The official MCAT May 20th 2016

[sofpink]

Just wondering if anyone else will be taking the MCAT on May 20 2016. I would like some support, input, and help on your MCAT strategies I am only studying 2 hours a day for the MCAT, as I am taking a full load semester. Anyone else in this track?

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[maydaymalone]

Can someone explain SB C/P #94. I chose A, still not sure why B is correct.

 

[cantstopwontstopvu17]

Just took EK 1. Not too sure how to interpret these results. Any ideas? 83/81/80/81 for a total of 81.3%. Why don't companies just give a scaled reference hahaha - it's really annoying trying to see how my scores scale hahaha.

 

[BelieveMeChile]

Just finished the C/P section of the scored and felt like it was all my weakest areas


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[Wolfpack93]

Can someone explain SB C/P #94. I chose A, still not sure why B is correct.

I hated this question too and I think I've finally figured it out so I'll try to explain but I'm not 100% sure that this explanation will make sense. So when you substitute H with R, your experiencing increased activity similar to what you see with GK-P, meaning this mutation had to make it similar in some way to GK-P. The reason why the answer isn't A (which was the answer I chose) is because Histidine is UNCHARGED at pH=7.4. I capitalized this because this is a mistake I've made way too many times and don't want to make on the real thing. The pKa of Histidine's side chain is ~6.0, meaning at a pH higher than it it would not be positively charged like arginine would. Therefore it can't be exhibiting similar interactions to arginine.

 

[Arsenalfcfan1]

Did TPR psych switch the definitions of representative and availability heuristics?

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[BelieveMeChile]

Just finished the Scored and got a 508.

Once again... Consistency is key..? What might my chances be at a 510+? Anyone know???


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[itsallgood92]

Just finished the Scored and got a 508.

Once again... Consistency is key..? What might my chances be at a 510+? Anyone know???


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what was the breakdown? The scale on the scored was pretty strict, so I would imagine there's definitely room for improvement on the real thing

 

[BelieveMeChile]

what was the breakdown? The scale on the scored was pretty strict, so I would imagine there's definitely room for improvement on the real thing

Well I take it this Saturday and school starts again tomorrow so I have 1 graveyard (about 10 hours) and whatever time I can find in between classes and work to study

127/127/128/126
My percentages were: 75%/79%/80%/71%

That P/S was brutal. I don't know how I did so bad on that, it's usually one of my better sections. I'm really proud of my C/P and B/BC scores though, having never taken ochem or biochem or physics (I know, stupid to be taking the MCAT without the pre-reqs)

I was just about to go back and delete my question about my chances because i realized how stupid it was to ask. A little quick on the draw there, itsallgood92


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[itsallgood92]

Well I take it this Saturday and school starts again tomorrow so I have 1 graveyard (about 10 hours) and whatever time I can find in between classes and work to study

127/127/128/126
My percentages were: 75%/79%/80%/71%

That P/S was brutal. I don't know how I did so bad on that, it's usually one of my better sections. I'm really proud of my C/P and B/BC scores though, having never taken ochem or biochem or physics (I know, stupid to be taking the MCAT without the pre-reqs)

I was just about to go back and delete my question about my chances because i realized how stupid it was to ask. A little quick on the draw there, itsallgood92


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I think you're pretty solid dude. I had two friends who took the scored a week out and got 506's and ended up with 510+ on the real thing. If you think about it you were literally a question away in practically each section to score the next point up. I think you're gonna do great, especially with that CARS score. I'd just chill and review the free points and make sure you're set to take the real thing!

 

[BelieveMeChile]

I think you're pretty solid dude. I had two friends who took the scored a week out and got 506's and ended up with 510+ on the real thing. If you think about it you were literally a question away in practically each section to score the next point up. I think you're gonna do great, especially with that CARS score. I'd just chill and review the free points and make sure you're set to take the real thing!

