Is it worth taking Analytical Chem to prepare for MCAT ?

[harrism]

I was considering taking Analytical Chem next semester to help prepare for the MCAT. There is tons of acid-base/ equilibrium stuff in it and I was thinking it might help learn the material covered in second semester General Chem. Any ideas ?

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[LauraMac]

i just took two semesters of general chemistry. p-chem and a-chem are supposed to be fairly hard, so i thought why should i take them if i don't have to? i ended up doing just fine on the MCAT.

 

[gotigers]

i took pchem and not only was it miserable, but it helped me a big fat 0 on the mcat. maybe that was just my experience...

 

[koreykat]

do not take analytical chemistry for the MCAT, it just a bunch of titration calculations blah blah and it prettymuch what you learnt in g-chem. I really doubt it will help. Spend that time studying with Kaplan or Princeton Review....

 

[apar01]

Do not take analytical chemistry just to prepare for the MCAT. Actually, try not to take it at all. Most of it just a rehash of general chemistry, with some emphasis placed on learning what different analytical laboratory techniques are and the actual structures of the machines (boring!!!). That is really not important in the scope of the MCAT.

Keep your general chemistry book and couple that with TPR/Kaplan and you should be good to go!

 

[OTheHorror]

I think it could help, but only worth it if it will not lower your GPA by taking it.

 

[WalterSobchakk]

I don't recommend taking analytical chem under any circumstances. It's so boring and really isn't necessary to prepare you for the MCAT or med school. It's basically taking all the info you learned in general chem and showing you how to do the calculations more precisely taking things like ionic strength and common ion effect into consideration. The lab is a total pain. Spend your time on something else instead!

 

[txguy]

I was considering taking Analytical Chem next semester to help prepare for the MCAT. There is tons of acid-base/ equilibrium stuff in it and I was thinking it might help learn the material covered in second semester General Chem. Any ideas ?

I will have to answer with a resounding, NOOO!!

Intro gen chem and the basic concepts it introduces is enough. The MCAT likes to make easy concepts look hard. The essence of the MCAT is applying knowledge you already have to new situations.

(EDIT: That analytical chemistry class might actually hurt you because the MCAT requires such quick, impercise, approximations with respect to calculations)

Good luck

-tx

 

[ellia08]

I guess in some extremely general sense additional courses in any subject on the mcat will help you out. However, with that disclaimer in mind-

No. You would have to be nuts.

MCAT chemistry is really general and straightforeword (um... well as straightforward as the testing format allows.) Know the basics really REALLY well and you will be fine.

(I took it with just p-chem and was happy. P chem is unnecessary also.)

 

[FirestarterSG]

On paper A-Chem and P-Chem look like they'd help, but for the love of God, unless you want to learn pH is NOT equal to -log[H+] and you like your delta G more precise than negative or positive. I don't think the MCAT cares.

I took both for my minor; haven't taken the MCAT as yet but from the practice tests I'd say it's useless.

To be fair, they ARE easy to score in if your math (upto Integral calculus for p-chem) is good and you're very systematic.

USD0.02
Daniel

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

I have taken all my pre-reqs, as well as practice MCATs. I think what they all say is true - all you need to take is the basic pre-reqs to learn all the material that will be on the MCAT. I dont think taking a-chem will help all that much.

 

[45408]

I took the MCAT in the summer, and I'm taking analytical right now. There's pretty much no reason to take analytical chemistry to prepare for the MCAT, because there wasn't any on the MCAT.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

hell no. all i remember from analytical chem is spending all my beautiful spring afternoons in a lab being overly anal about lab technique. you should have covered everything that you need to know in your gen chem class, so, unless you really like chem lab, i'd skip it.

 

[CanIMakeIt]

One word: "NO" ......... way too detailed and technical...... if you understood freshmen chemistry pretty well no need at all........

 

[JDAD]

I assume you have a pretty good idea regarding the SDN opinion on this question, but I will agree with everyone and say NOOOOOOOOO, don't waste your time. If you really want to take a class that might help, take biochem, genetics or A&P

 

[UseUrHeadFred]

Analytical chem is basically acid/base chem in infinite detail. The MCAT is about breadth of knowledge.

You tell me.

 

[gobblety_gook]

I assume you have a pretty good idea regarding the SDN opinion on this question, but I will agree with everyone and say NOOOOOOOOO, don't waste your time. If you really want to take a class that might help, take biochem, genetics or A&P

I'll even go so far and say that I don't think you have to take any advanced chemistry/biology class past the intro...

Take:

G-chem
Orgo
Intro bio
Some anatomy oriented class
physics

And you're set for the MCAT...the specific material you can fine tune with the Princeton Review course materials (which I think are really good).

Good luck

 

[dalynn]

helped me with electrochem and some of the acid-base stuff...it's a pretty decent review (albeit more in-depth) of gen chem...
...i'm also a chemistry major though.

 

[stoic]

No, Achem is overkill for the MCAT. The physical science doesn't cover really in depth material. You'd be better of doing practice problems and making sure you have the basics down.