Memorizing the AAMC BS Content Outline = Good content review?

[Jumb0]

So what I have done is taken the "Content Outline for Biological Science Section of the MCAT" from the AAMC website, deleted the organic chemistry section, and filled in the entire outline with detailed explanations of each topic as best as I could. It took me approximately 24 hours of cumulative reading and writing time, and it is 40 pages long. I'm hoping I can read through this once a day in order to master content review.

I know people say "PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE" when it comes to studying for the MCAT, but, while I think that is mostly valid for the PS section, I actually think content review is king when it comes to BS. This is why I made this massive content outline; I would never forgive myself if I got something wrong simply because I didn't memorize the explicitly outlined minutiae of biology.

Am I crazy for doing this? Has anyone else done something like this? Thoughts?

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[Gauss44]

Response to title: IMO, if you were to, 1. go to AAMC's outline, 2. pick a topic, 3. study it, 4. go to the next topic, etc., you would put yourself at risk for doing overkill or way too much work, in too much depth and detail to be efficient. I would recommend starting out with Examkrackers and making sure you actually KNOW and understand EVERYTHING if you want a >12 score, or "pretty much" everything for 9-11. Keep track of any topic that Examkrackers doesn't explain well enough, and if time permits, go back to that at the end. First time through, make sure you learn everything that they fully explain. That, IMO, is the most efficient and effective way to go. Good luck!

 

[orangetea]

i would have to disagree with above.. on my exam I got mad at myself for not going through the outline.. AAMC does a great job of nit picking RANDOM topics that are not necessarily in prep books and using it as a discrete or creating an entire passage from it.. I would go through the outline and do exactly as you have said.. maybe people are different test takers but IMO I feel less anxious about BS the more I know about a certain topic.

 

[texan2414]

Gauss hit the nail on the head!!

This is how everyone should prepare for the MCAT. No more no less.

 

[texan2414]

i would have to disagree with above.. on my exam I got mad at myself for not going through the outline.. AAMC does a great job of nit picking RANDOM topics that are not necessarily in prep books and using it as a discrete or creating an entire passage from it.. I would go through the outline and do exactly as you have said.. maybe people are different test takers but IMO I feel less anxious about BS the more I know about a certain topic.

That is not a bad idea, however, you should strive to get 12+ on Bio and it requires memorization of minutia. Like a discrete question asking the function of acinar cells in pancreas could help you get an extra point to push you from a 11 to a 12 or 12 to a 13 and vice versa.

 

[Shirafune]

The bulk of the questions on BS will test your ability to synthesize a logical answer given your prior content knowledge and the information and data presented in the passage. That being said, having minimal practice in this regard will really screw you over. From personal experience, memorizing every detail, or even 90%+, of the minutia would be overkill. A 13/14 in PS requires solid knowledge of equations, calculations, force diagrams, and overall content, more the former than the latter, for that matter.

A 13/14 in BS is without a doubt heavily geared to digging out information from a passage that best supports a singular answer. This is indeed possible without memorizing minute details, though you will inevitably get discretes wrong. If you are looking for an efficient way to study for this section, get the basics down for each topic, but no more, and do a practice test. I have found that doing undergraduate research and having the ability to interpret journal articles' data alongside the hypothesis and speculation they have written about is great practice. If you already have this experience, then simply take an AAMC practice test. Your score will dictate what you need to work on: application or content.

 

[justadream]

The usefulness of the "outline" technique really depends on how far in depth you are taking each topic.

I think a better approach is to just use a prep book (EK, TPR, TBR) and then go back to the outline at the end and fill in any gaps you haven't covered. I did this and rarely miss any questions for lack of knowledge. I miss questions because of misapplication of concepts, not reading the passage, and/or careless mistakes.

 

[Jumb0]

Thanks for the input, y'all.

I just want to clarify that I HAVE read the entire EK Biology book and done a bunch of practice biology passages. That was the "bulk" of my preparation. I feel that I am already able to score a 10/11 relatively easily on any given full length biology section at this point. The reason I decided to make this master topic outline is to push me up to the 12/13 range. I figured I already have a solid foundation, so I might as well take some time to completely master all of the possible minutia they could ever throw at me...well, more like 90-95% of it.

I know that reading comprehension is my strong suite going into this exam (I consistently score 12 on VR), so I have no doubt in my ability to extract pertinent information from the BS passages. This is why I think I could gain a lot from focusing on content.

 

[math737]

nice jumbo your well on your way to a higher score.