Am I just dumb?

[DrOMG]

So I have been lurking on this site for a while as a guest

I read posts over and over again and I just can't help but feel stupid every single time I come on here. I don't know why I don't stop (I have a problem). I read one post this past week from someone saying, 'I done a practice test just for kicks and I got a 31. I haven't taken any pre-req's yet' How the fook is that possible?!

Anyway let's make this about me I have taken BIO 1 and 2 and I am looking through the MCAT practice questions and like 60-70% of the questions were NOT covered in my Gen Bio classes. I can't help but be like 'WTF'. Is there some kind of secret classes that I am supposed to take to cover the MCAT Bio portion? I haven't taken Organic Chem yet, only Gen Chem. I'm rockin' a 4.0 GPA right now, so I know it can't be me being a dumb turd.

Does anyone else feel this way or am I on my one.com? Was there ever that one point where you had a 'I got this test' moment?

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[chiapet874]

Although you technically only need general bio for the BS section of the mcats, it's highly recommended you take higher level courses such as genetics, systems physiology, ect.

I recommend simply getting a good review book and you should be set.

 

[Taranis]

Yes, there's some physiology and a few other subjects that you may have not been taught in intro bio, however you just get a prep book and go through it to fill in the gaps.

 

[Baron Samedi]

"....if you have to ask...."

 

[loho77]

So I have been lurking on this site for a while as a guest

I read posts over and over again and I just can't help but feel stupid every single time I come on here. I don't know why I don't stop (I have a problem). I read one post this past week from someone saying, 'I done a practice test just for kicks and I got a 31. I haven't taken any pre-req's yet' How the fook is that possible?!

Anyway let's make this about me I have taken BIO 1 and 2 and I am looking through the MCAT practice questions and like 60-70% of the questions were NOT covered in my Gen Bio classes. I can't help but be like 'WTF'. Is there some kind of secret classes that I am supposed to take to cover the MCAT Bio portion? I haven't taken Organic Chem yet, only Gen Chem. I'm rockin' a 4.0 GPA right now, so I know it can't be me being a dumb turd.

Does anyone else feel this way or am I on my one.com? Was there ever that one point where you had a 'I got this test' moment?

On the bio questions, some of the questions will include unfamiliar information, but will include enough background that you can answer the question. Part of the test is your ability to interpret and use the information given to you. If you are still worried about this, I'd consider taking a prep course. (I know some people will say prep courses are a waste of money, but if you can afford one and will do the work to keep up with it, I highly recommend it.)

 

[DrOMG]

I have taken A&P and that course gave me a large amount of information to help with the BIO portion. Maybe even more than the Gen. Bio portion :s I just feel like I am lagging with respect to everyone else on here. WAH!

 

[Ontology]

You should take upper level biology courses, and then you should be set.

 

[aSagacious]

Aside from the required prereqs for the exam, a couple upper level classes that you should consider taking are biochem and physio.

You definitely don't need an entire genetics class for the MCAT. Understand punnett squares, pedigree charts, and the Hardy-Weinberg equation and you're all set.

 

[DrOMG]

You should take upper level biology courses, and then you should be set.

How do non-sci majors do it? They wouldn't have taken the higher levels when they take it. Plus, if I wait until I do the higher levels then I won't be taking the MCAT until well into my senior year.

 

[TheBossDoctor]

Uh there's a lot of organic chem on the BS section. So if you haven't taken that, then yea, you probably won't know a lot of the stuff in there.

 

[JonnyL]

It's the internet. People lie.

 

[StoicJosher]

SDN population is not a realistic sample for the real world. The population here is skewed to both extremes.

 

[Guy Montag]

Content will only get you so far. You should be able to get at least a 9 on BS just knowing the content thoroughly. Past that you need to use analytical skills, and some skilled guessing . Bio can have a lot of tough analytical questions, and in my case an entire passage based on an experiment that lead to 5 "educated" guesses on my part. That passage definitely dropped my BS score by a couple.

I doubt anyone got a 31 without taking pre-reqs. Someone was trolling. I think I got a 25 for my first practice while prepping, and I had all pre-reqs done except for physics. In any case, I ended up above 30 by a few, so that should encourage you if you don't get a "31" on your first try like that bozo claims.

 

[Stumpyman]

Yeah a lot of people (including me) take freshman bio then get really scared when they realize they aced the freshman bio courses but could barely answer a few MCAT questions. You'll need a few upper-level courses and a lot of self-prepping.

 

[alexandertg6]

I would actually argue that you dont NEED much background knowledge though it DEFINITELY HELPS... First time I took the MCAT, I hadnt taken any upper level Bios or Organic Chem and got a 13. My analysis of what they do on the science sections is ask you advanced questions and see how well you make educated guesses. You need either the skill to make highly accurate educated guesses, or to actually learn the high level material in order to ace the test.

