Preparing for the MCAT....help!!

[V_K]

Hello All,

I am a pre-medical student, preparing to take my MCAT, and have a question for those of you who have already taken the MCAT regarding the specificity of the content.
I have taken about all of the recommended courses for the MCAT ; all of the prerequisites, as well as biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, and am going to take genetics this fall. That being said, I believe that I have already covered everything that would be tested, as far as I know. However, the question I have is if the MCAT focuses on the details you would not necessarily find in an MCAT prep book.

I was looking over the section outlines provided by AAMC, and although they are brief, I obviously need to know at least the basics for all of the outlined topics. So this is where I became stuck...
For the biological sciences, the first part mentions enzymes, and the need to understand structure, function, substrates and specificity, as well as inhibition. What I find in an MCAT prep book is an extremely watered down section of my biochemistry textbook, and of course we all know that these prep books cannot go into as much detail as a textbook. The prep book, Princeton review MCAT biology does cover those concepts about enzymes, but it does not go beyond, and my textbook goes into more detail...

The issue I have is that I am so accustomed to studying my textbooks and paying attention to details that I almost feel empty looking at these prep books, although I must say that the Berkeley Review books are detailed.
I just do not know if I am studying the correct way, I may be spending too much time worrying about the details and not practicing enough. I feel the need to open up my textbooks.

As any other pre-med student, I truly want to be accepted into a school of my choice, and scoring well on the MCAT would better my chances.

If anyone could help me figure out a way to resolve this issue, or give me some advice, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks

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[itsthat1guy]

Hello All,

I am a pre-medical student, preparing to take my MCAT, and have a question for those of you who have already taken the MCAT regarding the specificity of the content.
I have taken about all of the recommended courses for the MCAT ; all of the prerequisites, as well as biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, and am going to take genetics this fall. That being said, I believe that I have already covered everything that would be tested, as far as I know. However, the question I have is if the MCAT focuses on the details you would not necessarily find in an MCAT prep book.

I was looking over the section outlines provided by AAMC, and although they are brief, I obviously need to know at least the basics for all of the outlined topics. So this is where I became stuck...
For the biological sciences, the first part mentions enzymes, and the need to understand structure, function, substrates and specificity, as well as inhibition. What I find in an MCAT prep book is an extremely watered down section of my biochemistry textbook, and of course we all know that these prep books cannot go into as much detail as a textbook. The prep book, Princeton review MCAT biology does cover those concepts about enzymes, but it does not go beyond, and my textbook goes into more detail...

The issue I have is that I am so accustomed to studying my textbooks and paying attention to details that I almost feel empty looking at these prep books, although I must say that the Berkeley Review books are detailed.
I just do not know if I am studying the correct way, I may be spending too much time worrying about the details and not practicing enough. I feel the need to open up my textbooks.

As any other pre-med student, I truly want to be accepted into a school of my choice, and scoring well on the MCAT would better my chances.

If anyone could help me figure out a way to resolve this issue, or give me some advice, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks

Use The Berkeley Review if you want detail, especially for biology. I used Princeton for review and then TBR if I felt that a topic wasn't discussed thoroughly in TPR (e.g. biochemistry-I don't believe TPR talked about different types of inhibition).

 

[V_K]

Use The Berkeley Review if you want detail, especially for biology. I used Princeton for review and then TBR if I felt that a topic wasn't discussed thoroughly in TPR (e.g. biochemistry-I don't believe TPR talked about different types of inhibition).

Thank you for your reply! That's definitely a good idea, I'm just so used to these textbooks and having to study all the details for my exams, so I don't want to miss any important points...although the MCAT itself is not just knowledge and lots and lots of critical thinking from what I have been told

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

There is no way to necessarily cover everything you would possibly need to know on the MCAT. It is not necessarily content driven, it is more critical thinking driven. So with that in mind the absolute most sure fire way to do well is to take as many practice passages as you possibly can. You cant memorize everything that would be on the test - this isnt a college test. Your job is to be able to solve pretty much any problem that comes in front of you through critical thinking. Your review of the material should essentially be by going over your answers when you are done your passages. So for instance - taking a passage that is on some kidney physiology and then referring back to your notes on kidney stuff will be SIGNIFICANTLY more advantageous than just reading a dense chapter on all the details on kidney physiology stuff.

So here is what you do. Get a hold of the Examkrackers verbal passages and textbook. They have a good verbal technique and have good practice problems,
Get yourself princeton review for pretty much everything else. They are not as watered down as Kaplan, yet they are not as deep as Berkeley. They have a nice middle ground for review...

