Anatomy and Physiology: How important

[philosonista]

Hi, SDN --

All the threads I found about this in the "similar threads" box this were for pre-dental or pre-pharm, so I figured I'd ask for pre-meds.

How important would it be to take Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II for the MCAT? I know many of us here had medical interests from a young age, and hence much anat and phys is considered common knowledge by you all and unimportant to take as an undergrad. But please consider those of us, like me, that grew us with different interests when answering this! I have heard knowing your physiology and, sometimes for you-know-it-or-you-don't questions, anatomy is important.

How essential is it to take it?

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[FindMeOnTheLinks]

Physiology is helpful for the mcat. There is no anatomy on the mcat.

 

[GoPens]

I don't have an answer with regards to the MCAT, but I'm also wondering if anyone knows of this is a class that schools would like, particularly for non-science majors.

 

[deleted407021]

I don't have an answer with regards to the MCAT, but I'm also wondering if anyone knows of this is a class that schools would like, particularly for non-science majors.

Schools don't generally care what you take, so long as you do well on the pre-requisites. If you don't do so hot, it might then benefit you to take a few upper division science classes, but they're really more interested in overall grade trends than individual classes.

 

[GoPens]

Schools don't generally care what you take, so long as you do well on the pre-requisites. If you don't do so hot, it might then benefit you to take a few upper division science classes, but they're really more interested in overall grade trends than individual classes.

Thanks!

 

[caffeinemia]

Schools don't generally care what you take, so long as you do well on the pre-requisites. If you don't do so hot, it might then benefit you to take a few upper division science classes, but they're really more interested in overall grade trends than individual classes.

ditto ... anatomy and physiology are totally unnecessary. I remember that the MCAT had exactly two questions requiring pure knowledge of anatomy/physiology. To this day, I am still pissed about confusing the fibula and tibia. That's why I went into plastics so I could do tibial osteocutaneous flaps all day long. I mean FIBULAR osteocutaneous

 

[Jepstein30]

Physiology is helpful for the MCAT but you can teach yourself all you need to know pretty easily/effectively. Your class on physiology will go much more in depth which isn't necessarily a good thing for the MCAT.

Anatomy is not tested on the MCAT. Period. I'd note that just because a question may have seemed to require direct knowledge of an anatomy concept, that doesn't mean anatomy was tested. AAMC clearly states that anything can be tested as long as enough information is provided in the prompt/passage to answer the question. Anything not on the topic list means it is not necessary to have a background in it.

You'd probably benefit more for MCAT sake with other non pre-reqs though. Again, all are fairly minimal in terms of material tested but I'd look into a biochemistry or cell/developmental bio course. The info you learn isn't really the point here.. it's more the way most universities present the material. Those two classes are very critical thinking based which is a major MCAT skill. I'd go for one of those (or possibly even genetics.. again, not for the material) over physiology.

 

[philosonista]

May I point all of your attention to the following from Kaplan's article "What Do I Need to Know for the 2015 MCAT?"

1. The New MCAT Has A More Medical Approach:
   On the new MCAT, passages will be restructured to test all of the natural sciences within biological systems, often invoking physiology or pathology. Showing the application of all the tested sciences to medicine encourages students to view these subjects not simply as prerequisites for med school, but for the practice of medicine in general.

Those of you who are relaying experience from the previous version may not be very useful here. But hopefully you now understand my concern.

 

[samac]

May I point all of your attention to the following from Kaplan's article "What Do I Need to Know for the 2015 MCAT?"

1. The New MCAT Has A More Medical Approach:
   On the new MCAT, passages will be restructured to test all of the natural sciences within biological systems, often invoking physiology or pathology. Showing the application of all the tested sciences to medicine encourages students to view these subjects not simply as prerequisites for med school, but for the practice of medicine in general.

Those of you who are relaying experience from the previous version may not be very useful here. But hopefully you now understand my concern.

Take a practice test for the new mcat from aamc to see what you may need to know. No one here can comment on exactly what the new mcat will be.

 

[philosonista]

Take a practice test for the new mcat from aamc to see what you may need to know. No one here can comment on exactly what the new mcat will be.

They want $25 for a practice teeeeeest?

Fine, but jeez.

 

[samac]

They want $25 for a practice teeeeeest?

Fine, but jeez.

It's worth it.

 

[amad01]

The MCAT I took had an entire passage on anatomy that you would've had to memorize or know beforehand, answers not found in the passage.

 

[amad01]

They want $25 for a practice teeeeeest?