Example: They will ask you a biochem question. Either you can use skills of extrapolation based on the chemistry and biology you know to deduce the likely answer, or you can take biochemistry and just know the answer.

hope this helps,

Alex

 

[MT Headed]

I have taken BIO 1 and 2 and I am looking through the MCAT practice questions and like 60-70% of the questions were NOT covered in my Gen Bio classes.

MCAT bio is less about content and more about abstract thinking in unusual situations. The few content questions do tend to focus on physiology. If they didn't cover the nephron or the lymph system or hemoglobin chemistry in BIO2, then yeah you need to learn some physiology. My school is very obvious on the topic: there is no BIO2 here.

Beyond that, I took a cell class which mostly taught me not to crap my pants when I see a journal article with funny names like RAN12 and GTF0. I took a genetics course, which is like wasting one semester for maybe 2 MCAT questions. Biochem, eh, you can learn more than enough from TBR Bio volume 2.

Reading, asking, and eventually answering questions in the MCAT Q&A forum is helpful too.

As for the people that get 31's without prereqs, they probably covered a lot of the material in high school AP science classes.

 

[DrOMG]

Thanks guys for all the comments. I was nervous posting in this forum because there are a lot of D'Bags in here that do not have anything useful to say, they just like looking at their own responses. BUT, I have yet to encounter them here; all the responses here were useful

 

[Morsetlis]

Thanks guys for all the comments. I was nervous posting in this forum because there are a lot of D'Bags in here that do not have anything useful to say, they just like looking at their own responses. BUT, I have yet to encounter them here; all the responses here were useful

Sometimes, there's a lack of helpful responses because there are no possible helpful responses

 

[alexandertg6]

Sometimes, there's a lack of helpful responses because there are no possible helpful responses

+1, if you start a thread about how your parents are forcing you to go to medical school... what do people expect us to say???

 

[BHaus9]

+1, if you start a thread about how your parents are forcing you to go to medical school... what do people expect us to say???

Ideally, people would just say nothing

 

[Morsetlis]

Technically, typing is not "saying".

 

[firstborn]

I would actually argue that you dont NEED much background knowledge though it DEFINITELY HELPS... First time I took the MCAT, I hadnt taken any upper level Bios or Organic Chem and got a 13. My analysis of what they do on the science sections is ask you advanced questions and see how well you make educated guesses. You need either the skill to make highly accurate educated guesses, or to actually learn the high level material in order to ace the test.

Example: They will ask you a biochem question. Either you can use skills of extrapolation based on the chemistry and biology you know to deduce the likely answer, or you can take biochemistry and just know the answer.

hope this helps,

Alex

This

Personally, I only took Intro Bio 1/2 and Ochem 1 and somehow wound up with a 15. I did use EK Bio and get a decent into to physiology and some basic genetics/molecular bio. I agree that the BS section of the MCAT is dominated by questions that require quick interpretation and application of the information you are given. This is where reviewing your practice tests pays dividents. They help you to see and breakdown where the answers came from to the majority of questions. Good luck!

 

[kpcrew]

Sometimes, there's a lack of helpful responses because there are no possible helpful responses

this is the truth. i only do that to stupid threads but apparently i'm pissy in every post or some nonsense like that.

OP there's no need to compare yourself to others. It might be demoralizing to see kids with 3.9 gpa/41 mcat or something like that but they're exceptions and you tend to remember them more than you remember all the people who have 3.5/30 which isn't bad but it's not memorable. you just need to do the best you can and don't mind braggarts. if you didn't take the classes, i find it hard to believe that someone would score so high because it's not a test for logic, it's a lot of knowing facts and understanding science. people who take the test and do well typically study for months or take a structured test prep class.

 

[alexandertg6]

OP there's no need to compare yourself to others. It might be demoralizing to see kids with 3.9 gpa/41 mcat or something like that but they're exceptions and you tend to remember them more than you remember all the people who have 3.5/30 which isn't bad but it's not memorable. you just need to do the best you can and don't mind braggarts. if you didn't take the classes, i find it hard to believe that someone would score so high because it's not a test for logic, it's a lot of knowing facts and understanding science. people who take the test and do well typically study for months or take a structured test prep class.

Agreed. But remember numbers is one of many ways to be memorable. A lot of people who have a 3.8/30 do get in to medical school over people with 3.9/40. Make your application memorable and sell yourself. If you did dance for 7 years, put it down. These things just help adcoms connect with applicants better in my totally nonprofessional opinion.

 

[CodeBlu]

Aside from the required prereqs for the exam, a couple upper level classes that you should consider taking are biochem and physio.

You definitely don't need an entire genetics class for the MCAT. Understand punnett squares, pedigree charts, and the Hardy-Weinberg equation and you're all set.

I agree with this.

 

[45408]

I read one post this past week from someone saying, 'I done a practice test just for kicks and I got a 31. I haven't taken any pre-req's yet' How the fook is that possible?!

I wouldn't necessarily believe everything you read on the Internet.

