Is it possible to get a good score on MCAT with the backgorund i hv??

[nk2050]

so i am planning to take the MCAT on Aug...i took intro bio,chem, genetics..taking o chem I...i took physics in high school but no college course...i am planning to follow the MCAT study guide by SN2ed tht's on this website..do you think it's a crazy idea to take MCAT on Aug??

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[Bravetown]

Yup

 

[BushidoBrown]

You're going to have to be very diligent about studying biology, because intro to Bio isn't going to cut it going in; the MCAT had questions the topics of which weren't emphasized until higher-level biology courses (like biochem and genetics).

Also, I'm not sure what kind of physics in high school you took, but sub-AP courses will be no help whatsoever. Depending on what level of AP Physics you take in high school, you may or may not have gone over electromagnetism and optics, both of which will DEFINITELY be on the MCAT.

You might be able to slide by with only organic 1, but I have heard of some organic 2 questions on the MCAT (don't remember specifically about my own).

Finally, you're going to want to brush up on those typing skills if you want to get a passable grade on the writing section.

 

[OrkidLover]

Why don't you wait until you take physics? I could be wrong but don't medical schools require physics anyway?

 

[Lil Mick]

I self-studied for it (no physics) and did really well on the physical science section. However, you need the discipline and the ability to learn the material on your own. If you're the type of person who can pick up a book and understand the subject material without a background in it, you'll be fine. Otherwise, I'd consider waiting until you've had the prerec courses, as you don't want to have to retake the exam because of a low score...

 

[samuraiR]

my only bio classes were AP, and organic at community colleges... i got a 12 in bs. I think you'll be fine...just study

 

[McScoots]

I assume you only want to take the mcat this August because you're trying to get in during this coming application cycle (matriculate in '12). If that is not the case, then definitely wait. You gain nothing by taking it early. If you are trying to squeeze into this coming cycle, then study hard and you'll be fine. My understanding is that Orgo has been de-emphasized to "only" 25% of the biological sciences section. So even though I think Orgo II would cover some of the more difficult material that you might not want to go alone on, it shouldn't crush your score.

Good luck.

 

[Astarael]

so i am planning to take the MCAT on Aug...i took intro bio,chem, genetics..taking o chem I...i took physics in high school but no college course...i am planning to follow the MCAT study guide by SN2ed tht's on this website..do you think it's a crazy idea to take MCAT on Aug??

As the other posters stated, you should either take physics or spend a lot of time learning it, as it makes up a decent portion of the physical sciences section.

You're going to have to be very diligent about studying biology, because intro to Bio isn't going to cut it going in; the MCAT had questions the topics of which weren't emphasized until higher-level biology courses (like biochem and genetics).

While the MCAT may have questions on it where knowledge of upper level biology is useful, there shouldn't be any questions for which it is necessary. The test sometimes asks questions on genetics (which you should have learned in intro bio) and other advanced biology topics, but if it ever asks a question where advanced information (above intro bio) is necessary, that information is included in the question.

 

[nk2050]

thanks guys who had so far gave me all the encouraging advices....i have one more question...should i study the MCAT content review to learn the physics materials or actually study a physics book before reviewing from the MCAT study guides???

 

[Astarael]

thanks guys who had so far gave me all the encouraging advices....i have one more question...should i study the MCAT content review to learn the physics materials or actually study a physics book before reviewing from the MCAT study guides???

That's a really tough question to answer, because it depends on how much time you have. If you have the time to teach yourself physics, that would obviously be ideal, but it is a tough thing to do. The most important stuff for physics is to know and understand all of the equations... So maybe a good question is, are you better at memorization or critical thinking? A lot of the equations in physics are combinations or derivations of other equations, so if you are good at memorizing you could just memorize all of them, but if you are a critical thinker it would be easier to know how to derive them. Memorization would be easier with the review book, while you would probably need the textbook to get a good understanding of the derivations.