MCAT Classes - Biochem, Orgo 2, genetics, etc

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aryaw

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Hi!
Just to provide some background: I am a freshman in a guaranteed medical school acceptance program. I am going to graduate in three years, which means I will have to take the MCAT next year (2018) possibly during April or May (I plan on applying out since it can't hurt, which means April is the latest date I should take it so that I can apply as early as possible)

For the upcoming fall semester, I'm planning on taking orgo 2 and biochem (not orgo lab though because I heard it wasn't as important for the MCAT). For the spring semester, I was going to take physics, genetics, cell bio lab, and biochem 2.
I had a couple questions:

1) Should I take genetics during my fall semester instead of spring? Is it important for the new MCAT?
2) My university offers a 1 semester biochem course and a 2 semester biochem course, but which would be the best for the MCAT? My spring semester ends in the beginning of May, so I theoretically will have gone through nearly 2 semesters full of biochem by the time I take the MCAT.
These are the course descriptions:
First semester of 2 semester series: Chemistry of proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates and lipids
Second semester: Carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, electron transport. Metabolism of amino acids, nucleic acids, proteins. Biosynthesis of macromolecules and regulation of macromolecular synthesis
One semester course: Structure and function of cellular constituents; enzymology; metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids, nucleotides; molecular biology of biosynthesis of proteins and nucleic acids
Does the MCAT require a thorough knowledge of metabolism?
3) If I take the 2 semester biochem series, which is more important? Unfortunately, the two best professors for orgo 2 and biochem 1 have lectures at the same time. For orgo 2, there's one pretty good teacher and one kinda bad teacher. For biochem 1, there's a great teacher and one okay teacher (you need to teach yourself a lot according to previous students). I konw logically speaking, I should go for the pretty good orgo 2 teacher and the okay biochem teacher, but I thought biochem was more important for the MCAT? Would it be better to get the great biochem teacher and the kinda bad orgo 2 teacher?

I'm so sorry for how many questions I have but I would sincerely appreciate any help!

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I will have to take the MCAT next year (2018) possibly during April or May (I plan on applying out since it can't hurt, which means April is the latest date I should take it so that I can apply as early as possible. But

You can take it in May, June, even July of your application year and still be complete plenty early. You send the primary app to 1 school for verification before you get the MCAT score back. Get your score back, send off the primary to appropriate schools, have secondaries pre-written, be complete ~1.5 months after taking the MCAT.


1) Sure, why not, probably somewhat helpful.

2) Ask around at your school and see what the deal is with the classes. At my school for instance they had a 1-semester OChem class that was specifically aimed at the new MCAT and medical school, in addition to the normal 2-year course. Maybe that's the case here? Either that, or the 1-semester course is a watered down version in which case go for the 2-semester version I guess. But I think most people just do 1 semester fwiw.

3) Biochem is super important for the MCAT. I literally didn't even take OChem 2 prior to the MCAT so.... I guess I vote for the great biochem teacher with bad orgo teacher.
 
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You can take it in May, June, even July of your application year and still be complete plenty early. You send the primary app to 1 school for verification before you get the MCAT score back. Get your score back, send off the primary to appropriate schools, have secondaries pre-written, be complete ~1.5 months after taking the MCAT.


1) Sure, why not, probably somewhat helpful.

2) Ask around at your school and see what the deal is with the classes. At my school for instance they had a 1-semester OChem class that was specifically aimed at the new MCAT and medical school, in addition to the normal 2-year course. Maybe that's the case here? Either that, or the 1-semester course is a watered down version in which case go for the 2-semester version I guess. But I think most people just do 1 semester fwiw.

3) Biochem is super important for the MCAT. I literally didn't even take OChem 2 prior to the MCAT so.... I guess I vote for the great biochem teacher with bad orgo teacher.

Thank you so much for your advice! If that's the case, I might take the earliest one in June just bc the May dates are all fairly close to my finals. That would make me feel more prepared too. I'll ask around more for biochem, but if I do the two semester series, I'll definitely do the great biochem teacher
 
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Thank you so much for your advice! If that's the case, I might take the earliest one in June just bc the May dates are all fairly close to my finals. That would make me feel more prepared too. I'll ask around more for biochem, but if I do the two semester series, I'll definitely do the great biochem teacher

Maybe it's less important for you because you have a guaranteed acceptance already... But the MCAT is the absolute #1 most important thing in any med school application (IMO). You can be a superstar in every other way, but screw up the MCAT and you're toast. I don't understand why so many people rush to take it in April, jeopardizing class grades and also likely not reaching their full potential on the MCAT.

An early June test seems good to me - you're going to really appreciate having that full month of dedicated study time after classes end, and it literally does not delay you being complete at schools whatsoever assuming you send your primary to 1 school for verification within the first few days of the cycle opening. Early June gets your score back early July, prewrite your secondaries during this time and you can be complete mid-July which is ridiculously early.
 
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