Do as many practice passages under timed conditions as you possibly can. About a month before start moving over to doing the AAMC practice tests. These are the most indicative of how you will actually do on the real deal.

However, some stuff to memorize is definitely the hormones (where they come from, where they are going, what they do). Physics and chem equations. Some basic anatomy and physiology. Thats about all that was useful for me. I had a couple super easy questions because I had the hormones memorized. Also learn how to do log math in your head (exponents and such).

 

[V_K]

There is no way to necessarily cover everything you would possibly need to know on the MCAT. It is not necessarily content driven, it is more critical thinking driven. So with that in mind the absolute most sure fire way to do well is to take as many practice passages as you possibly can. You cant memorize everything that would be on the test - this isnt a college test. Your job is to be able to solve pretty much any problem that comes in front of you through critical thinking. Your review of the material should essentially be by going over your answers when you are done your passages. So for instance - taking a passage that is on some kidney physiology and then referring back to your notes on kidney stuff will be SIGNIFICANTLY more advantageous than just reading a dense chapter on all the details on kidney physiology stuff.

So here is what you do. Get a hold of the Examkrackers verbal passages and textbook. They have a good verbal technique and have good practice problems,
Get yourself princeton review for pretty much everything else. They are not as watered down as Kaplan, yet they are not as deep as Berkeley. They have a nice middle ground for review...

Do as many practice passages under timed conditions as you possibly can. About a month before start moving over to doing the AAMC practice tests. These are the most indicative of how you will actually do on the real deal.

However, some stuff to memorize is definitely the hormones (where they come from, where they are going, what they do). Physics and chem equations. Some basic anatomy and physiology. Thats about all that was useful for me. I had a couple super easy questions because I had the hormones memorized. Also learn how to do log math in your head (exponents and such).

Thank you, that was great advice, I understand that the MCAT is more critical thinking than just content, and so your heads up for what to memorize is helpful...I guess that in the case of this exam problem solving would be more beneficial than spending a majority of time reading...practice makes perfect

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

Thank you, that was great advice, I understand that the MCAT is more critical thinking than just content, and so your heads up for what to memorize is helpful...I guess that in the case of this exam problem solving would be more beneficial than spending a majority of time reading...practice makes perfect

Exactly... how I did it was I spent 14 weeks at 40 hours a week. This was way too much to be honest... what you want is about 10 weeks +/- 2 weeks depending on how awesome you are haha. I spent the first half just doing review. I read the EK and princeton books (and some Berkeley) front to cover. Then I went and hit some problems, with the majority of my practice being the actual AAMCs.

Basically the entire set up was wrong. I guarantee I couldve gotten even up to 4 points higher if I had focused MAINLY on doing problems. What I shouldve done is spent the first half doing practice passages under timed conditions (75% of my time on passages, 25% of my time reviewing my answers and refreshing on certain topics). Then spend the second half on the AAMCs and really nailing home any topics that are still fuzzy. The test is all about problems and not content so like you said, practice makes perfect. The practice will make you comfortable with all of the various topics that could possibly be covered (if you do enough problems) and almost more importantly, it will get your speed down. I know a lot of people who couldnt even finish entire sections (especially verbal), so practice is the best way to do it.

But yea for content: Kaplan and Examkrackers are the easiest/least amount of info, Princeton is middle ground, Berkeley is the most informative and dense but should only really be used if you have already pretty much mastered the topics. However, berkeley has awesome problems - very very challenging, which will make the actual MCAT seem easier. I would say the actual MCAT was only slightly harder than princeton's passages. And by harder, it was more that they would mix topics together. For instance you wouldnt just get a physiology passage (like you would when you practiced), you would get a passage that mixed physiology and genetics stuff together, which is really weird and never really shows up in practice.

Essentially all details that you are worried about are more or less replaced by critical thinking. The prep books seem watered down because in fact they are! The reality is that the material is not that hard on the MCAT, its that they present it in such a fashion that you have to be able to solve problems that are analogous to the stuff in the prep books, its confusing.

But you live and you learn... I will use my method for board exams in med school haha, but at least I can pass some advice on to you.