Thank god! You have no idea how relieved that makes me feel. I'm applying this cycle to DO schools and my GPA is awful, so I'm really hoping for a shining MCAT score to net me some interviews, which I think I can excel in. I've been stressing about this thing since December so I'm ready to get it done


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[Wolfpack93]

Can anyone explain why the acceleration of an object that is submerged under water doesn't depend on it's volume? The buoyant force equation is F=pVg, so wouldn't increasing volume increase force and therefore acceleration? According to the practice problems I've been doing in TBR only density matters for acceleration which makes no sense to me.

 

[maydaymalone]

wow this P/S SB is ****ing me

 

[Wolfpack93]

The amount of questions I miss because I don't read words like LEAST or DOES NOT is insane...

 

[BelieveMeChile]

The amount of questions I miss because I don't read words like LEAST or DOES NOT is insane...

Hahaha same. I'm used to finishing tests in like 10 minutes. Just blasting through them. It's hard to slow down and actually read the question sometimes.


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[Dr. Bean]

Hahaha same. I'm used to finishing tests in like 10 minutes. Just blasting through them. It's hard to slow down and actually read the question sometimes.


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Same here. Especially at the end. I am so ready to be done!

 

[BlueDevilSung]

Question/Spoiler from AAMC Official Guide Questions

- - -

On #1 of the C/P section, I'm not understanding why the answer is S. I got it right from guessing because the other three are obviously wrong, but when I number by priority on aspartic acid (NH3, COOH2, R group respectively), isn't that originally in the counterclockwise direction...? But the correct answer says it's clockwise, and then since H is on a wedge you flip it. I'm confused.

I also think I'm confused on #11 for the same reason.

Anyone do these and can help me?

 

[Gurby]

Anyone do these and can help me?

The explanation is talking about how it would work if you redrew the figure as a Fischer projection... Which would be a really pointless thing to do IMO...

You are right that as drawn in the passage, the groups go counterclockwise, and the lowest priority group is into the page so we can call it S.

 

[Formation]

When you’re reviewing the AAMC tests, do you guys know how to choose which question to go to instead of always starting from #1?

Also, does anyone else find the Solutions in AAMC materials very unhelpful? No way it’s just me.

The amount of questions I miss because I don't read words like LEAST or DOES NOT is insane...

Same, which is kind of ridiculous because three of the choices are “correct” and I should notice that.

 

[Eleithyia]

I don't think there's an option to select an individual question, but you can review correct answers or review incorrect answers instead of starting at the first one every time.
For incorrect answers, there's a button at the bottom of the screen, for correct ones, you can click on the "[X] out of [number of questions]" thing in the chart it gives you on the score report.

 

[popopopop]

Can anyone explain why the acceleration of an object that is submerged under water doesn't depend on it's volume? The buoyant force equation is F=pVg, so wouldn't increasing volume increase force and therefore acceleration? According to the practice problems I've been doing in TBR only density matters for acceleration which makes no sense to me.

Is it talking about density of water? That makes more sense. Increasing volume of water wouldn't matter if the fluid is uniform.

 

[Dr. Bean]

Did anyone else find the bio volume II question pack difficult or is it just me

 

[medbunny56]

Did anyone else find the bio volume II question pack difficult or is it just me

Yeah I agree, I scored a 67% on bio 1 and a 61% on bio 2...how r u doing on them?

 

[Wolfpack93]

So there was a question on NS4 that was basically a correlation vs. causation question. I thought that if you preformed an experiment you could state causation but if it's an observation you can't, at least that's what I got from the P/S section bank. I guess I'm just confused about if your running an experiment with the necessary controls, when can you determine causation and when can you not?

 

[viks31]

So there was a question on NS4 that was basically a correlation vs. causation question. I thought that if you preformed an experiment you could state causation but if it's an observation you can't, at least that's what I got from the P/S section bank. I guess I'm just confused about if your running an experiment with the necessary controls, when can you determine causation and when can you not?

I don't have the specific question you are referring to but in general for bio/medicine related experiments, to determine causation you need to perform an experiment with a knockout. So usually experiments that have all the necessary controls and everything tell you that there is a correlation and to prove causation you need to perform a knockout/mutant experiment.