I am worth hundreds of millions of dollars and am frequently mistaken for a professional athlete though.

 

[Morsetlis]

I wouldn't necessarily believe everything you read on the Internet.

I am worth hundreds of millions of dollars and am frequently mistaken for a professional athlete though.

I believe you.

May I have your autograph?

 

[kpcrew]

I wouldn't necessarily believe everything you read on the Internet.

I am worth hundreds of millions of dollars and am frequently mistaken for a professional athlete though.

I would have no trouble believing this. Not sarcastic.

 

[gettheleadout]

I doubt anyone got a 31 without taking pre-reqs. Someone was trolling. I think I got a 25 for my first practice while prepping, and I had all pre-reqs done except for physics. In any case, I ended up above 30 by a few, so that should encourage you if you don't get a "31" on your first try like that bozo claims.

I got above a 25 on a practice test with no prereq's taken and only 1 AP science class. It's possible.

 

[miz]

hey, don't be discouraged! I'm also a former lurker who just made an account :]
if comparing yourself to other people gets you down, don't worry about it! my unsolicited advice is to buy/borrow the examkracker books. those were all i used to study. they were so much less intimidating than the huge prep books and if i felt like i needed more help on a specific topic i could look it up somewhere else, although i generally didn't. and i did fine. good luck you'll rock it!

 

[Nick153452]

Would you believe me if I told you that I never have taken a science class in my life but still got a 33? I hope not! This is the internet, and as such, the breeding grounds for whatever anybody want to say regardless of its accuracy. Brad Paisley has a song called "Online" that fits this situation pretty flawlessly.

Like you, I have been a creeper of this site for awhile now, off and on. Mostly because I don't know exactly what I want to do with my life. I would be pretty happy doing anything in science but I feel that I could make greater strides in medicine. Unlike some of my overly-confident friends at my school, I am severely under confident about my chances of getting into medical school whereas I have the highest grades in all of my classes (Physics, organic chemistry and maybe even cell biology). I just created an account on this site because I feel that if I don't try, I will spend the rest of my life wondering if I was good enough. So here goes my all!

 

[aSagacious]

hey, don't be discouraged! I'm also a former lurker who just made an account :]

Like you, I have been a creeper of this site for awhile now, off and on...I just created an account on this site because I feel that if I don't try, I will spend the rest of my life wondering if I was good enough. So here goes my all!

 

[Noah Capurso]

You are suffering from what I call troll induced anxiety disorder. I absolutely do not believe that anyone got a 31 without taking any pre-recs. If they did, they would have studied the material somewhere else first on their own. The MCAT does not ask about anything you can just know by being “smart” (except maybe the verbal). You have to learn the material, either in class or in a book on your own. So don’t pay those people any mind. They’re lying, or at least bending the truth.

In general though, it is very common to get anxious when talking to other people about important things like the MCAT/AMCAS/Boards Exams etc. When I was studying for the MCAT myself, I would get nervous anytime I saw someone studying from a book that I didn’t have. What if that book was MUCH better than mine? So I would buy it and of course it wasn’t any better than what I was using. In the end I had way more books than I could ever read and they didn’t help. Same thing happened when I took my USMLE boards exams in med school. It’s much easier said than done to relax about these kinds of things but I hope to assure you are on the right track by working on your pre-recs and your 4.0 GPA. You’ll do great.

 

[DrOMG]

You are suffering from what I call troll induced anxiety disorder.

 

[DrOMG]

It’s much easier said than done to relax about these kinds of things but I hope to assure you are on the right track by working on your pre-recs and your 4.0 GPA. You’ll do great.

hey, don't be discouraged! I'm also a former lurker who just made an account :]
if comparing yourself to other people gets you down, don't worry about it! my unsolicited advice is to buy/borrow the examkracker books. those were all i used to study. they were so much less intimidating than the huge prep books and if i felt like i needed more help on a specific topic i could look it up somewhere else, although i generally didn't. and i did fine. good luck you'll rock it!

this is the truth. i only do that to stupid threads but apparently i'm pissy in every post or some nonsense like that.

OP there's no need to compare yourself to others. It might be demoralizing to see kids with 3.9 gpa/41 mcat or something like that but they're exceptions and you tend to remember them more than you remember all the people who have 3.5/30 which isn't bad but it's not memorable. you just need to do the best you can and don't mind braggarts. if you didn't take the classes, i find it hard to believe that someone would score so high because it's not a test for logic, it's a lot of knowing facts and understanding science. people who take the test and do well typically study for months or take a structured test prep class.

This is so very true!

Thanks everyone again for all the words of wisdom I am very appreciative. I feel a lot better!

 

[mmmcdowe]

I wonder if troll induced anxiety disorder will be in the DSM V

 

[Ignatius M.D.]

I wonder if troll induced anxiety disorder will be in the DSM V

It will be added, but then subsequently dismissed, abruptly, by the majority of psychiatrists.