Fine, but jeez.

If you are worried about $25 for a practice test you got a long miserable road of price tags ahead of you.

 

[philosonista]

I dunno, guys. I'm taking the $25 practice test (Too late, jb94mg, lol), and I would not have gotten the picture they provide in the link you provide. Untimed, of course! Would not be talking to you all if it were timed. Haha.

Every question seems to have the human body as its setting thus far, even questions they identify as a primarily physics content question (Each question is ID'd for which subset it is designed to test).

 

[philosonista]

If you are worried about $25 for a practice test you got a long miserable road of price tags ahead of you.

Oh, I know.

I just thought AAMC would have some decency to not nickle and dime at every opportunity.

 

[amad01]

Oh, I know.

I just thought AAMC would have some decency to not nickle and dime at every opportunity.

I took the MCAT in 2013 and took all the practice tests from AAMC which were $35 a piece. I would say they are easily the most important part of mcat prep. Although, there are ways to get them free

 

[philosonista]

I took the MCAT in 2013 and took all the practice tests from AAMC which were $35 a piece. I would say they are easily the most important part of mcat prep. Although, there are ways to get them free

Do tell about these free ways to get them.

*Continues to peruse practice MCAT*

 

[philosonista]

Thus far I have seen questions for physics, biology, chemistry and biochemistry for the
Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems Section with the following settings:

- Lungs
- Neurons
- Viruses in the body
- Blood
- Skin
- Eyes
- Heart

And of course, lots of biochemical reactions -- but I'm assuming that's not what you learn in Anat in Phys -- just biochem.

There were very few "pure" questions.

Some questions had the entire passage about a given body part. Other questions interweaved several in a passage. And a few has the first paragraph focused on how a given concept relates to a certain body part, and then, if you were to cut that paragraph off, the rest seemed "pure." But some questions corresponding to that kind of passage asked you to relate it to the paragraph about the body part.

In general, anat and phys were a constant presence.

Onto critical reasoning.

 

[philosonista]

For the Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems Section:

- Blood
- Tissues
- Heart
- Glands
- Lungs
- Vessels

Also lots of cellular and genetic stuff, but I imagine that's not Anat and Phys.

 

[philosonista]

As my personal verdict, I would say Anatomy and Physiology is important enough to take if you have the chance.

Could you do it without it? Sure. Well? Maybe. I'd rather not be floundering when I'm looking at a question focused on how chemical and physical concepts relate to neurons and feel I don't know what I need to about neurons. They give you some information about the body in passages, but not all (Ex. To figure out the direction of an electric field around a neuron, you need to already know that the axon is negatively charged and that the solution around the axon is neutral -- they only tell you that the neuron is surrounded by ions). I'd rather not have to learn that info on the spot along side everything else they throw at you rather than already have it down.

The body is the setting of most of the questions. I would think knowing the setting is important before dealing with everything else.

 

[samac]

Wouldn't listen to samac's advice about that - not worth buying a practice test to find out what's on it when they provide that info for free.

https://www.aamc.org/students/download/374008/data/mcat2015-bb-content-outline.pdf

Most of it looks like biochemistry, cell biology-type stuff, and Mendelian genetics to me. There's some physiology in there as well. It's up to you. I'm planning on taking physiology, cell biology, and biochemistry (I'm a non-science major).

Those lists never helped me, and I didn't have a true grasp on what kind of things are on it and how to really prepare until I took a practice test, but to each their own.

 

[Law2Doc]

I don't have an answer with regards to the MCAT, but I'm also wondering if anyone knows of this is a class that schools would like, particularly for non-science majors.

Absolutely not. I would go further and say some med school professors even prefer a clean slate because you'd be surprised at the number of topics undergrads so superficially teach that people come in having learned half-truths or just been taught things "wrong" and have to forget what they had previously been told.

The short answer to OPs question - is this stuff helpful for the MCAT? Maybe a smidgeon. Is it necessary? Absolutely not. A strong bio course should cover everything on the test.

Med school teaches you everything it wants you to know and then some. You rarely benefit by trying to pre take med school. There will be as many non-science as science majors at both the top and bottoms of your med school class. The couple of people I know ho failed out of med school were science majors. There really isn't the leg up for premed majors anymore nd you truly should take the prereqs and otherwise just take whatever you enjoy and will do well in even if it's modern dance or fine arts, religion, or underwater basket weaving.

 

[caffeinemia]

There is only one truth in medicine. Death is inevitable. Everything else is a p value.