 

[Eleithyia]

The three basic conditions that must be met in order to call something causal are correlation between IV and DV, appropriate time order (IV occurs before DV), and nonspuriousness.
Chronology is likely a non-issue in an experimental (vs. observational) setting, and so is nonspuriousness iff you have a true experiment with random assignment to experimental & control groups. Correlation obviously depends on the measured results for the specific experiment.

There's some ongoing discussion as to whether a causal explanation established in a way that follows all of the above can be considered good enough until a mechanism of effect is proposed/established as well (if you have no clue why the effect is there, how can you know the IV causes the DV?). This is where knockouts/mutants come into play, like @viks31 mentioned, because it can give a pretty clear idea of whether your proposed mechanism is actually involved or you need to go back to the drawing board on the mechanism.

I'm fresh off a Research Methods class, sorry

 

[Wolfpack93]

Ok I've attached the question. It looks like IV precedes dependent and the participants were randomized. I'm assuming the reason it's only correlational is because the results were obtained something like 5 years after the initial results which would allow for confounding variables?

 

[viks31]

Ok I've attached the question. It looks like IV precedes dependent and the participants were randomized. I'm assuming the reason it's only correlational is because the results were obtained something like 5 years after the initial results which would allow for confounding variables?

So for me, from what I can understand from the screen shots without seeing the study, I would say that to prove causation you would need to compare subjects with a knocked out cytokine Z to WT ones and see if you can still see a difference. If you can, then you can say that cytokine Z is exactly what causes the observed effects. Without that, there could be various other things that could cause the observed effects which is why from the given information you can only infer correlation.

 

[medbunny56]

out of NS exams 4-6, which one do you recommend? I want to take one last non-aamc practice test this week before taking the aamc scored next week on monday

 

[Eleithyia]

Ok I've attached the question. It looks like IV precedes dependent and the participants were randomized. I'm assuming the reason it's only correlational is because the results were obtained something like 5 years after the initial results which would allow for confounding variables?

So for me, from what I can understand from the screen shots without seeing the study, I would say that to prove causation you would need to compare subjects with a knocked out cytokine Z to WT ones and see if you can still see a difference. If you can, then you can say that cytokine Z is exactly what causes the observed effects. Without that, there could be various other things that could cause the observed effects which is why from the given information you can only infer correlation.

I think you're both right--it would be next to impossible to control for every possible confounding variable for 5 years. A cytokine Z knockout vs. WT comparison is a way to get around not being able to control for everything, while still being able to identify that the difference comes from cytokine Z and not some other variable.

 

[BlueDevilSung]

How many of you guys have taken the scored FL already? I'm debating whether to take it on Wednesday or Saturday of this week. Kinda want to do it Saturday so I can spend all day Wednesday working through question packs tbh, but just curious as to what your opinions are about doing it so close to the exam date.

 

[Formation]

How do you guys remember the difference between noncompetitive and uncompetitive inhibition?

Like, I know what the difference is definition-wise, but I ALWAYS mix them up and can never remember which one is which. :/

How many of you guys have taken the scored FL already? I'm debating whether to take it on Wednesday or Saturday of this week. Kinda want to do it Saturday so I can spend all day Wednesday working through question packs tbh, but just curious as to what your opinions are about doing it so close to the exam date.

Saturday is exactly when I have it scheduled. /shrugs/

 

[Eleithyia]

I took my scored FL last Saturday.
At this point it's all close enough to test day, I think, and I don't think it will make a huge difference whether you take it tomorrow or Saturday. I personally wouldn't take a FL any later than Saturday to give myself a week of "rest"--still studying but not running any intellectual marathons.

 

[Formation]

I agree on Saturday being the last day to take a FL. I’d like to finish the Section Banks before then too, so that post-Saturday is just reviewing the FL and finishing up QPs.

 

[Wolfpack93]

How do you guys remember the difference between noncompetitive and uncompetitive inhibition?

