anyone do well on the MCAT *without* upper-level bio?

[beamiestface]

I'm not a bio major, and I started on my premed requirements a year late. Thus, I will have no more than the basic premed requirements finished before taking the MCAT. I figured that this would not be a problem, that I'd be fine after studying a review book. However, reading this board has been worrying me. I feel like even bio passages about biochem and physiology would be decipherable by someone with basic bio knowledge with little problem, and that perhaps this board is making me more nervous than I should be.


Has anyone out there done exceptionally well on the MCAT without any upper level bio classes (but of course with other kinds of preperation)?

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[shogun]

While upper level Bio classes help, you don't absolutely need to have them. In your case, a prep course could come in very handy, since they can teach you some of the things your intro bio course might have missed. Just don't forget that 50% of the bio section is Orgo.

In addition, you might want to look at the bulletin the AAMC gives out regarding the MCAT(I think it is called the MCAT Student Manual?). Inside, it lists all the topics the MCAT considers fair game. You can use this list to guide what else you need to look at.

Hope this helps!

 

[Mystique]

Hey, you can do well on the MCAT even w/out the upper bio classes. Two of my good friends (one was a math major and the other a dance major) took the basic bio classes. They didn't have any genetics or physiology. If I remember correctly, they just had organismal bio and cell bio. Anyways, they used the Kaplan big book to study (they didn't take a review course), and they did well on the mcat (33-35 range). The upper classes will help you to better understand what's on the MCAT, but I wouldn't say the upper level courses are a MUST. The MCAT will require you to use the info you learned from your basic bio classes; they just require you to use that info to evaluate whatever they stick on that test. I would think that with a good review book in front of you, you should be fine. Then again, I'm not a sage.

If you do get a chance to take physiology or other high level courses, I'd highly recommend it. But, I think you'll be fine w/out the upper level bio courses.

Good luck.

 

[spacecadet]

I had only taken Bio I & II, and A&P I&II when I took the MCAT last April. I scored a 13 on BS. I was deficient in some areas (the oxygen-affinity curve of hemoglobin comes to mind) when I started studying, but I took Kaplan and I think it filled in the gaps.

I have taken biochem since then, and I can definitely see how it would have been helpful. However, I did fine without it. A&P was helpful, but only in stuff that is basically memorization (like glucose homeostasis and endocrine system) so you should do fine with review.

Hope this helps.

 

[postbacchus]

I took only 1 year of bio, no upper division, and got a 12 on bio on the MCAT.

 

[Dr. Don]

I was a psycho-biology major...I basically never took a physio course except neuro and I did well in the bio section...Just follow what the AAMC student manual says that you have to study and you'll be fine....

 

[AtYourCervix]

dont sweat it. i only had one semester of intro bio and took kaplan. i got a 13 on the bio section.

dukegirlie

 

[brandonite]

Intro bio, organic chemistry. Got a 12 in the biology section... Don't worry.

 

[USeF]

Bio 1,2 in the summer, anatomy&phys in high school.

Just got in 'bio major-mode' for a week in the summer: MEMORIZING the anatomy stuff and recalling the Biochem (yes, this was helpful). Most likely you will have everything else covered. If not, the little you didn't learn in Bio 1/2 at your schools will be picked up as you go through Columbia MCAT review guide (my fave) or any other one.
math, chem degrees in may- 11B

 

[otter]

Okay, my experience has been different from others here. From my experience, an upper-level course in molecular cell bio definitely helped out A LOT!!! The bio section always throws in a passage or two about molecular experiments and techniques, as well as possibly some convoluted intracellular signaling pathways. When I took my first MCAT without any upper-level bio, it was VERY difficult to follow them (especially when they talked about terms like immunoblotting, gel electrophoresis, assays, etc.) and I didn't fare too well. Then, I took molecular bio and it all became clear to me. I raised my bio score by 3 points the second time around. I think you can definitely get by without taking upper-level physiology or biochem. I have not seen very difficult biochem stuff on the MCAT; physiology passages are usually possible to follow. But MCAT does present some surprisingly advanced molecular bio stuff. But this is all just my opinion, so others may disagree.

 

[serpiente]

Like others here, I had no advanced bio courses (only intro 1+2) and I got a 12 on BS on the real MCAT, and it was always my best section on practice exams. There are defintely certain factors that make a difference here. For one, I was a chem major and very adept at organic chemistry. Remember the BS scetion is not all bio. Secondly I performed biomedical research for 2 years before taking the MCAT. Reserach introduced me to a lot of techniques etc. that you would normally only learn about/perform in advanced courses, as the last poster mentioned. Thirdly, I spent the most time preparing for this section, because I knew that bio was my weakest area. (unfortunatley I didn't spend much time on verbal and got a lower score than expected.) In any event, advanced courses are not necessarily needed. The MCAT really only tests the basics (as pendulum said). If you have research under your belt, knowledge of organic, and put the extra effort into this section you probably don't need to take extra courses. Actually even if you don't have any of these, I think just extra studying come test time will be all you need.