DAT to MCAT

[jrdnshaffer]

Hey all,
So I have recently taken the DAT but have always wanted to go to med school. I have heard that the MCAT is more critical thinking and not as much memorization as the DAT is, which tends to make the DAT easier. For me however, I consider my strength critical thinking over memorization. Applying what I know instead of just memorizing it appeals to me a lot more. The bio section on the DAT gave me a little trouble with a lot of random questions about trees and reproduction of frogs in fish. Once again, I didn’t memorize the entire AP bio book like suggested. Thoughts on the test and if it better suits some people more than others?
Thanks!

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[crazymedguy123]

MCAT is mostly passage based, so you have to analyze data, make inferences, etc. There is definitely a need to know bio, chem phys etc. because 1. it makes navigating the passages more straightforward and 2. there are discrete questions which will ask you random bio, chem, phys facts.

MCAT doesn't really touch on animal bio, everything is really centered around human biology.

Don't know much about the DAT, so hard to make a comparison. I know the DAT has the perception section which there is no equivalent on the MCAT. MCAT has psychology/sociology section which pretty sure the DAT does not have

 

[Zacky]

I think there will be some overlap in concepts for the chemistry and biology sections, which can save some time in studying for the MCAT. However, for the biology section in the MCAT, there are a considerable number of questions where you are given an experimental method, table/graph, image of a protein/DNA blot, and then asked to interpret the results. 'Aptitude' can play a factor, however, if you have a background in basic science research, that would also help.

 

[DubbiDoctor]

Few people have taken both, and I'm not one of them. But the main differences seem to be that the MCAT doesn't measure perceptual ability (thank God) and the MCAT emphasizes reading comprehension and critical reasoning skills. I believe the DAT only asks discrete science questions in the science section (e.g. what role does mitochondria perform in the cell). For the MCAT, you read a passage and answer questions based on it, with a few discrete questions thrown in randomly IIRC. The MCAT will often describe an experiment or phenomenon that you have no prior knowledge of, and you will need to apply the pre-medical knowledge you're expected to know so solve the questions. Memorizing all the relevant facts and formulas will not guarantee a good score