Like, I know what the difference is definition-wise, but I ALWAYS mix them up and can never remember which one is which. :/



Saturday is exactly when I have it scheduled. /shrugs/

I forget where this was posted but I'm stealing it from someone. I remember Uncompetetive because the U looks like two parallel lines and that's what the double reciprocal graph looks like. For Noncompetitive I remember that it does Not bind to the active site, so there's no effect on Km.

 

[cantstopwontstopvu17]

Can someone explain number 4 on the C/P section bank? If the frequency is doubled, doesn't the wavelength have to decrease by 1/2 to keep the velocity constant (c = freq * wavelength)? The question doesn't make any sense.

 

[cantstopwontstopvu17]

JK, I misunderstood the question. The frequency of the answer choices is being changed - not the lasers in the question. Really badly worded hahahaha

 

[Arsenalfcfan1]

Did you guys do the OG timed?


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[BlueDevilSung]

I took my scored FL last Saturday.
At this point it's all close enough to test day, I think, and I don't think it will make a huge difference whether you take it tomorrow or Saturday. I personally wouldn't take a FL any later than Saturday to give myself a week of "rest"--still studying but not running any intellectual marathons.

Thank you all for your input. I will take the test on Saturday and then continue to do question packs. I already finished the section bank. Might go over the section bank again one more time.

 

[Formation]

Does anyone oftentimes find the C/P and Bio section banks indistinguishable at times?

 

[itsallgood92]

.

 

[dalamon]

I got 77/74/75 on the Section Banks, hoping this isn't too bad (did them all in one pop, two in one day and one on the third)

 

[nomoreequationsplease]

I just took the sample test and I feel like I did okay but I'm still freaking out over taking the test. I scored:
Chem/Physics:80%
CARS:87%
Bio/Biochem: 86%
Psych/Soc:83%
I'm hoping that plus some more studying will score me a 510+. So nervous!!!!

 

[maydaymalone]

Just took the sample test: C/P: 76% CARS: 83% B/BC: 78% P/S 86% Overall: 81%

Last August I had a 72%, so its nice to see almost a 10% increase. Does anyone know where this score range will lie?

Thanks!

 

[cantstopwontstopvu17]

Just did the C/P and B/BC section packs. Man, those were good practice but hard to stay focused on hahaha.

For those interested, I got a 90.5% on the unscored AAMC FL but got a 80% on C/P and 81% on B/BC. Not sure how well those correlate but I definitely did not feel as good today as I did when I took the unscored FL (not sure if that's due to being tired or the difficulty difference).

 

[Spitphire]

Taking the test this Saturday and i'm feeling the pressure. I did the scored the other day but I didnt feel confident in my answers at all so I stopped after cars. I decided to go through it untimed and did about where I want to be for my score. So the knowledge is there but when you put a timer in front of me, I seriously miss 10+ extra questions in each section.
Scored untimed: 128/125/129/127 (83%, 70%, 85%, 80%) (Cars was alot harder on the scored than the sample imo)

Not exactly sure what I can do to fix this problem, especially since my test is Saturday. My approach as of now is to ignore the timer and go for accuracy and guess at the end if I have to. Maybe that could get me 45 right per section. Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[Arsenalfcfan1]

Taking the test this Saturday and i'm feeling the pressure. I did the scored the other day but I didnt feel confident in my answers at all so I stopped after cars. I decided to go through it untimed and did about where I want to be for my score. So the knowledge is there but when you put a timer in front of me, I seriously miss 10+ extra questions in each section.
Scored untimed: 128/125/129/127 (83%, 70%, 85%, 80%) (Cars was alot harder on the scored than the sample imo)

Not exactly sure what I can do to fix this problem, especially since my test is Saturday. My approach as of now is to ignore the timer and go for accuracy and guess at the end if I have to. Maybe that could get me 45 right per section. Any advice would be appreciated!

Take a deep breath in and exhale slowly through your mouth after every section that helps.