 

[V_K]

Okay, so this is where you tell me that I have absolutely lost my marbles...my MCAT is in January. But I believe I have a legitimate reason as to why I'm beginning to prepare for it now--I'm taking 6 classes next semester, four of which are pathophysiology, genetics, zoology and microbiology lab. I wanted to take advantage of this last month before my semester begins to make sure that I recap information from classes I took freshman and sophomore year so that I do not have to do that while I'm studying for my classes in school, and so that I don't have to freak out during the semester...yeah, it's an absurd amount of time to be "studying" for the MCAT...I just don't want to fall behind because I feel like I'm involved in so much, I wouldn't want to do poorly in my classes and on my MCAT

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

Okay, so this is where you tell me that I have absolutely lost my marbles...my MCAT is in January. But I believe I have a legitimate reason as to why I'm beginning to prepare for it now--I'm taking 6 classes next semester, four of which are pathophysiology, genetics, zoology and microbiology lab. I wanted to take advantage of this last month before my semester begins to make sure that I recap information from classes I took freshman and sophomore year so that I do not have to do that while I'm studying for my classes in school, and so that I don't have to freak out during the semester...yeah, it's an absurd amount of time to be "studying" for the MCAT...I just don't want to fall behind because I feel like I'm involved in so much, I wouldn't want to do poorly in my classes and on my MCAT

Some people can do it, I think you are the best judge for that. In the case of managing a ton of hard classes with the MCAT, a few months would be better than a short period obviously... But again, I know I personally could not do that, my burnout rate would be very high... I ended up waiting until spring, took 1 course, worked part time and then hit the MCAT 40-50 hours a week for essentially the entire spring semester. I felt like overall it was a good choice. It meant that I had to take a gap year (just with how the rest of my app came together), but in the end things are working out well.

I have had a couple friends who balanced a ton with it and ended up not being successful on it. I have a couple friends that took time specifically to dedicate to it and did well. There are absolutely people that diverge from either of those routes. I am sure there are people out there that can just balance a whole ton and still do really well, you might be one of them. Who knows...

I understand that the new MCAT is really forcing people in a corner though. For what its worth, I think it would not be too bad - the bar would be reset a little bit. But I can understand the desire to not go the "unknown" route.

 

[Annabell Lee]

There is no way to necessarily cover everything you would possibly need to know on the MCAT. It is not necessarily content driven, it is more critical thinking driven.

I've really noticed this from the practice questions I've looked at. I haven't started undergrad yet, but got one of the free iphone apps with practice questions just so I could get a feel for the subject matter and question formats. I was surprised by how many questions I could get right just using the basic concepts I learned in nursing school and thinking through the problems. (I'm not getting that many right, but considering I haven't had any of the prerequisites I'm surprised I'm getting any right.)

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

I've really noticed this from the practice questions I've looked at. I haven't started undergrad yet, but got one of the free iphone apps with practice questions just so I could get a feel for the subject matter and question formats. I was surprised by how many questions I could get right just using the basic concepts I learned in nursing school and thinking through the problems. (I'm not getting that many right, but considering I haven't had any of the prerequisites I'm surprised I'm getting any right.)

Sure, there you go. I mean obviously people need a baseline knowledge to do well. But again, its not a content exam like a college or high school test. It is a test for how well you can solve problems.

Even having read all those books front to cover, and doing pretty well in my undergrad science degree. There was definitely stuff that came up on the MCAT that I had never seen or thought about before. But because I had practiced some I was able to, at the very least, go through the process of how to solve an MCAT style problem. Heck I remember my very first physics problem that came up on my MCAT. It was horrifyingly scary, but I think I ended up doing ok on it, I just plugged in some stuff that I knew and then removed the answers that seemed like they fit the least. I got a very similar score on my actual MCAT as in my practice tests.

 

[V_K]

Some people can do it, I think you are the best judge for that. In the case of managing a ton of hard classes with the MCAT, a few months would be better than a short period obviously... But again, I know I personally could not do that, my burnout rate would be very high... I ended up waiting until spring, took 1 course, worked part time and then hit the MCAT 40-50 hours a week for essentially the entire spring semester. I felt like overall it was a good choice. It meant that I had to take a gap year (just with how the rest of my app came together), but in the end things are working out well.

I have had a couple friends who balanced a ton with it and ended up not being successful on it. I have a couple friends that took time specifically to dedicate to it and did well. There are absolutely people that diverge from either of those routes. I am sure there are people out there that can just balance a whole ton and still do really well, you might be one of them. Who knows...

I understand that the new MCAT is really forcing people in a corner though. For what its worth, I think it would not be too bad - the bar would be reset a little bit. But I can understand the desire to not go the "unknown" route.

I am taking a gap year, and although I have taken the sociology/psychology/biochemistry the 2015 MCAT covers, I definitely want to stick to the old format

I think that I can manage with all my classes and the MCAT, I guess I'll just have to see how everything plays out.

Thank you for all of your suggestions

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

Sure thing, hit me up any time you need anything. Good luck!

 

[V_K]

Sure thing, hit me up any time you need anything. Good luck!

Will do!!! Thanks