How important is it to take biochem for the new MCAT?

[browneyes124]

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Hey guys. I was making a 4 year plan for a class and since I switched my concentration I will be able to graduate a year sooner than planned. It should be the spring of 2018. The only problem is I dropped Chem 1 this semester so I have to take it for next semester but because of that by the time I have all the pre reqs for biochem itll be fall 2017. I was just wondering for the people who have taken the new MCAT if you thought that a class in it was absolutely mandatory or if you could just study from the prep books and be fine? I read somewhere that biochem is about 30 % of the test? I was also wondering how much Organic Chem was on there? most people say its just orgo 1 and maybe like 2-3 questions from orgo 2.
Since applications take a year. If I took the MCAT in Febuary of 2018 and applied before the summer, im assuming I would not be able to attend till fall of 2019. Is this correct?

 

[7331poas]

Well i mean, none of the classes are necessary by your logic. BioChem is a very important topic on the MCAT and you should have strong knowledge of its content. Whether you choose to take the class or not is up to you. You will at least have to take it before you matriculate at most schools though.

 

[browneyes124]

Well i mean, none of the classes are necessary by your logic. BioChem is a very important topic on the MCAT and you should have strong knowledge of its content. Whether you choose to take the class or not is up to you. You will at least have to take it before you matriculate at most schools though.

So you dont think just a prep course would be sufficient for the test ?

 

[Lucca]

So you dont think just a prep course would be sufficient for the test ?

technically anything can be learned without a formal class. Biochem is one I would not recommend skipping before taking the real thing.

 

[sliceofbread136]

Even on the old MCAT for which it was less important I thought it was very useful. If you are going to skip anything skip physics 2

 

[Glazedonutlove]

don't skip physics 2, skip orgo 2

 

[sliceofbread136]

don't skip physics 2, skip orgo 2

Ill agree/disagree, they are both equally useless. I took the MCAT without physics 2 and there were like 2 equations you had to learn and basic circuits you learned in like 8th grade, not much of a problem at all.

 

[PooshBag]

I took the recent mcat without a biochem class. I used kaplan's biochem book. Very useful in my opinion. I scored well enough in the B/B and C/P sections.

 

[MD2BE92]

Better yet, why not just take all of your pre-reqs before considering taking the test?

That way, when you go to prep and review you can actually evaluate your weaknesses somewhat accurately

 

[Glazedonutlove]

Ill agree/disagree, they are both equally useless. I took the MCAT without physics 2 and there were like 2 equations you had to learn and basic circuits you learned in like 8th grade, not much of a problem at all.

right but that was your exam. Other exams might have a large percent of p/s section of physics questions. Why waste time self studying all that when most med schools require a year of physics anyways?

 

[sliceofbread136]

Better yet, why not just take all of your pre-reqs before considering taking the test?

That way, when you go to prep and review you can actually evaluate your weaknesses somewhat accurately

Sometimes things don't fall so nicely in place and it may in fact be better to spend an extra day reviewing new material than massively and inconveniently messing with your schedule.

 

[sliceofbread136]

right but that was your exam. Other exams might have a large percent of p/s section of physics questions. Why waste time self studying all that when most med schools require a year of physics anyways?

I am not refering to my exam (years ago I don't remember what was on it), I am refering to the knowledge that you are expected to know coming in/what is covered in review books.

Most schools require a year of ochem as well so I'm not sure what your point is. If a you can't fit in a pre-req before your mcat for whatever reason it should probably be physics 2 or ochem 2 as there is little information that you are expected to know from those classes on the test.

 

[Glazedonutlove]

I am not refering to my exam (years ago I don't remember what was on it), I am refering to the knowledge that you are expected to know coming in/what is covered in review books.

Most schools require a year of ochem as well so I'm not sure what your point is. If a you can't fit in a pre-req before your mcat for whatever reason it should probably be physics 2 or ochem 2 as there is little information that you are expected to know from those classes on the test.

Nope you can replace ochem 2 with biochem for most schools. And I am talking about the new mcat, where aamc lists topics covered in physics 2. If that can't be done before the mcat, fine but my advice is always to maximize your chances by taking all the prereqs before taking the exam

 

[MD2BE92]

Sometimes things don't fall so nicely in place and it may in fact be better to spend an extra day reviewing new material than massively and inconveniently messing with your schedule.

This is true and I can definitely relate. As someone who has retaken the MCAT though and successfully done so I might add, it won't just be an 'extra day' to cover the big picture of one major pre-req course. That said, it is possible to do without and rely on review materials without any prior knowledge to cover your bases

 

[sliceofbread136]

Nope you can replace ochem 2 with biochem for most schools. And I am talking about the new mcat, where aamc lists topics covered in physics 2. If that can't be done before the mcat, fine but my advice is always to maximize your chances by taking all the prereqs before taking the exam

Maybe things have changed but that was not the case in my day. Good change though ochem in general is completely useless for med school.

This is true and I can definitely relate. As someone who has retaken the MCAT though and successfully done so I might add, it won't just be an 'extra day' to cover the big picture of one major pre-req course. That said, it is possible to do without and rely on review materials without any prior knowledge to cover your bases

Unless the physics 2 and ochem 2 needed for the test has vastly expanded it can probably covered in 1 day. There were like 2 mechanisms and 3 equations extra you had to know.

 

[Theafoni]

I took the recent mcat without a biochem class. I used kaplan's biochem book. Very useful in my opinion. I scored well enough in the B/B and C/P sections.

Have you taken biochem? Are you applying to schools that require Biochem?

 

[Brilliantek]

i think it will definitely help you. most schools require it anyways

 

[bee17]

I would highly recommend taking biochem before the MCAT.

 

[Gandyy]

From what I can tell, Biochem is probably the most important subject for the new test!

 

[browneyes124]

Im going to ask a question that has nothing to do with the original but i didnt want to start a new thread. I plan on getting married after graduation and I will also be changing my first and last name. Do you think this will effect the applications for med school since my degree from college will have a totally different name on it?

 

[Cardboard101]

Definitely take biochem. I only did the first two quarters of our biochem and looked over the topics in the third quarter. Got dinged quite hard on the MCAT because I didn't know those topics well. Ochem/physics I got by with 2 quarters of each.

 

[Flashfan]

I was very glad I had the biochem course. I took it the semester that I was studying for the MCAT and found that helped. It is 30% of the test. As for others that took the test, they really threw everything at us this year. My test date had almost no O-Chem but the next test date was blindsided with a lot. Other test dates thought it was more physics than expected. There is no reason to risk your score by skipping the class.
And be sure to check the schools on your application list. My state school requires Biochem and O-Chem 1 and 2 for example.

 

[DrHart]

I honestly would not take it until you've finished biochem. Better to take the MCAT later (and only once) for a good score, than to have to retake it because you didn't score how you wanted to. Biochem is so central to the new MCAT I would strongly recommend taking it.

 

[GrapesofRath]

There's no point taking the new MCAT if you haven't taken biochem or if you already have learned all the knowledge a through semester class of biochem would cover.

You know yourself better than anybody else in terms of what you can accomplish but if you dont feel like you can study other MCAT material by yourself for the MCAT through prep books, then you sure as hell won't be able to do the same for biochem. There's just very little benefit of self-studying biochem and a whole lot of risk(doing poorly which can cause lots of problems even if you retake and do substantially better as there are many schools that average multiple MCAT scores).

 

[member000000000]

Biochem was one of the most helpful classes in my opinion.