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[BelieveMeChile]

Taking the test this Saturday and i'm feeling the pressure. I did the scored the other day but I didnt feel confident in my answers at all so I stopped after cars. I decided to go through it untimed and did about where I want to be for my score. So the knowledge is there but when you put a timer in front of me, I seriously miss 10+ extra questions in each section.
Scored untimed: 128/125/129/127 (83%, 70%, 85%, 80%) (Cars was alot harder on the scored than the sample imo)

Not exactly sure what I can do to fix this problem, especially since my test is Saturday. My approach as of now is to ignore the timer and go for accuracy and guess at the end if I have to. Maybe that could get me 45 right per section. Any advice would be appreciated!

Here's what I think.

At this point, it may be best not to change your test taking strategy. Test taking is all about practice, and the more familiar you feel taking that test the better. It's why all the test companies recommend doing the exact thing you'll do on test day every time you practice--even down to what you eat in the morning. Any benefits you'd get from finishing quicker may be overridden by the anxiety you might feel while trying something new.

However, my strategy (I scored 1 point below you, but I typically finished each section with about 10+ minutes to spare) has always been this: the MCAT is largely about applying new information to principles you already know. Sometimes it's about reading comprehension. Knowing this, skim each passage and note (mark if you have to) things that might be of interest, but DONT go overboard. Maybe even just mark things as landmarks. When you read a question and don't recognize what the answer might be, don't freak out! Lots of times the answer is in the passage somewhere, so go back to the passage. Having skimmed the passage and set landmarks you should have a pretty good idea of where the relevant information might be. If it's not IN the passage, mark the question, put down what your intuition is telling you is the right answer and continue to the next question. The idea is that 9 times out of 10, your first instinct will be closest to the right answer (if you knew it at all). When you go back to the questions you've marked (assuming you have time at the end, which you should), read the question and answers again. Sometimes the question will have been revealed by information in later passages or questions. If you don't have a 100% legitimate reason for changing your answer, don't change it.

Now, I'm probably not the best guy to listen to. I haven't been scoring 520+ on the MCAT, but I feel I've done fairly well on all my MCAT practice tests considering I've never taken organic chemistry, physics, or biochemistry (self taught the basics of all three).

I think the biggest thing is DONT FREAK OUT when you don't know an answer, you can generally find it in the passage and, barring that, you can reason out the answers. Medical schools don't want the people that memorize the best. They want critical thinkers! As long as you're thinking critically about every question, most of the stuff on the MCAT you don't even have to memorize.


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[MaxPlancker]

Can anyone explain why the acceleration of an object that is submerged under water doesn't depend on it's volume? The buoyant force equation is F=pVg, so wouldn't increasing volume increase force and therefore acceleration? According to the practice problems I've been doing in TBR only density matters for acceleration which makes no sense to me.

Simply stated, the acceleration depends on the medium rather the object itself. This also makes intuitive sense (the buoyant force comes from the medium not the object). A lot of the relationships can be thought out intuitively rather than mathematically/scientifically.

A more precise answer is that the V refers to the volume of water displaced. It does NOT equal the volume of the object unless the object is completely submerged. For example, Vobj = Vdisp for a sinking ship but not for a floating ship. That's why the acceleration is dependent on the medium through this formula instead of the object.

 

[MaxPlancker]

Can someone explain SB C/P #94. I chose A, still not sure why B is correct.

I hated this question too and I think I've finally figured it out so I'll try to explain but I'm not 100% sure that this explanation will make sense. So when you substitute H with R, your experiencing increased activity similar to what you see with GK-P, meaning this mutation had to make it similar in some way to GK-P. The reason why the answer isn't A (which was the answer I chose) is because Histidine is UNCHARGED at pH=7.4. I capitalized this because this is a mistake I've made way too many times and don't want to make on the real thing. The pKa of Histidine's side chain is ~6.0, meaning at a pH higher than it it would not be positively charged like arginine would. Therefore it can't be exhibiting similar interactions to arginine.

If you can post the question I can take a look.

 

[MaxPlancker]

Anyone do these and can help me?

I can take a look if you can post the question/pic.