Has anyone taking the MCAT without completing all the required courses??

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MrDreamWeaver

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Hi,

At the end of this academic year I will have completed the following courses (semester system):

Biology 1
Chem 1 2 and 3 (inorganic)
Organic Chem 1
Physics 1 and 2

Bio 2 and Ochem 2 will NOT be completed.

I kind of want to take the MCAT in August so I don't forget all the material that I have currently completed. I've heard many people say that additional Ochem courses aren't going to help that much.

So the main concern I have is the Biology. First off, I hardly even remember anything from molecular biology, plus I won't even have taken Bio 2 by the time the MCATs role around. So I would have to completely study the Biology section on my own. I have the Examkrackers book to study the Bio...I hope it's enough. The only other concern I have is the verbal section. I haven't done any pre-tests but I know verbal is certainly my weakness.

So...what do you think ? If I screw up I suppose I can always take it next year (when i will be applying).

Thx!

What do you think?

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i would say that the two courses you haven't completed are those that are least necessary for the mcat. however you will have to learn genetics on your own (but genetics is easy) because it will definitely be on there.

i took it without taking Ochem 2 and i feel like it may have caused me a point at most. i still did fine.

-mota
 
i took it and skipped out of gen chem.....i feel this cost be about 3-4 pts......but that's kinda obvious....i was also in the middle of physics when i took my first mcat, and skipped out of the first half of that

note to others: not a good idea to skip out of lower level classes that you'll need for mcat
 
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I took it without 2nd semester physics. I think it was a bad idea. Although the reason I didn't do as well in the PS section, I think, had more to do with it being the first section and my nerves on test day. Still, if I'd had the course I'm sure I would have been more confident, even though by test day I knew all of the necessary basics in physics.

I would think bio 2 would be very important. And orgo 2 maybe not quite as much. If I were you I'd take it in April and take bio first.
 
Well, I also took the MCAT without having half of the physics I needed. It was do-able to study on my own though and I got an 11 in PS, which I am pretty proud of. It did, however, consume most of my MCAT study time and I didn't have as much time as I needed to study for the other sections.

I think if you're taking the August MCAT and start studying early, though, you should be fine... you'll have a few months to study over the summer without classes to deal with (assuming you're not taking summer classes).
 
Thanks for the advice everyone.

The only thing that is holding me back from taking the MCAT this April is the Biology section. I remember almost nothing from my 1st Bio class which I took ~1.5years ago. I basically have to study everything in the Bio section on my own. However, i do have the Examkrackers book which i hear is amazing.

I've heard OCHEM2 isn't really necessary, so...yeah. haha.

I just finished my inorganic sequence and will have JUST completed my physics sequence in June. That way, i can focus the majority of my time on the Bio and Verbal section and minimal time on the physical section.

I'm planning on applying in 2007, so i suppose i can take the mcat then. however, once again, i'm scared i'm going to forget the physics and chem.

Thanks :D
 
I felt like the Bio section had a lot of physiology on it--especially the endocrine system and the nephron. I did not have A&P prior to taking the MCAT and definitely felt like I needed to spend extra time on this stuff.
 
I took the MCAT with only 2 of 3 quarters of physics taken and still got a 14 on P, so certainly it won't kill you to be missing one class or another -- but maybe you'd do better if you wait.
 
Waiting an extra year will probably provide me with the following benefits:
1) completion of bio2 and ochem2
2) more time to study

disadvantages:
1) 1.5yrs since i finished inorganic chem
2) 1year since i finished physics


As it is, i pretty much forgot EVERYTHING from molecular Biology (due to poor study habits and other personal reasons), so i definitely have to re-learn everything.

I don't know I will do on the verbal. I know i'm more of a logical "math" person than a verbal person. :p
 
im in the same position that you are in...well almost. I just transferred back to a university in usa, after going to one for the past two years in England. Becuase of the way I received my transfer credits, I still have to take physics and organic chemistry (actually, by the time I apply to medical schools, I will have physics completed, but not organic chemistry). However, I am still planning on taking the MCAT this April, but plan to just spend more time on Physics and Organic Chem. I am also taking some prep. classes so i'll see how i do in my next few full lengths before I fully decide whether I should take the MCAT in April or just wait. I still keep having doubts though....
 
gdbaby said:
I felt like the Bio section had a lot of physiology on it--especially the endocrine system and the nephron. I did not have A&P prior to taking the MCAT and definitely felt like I needed to spend extra time on this stuff.


Just to reply to this; the MCAT has a huge amount of information. You could get something like gdbaby did, or you could get something totally different.

I have taken the MCAT 3 times, and the material I had on each biological sciences section was DRASTICALLY different each and every time. Shoot, the last MCAT I took had 2 orgo passages and about 9 biology passages. The previous MCAT, it was all orgo. It just depends. If you were going to "skip" out on a class prior to the MCAT, I would vote for Orgo 2 being ok to miss, just study all the materials you can prior to the test.
 
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