'll think?
 
here's what I posted on another forum; hope it helps:

I ended up buying the 2015 EK and decided to supplement it w/ 2013 TBR. In addition I'm using Kahn Academy, and all AAMC materials. Been studying a little, and I find that although EK is condensed, which is awesome, condensed might exhibit a loss of impt info needed. For example, I was reading my EK molecular chapt, and they listed the 20 amino acids, however, EK was stating that you should just memorize the gen amino acid structure, and not worry about the 20 R groups. My BR molecular ch (2013 ed) is suggesting to memorize all 20 R groups and their properties (polar, non polar, etc.). In addition, I was answering some quest on Kahn Academy a little while ago, and I remember that I answered one of the questions wrong b/c I did not know the specific R group of the specific AA. On the other hand the same EK ch was going over "uncompetitive Inhibitors" (not the same as noncompetitive), and TBR ch did not cover that inhibitor. In summation, I think EK is great b/c it is condensed, they do have great mnemonics and tips, they are covering the subject matter for new MCAT, and they provide practice ques and 30 min tests for each chapter, however, I feel that there is some impt info that is not being highlighted due to the condensing. I would suggest that if you buy EK, which I do not regret doing at all, I do feel that you should supplement it w/ some other in depth material, like maybe your textbooks if you still got them. I also think that this is the problem that we all are going to run into w/ any of the new 2015 prep materials, so basically just find a way to cover your behind for the exam. hope this helps. =)
 
I am planning to use the old AAMC SAP package that they have repurposed for the new Q packs. I started a thread to find out which of the old SAP passages made it into the new packs.
 
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