Content on the new MCAT

[ASU premed student]

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I am currently working on my schedule for next semester. With my luck, I have a scheduling conflict, and can't fit in biochemistry lab. Does anyone who has taken this newer MCAT version know if taking biochemistry lab is very helpful for the MCAT, or should I be fine without it?

 

[PrepareMCAT Advisor]

You should be fine without it, as long as you have a strong foundation in the biochemistry material. Make sure to review all of the biochemical concepts described in the Khan Academy videos, complete lots of practice passages and exams, and you should be fine!

For more information, feel free to visit PrepareMCAT!

 

[NextStepTutor_2]

I am currently working on my schedule for next semester. With my luck, I have a scheduling conflict, and can't fit in biochemistry lab. Does anyone who has taken this newer MCAT version know if taking biochemistry lab is very helpful for the MCAT, or should I be fine without it?

I got through med school without ever having taken Biochem before (about 1/3 of my class did), and this was on the old MCAT. Even on the new exam though, taking the MCAT without Biochem is harder sure, but still very doable.

Just make sure you begin to study biochem early and relate it to gen chem whenever possible as you already have familiarity with that. Incorporate MCAT practice after reading chapters/watching videos, as this kind of active studying is better and more conducive to high scores.

 

[Captain_Underpants]

You should be fine without it, as long as you have a strong foundation in the biochemistry material. Make sure to review all of the biochemical concepts described in the Khan Academy videos, complete lots of practice passages and exams, and you should be fine!

For more information, feel free to visit PrepareMCAT!

Yes, Khan Academy was a great help. So is supplementing with multiple books for Psych

 

[aldol16]

I got through med school without ever having taken Biochem before (about 1/3 of my class did), and this was on the old MCAT. Even on the new exam though, taking the MCAT without Biochem is harder sure, but still very doable.

This has been highly recommended against because of the more advanced biochemistry emphasis of the new MCAT. You could in theory learn all of that biochem without taking a formal class, of course, but you could say that about any subject. I guess if you had a lot of extra time to teach yourself biochem at the level required for the new MCAT, it's doable but even then, why not just take a biochem course?

For OP, he/she is just talking about biochem lab, so that should be fine because all he/she needs is to understand biochem conceptually - well enough to understand passage-based questions that require underlying biochem knowledge.